Step 1 : Introduction to the question "5. Elias Howe and Isaac Singer were responsible for the development of a major appliance in many households today. However, their dispute over who was responsible was ugly. What product did these two men work on in the 1840s and 50s?"
...1. Alarm clock 2. Toaster 3. Sewing machine 4. Microwave In 1845, Elias Howe created his first sewing machine by building upon the work of those before him. His idea of putting a groove in the needle was patented, and became standard. In 1851, Isaac Singer designed a machine that held the needle vertically and used foot pressure to keep the needle in place. Howe sued, claiming it violated his patent, and he ultimately won the suit; as a result, Singer had to pay Howe more than one dollar for each machine already produced. Singer's later partnership with Edward Clark led to the development of the first hire-purchase system of goods, where a machine can be leased for a given amount of time until both its cost and interest have been paid off in full.
