In the 1895 case of Singer Manufacturing Company v. Bent, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Singer Manufacturing Company, a sewing machine manufacturer. The dispute arose when Bent claimed that Singer had infringed on his patent for an improvement to sewing machines. However, upon examination by the court it was found that this alleged 'improvement' did not enhance the efficiency or functionality of these machines and thus could not be patented under U.S law which requires any new invention or discovery to be useful. Therefore, since Bent's design failed to meet this requirement he was unable to claim exclusive rights over its use and production through a patent grant. This ruling reinforced existing interpretations of what constitutes as a valid patentable invention within U.S jurisprudence.

In the dissenting opinion for Singer Manufacturing Company v. Bent, Justice Brewer argued that the patent in question was not a mere improvement on an existing machine but rather a new and unique invention altogether. He contended that while it may have been based on prior designs, its innovative features were significant enough to warrant protection under patent law. Furthermore, he disagreed with the majority's assertion that these features were obvious or self-evident to anyone skilled in the art of sewing machines at the time of their creation. Instead, he believed they represented a substantial leap forward in technology and should be recognized as such by granting them full legal protection against infringement.