Foote Gear Works, Inc. v. United States

4 Cust. Ct. 53, 1940 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 10
United States Customs Court·Decided February 15, 1940·No. C. D. 283·Published

Opinion

Dalmnger, Judge:

This is a suit against the United States, arising at the port of Chicago, brought to recover certain customs duties alleged to have been improperly exacted on a particular article invoiced as “1 No. 10 Worm Grinding machine complete with Motor Drive, Contactor gear, and push button control.” Duty was levied thereon at the rate of 40 per centum ad valorem under the provision in paragraph 372 of the Tariff Act of 1930 for “machines for cutting .or hobbing gears.” It is claimed that the mechanism is properly dutiable at the rate of 27K per centum ad valorem under the same paragraph as a machine not specially provided for, or, alternatively, at the rate of 35 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 353 of said act as an article having as an essential feature an electrical element or device.

[54] The plaintiff offered in evidence the testimony of Gunner E. Gunder-son, supervising engineer in charge of the manufacture and sale of all of the products of the plaintiff-corporation. He testified in part as follows:

Q. You have been in the gear and worm business and related articles since 1910, is that correct? — A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you know what a gear is? — A. I do.
Judge Keefe. Describe a gear.
By Mr. Schwartz:
Q. Yes, will you describe a gear? — A. A gear is a wheel with cogs or teeth on its segments or sometimes a ring with teeth or cogs on the inside of a ring.
Q. Are there various kinds of gears? — A. Yes, there are.
Q. Is there such a thing as a worm gear? — A. There is.
Q. What is a worm gear? — A. A gear with teeth on the segments driven by a worm.
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Q. Is it the turning of the worm which makes the gear turn? — A. Yes.

At this point a sample of a worm gear was introduced in evidence as Illustrative Exhibit A. There was also admitted as Illustrative Exhibit B a sample of a worm used to drive a worm gear.

The witness then continued his testimony in part as follows:

Q. Mr. Gunderson, I show you the invoice in the case at bar, and ask you whether you are familiar with the article described on that invoice, namely “1 No. 10 Worm Grinding Machine”? — A.- Yes; I am familiar with it, and I recognize everything excepting those red lettering entries.
Q. By that do you mean you disregard the appraiser’s report on the invoice? — ■ A. I have seen that paper. (The witness refers to the words in red ink on the face of the invoice “machine for cutting gears — 372—40 % * * *.”)
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Q. Did you see that machine when it was installed in your plant? — A. Yes; I did.
Q. Have you seen it in operation? — A. Yes; I have.
Q. Now will you please describe the machine and how it operates, and what it does? — A. This machine is designed to grind a worm. The worm is first cut in a separate machine called the “thread milling machine,” then the worm is ground for cutting, sometimes after hardening, sometimes before, to produce a smooth surface on this worm. This gear does not cut, no teeth, it just smoothens up. The teeth, they are cut in a different type of equipment.
Judge Keefe. In other words you mean by this, this machine is for the purpose of grinding some other notches that are made in another machine?
The Witness. Yes, sir; the worm is made in another machine, and this machine is made to smoothen up by grinding the cut produced by another machine.
Q. Now what motive power runs the machine? — A. We have electric motive power on both the grinding wheel, and in the operation of the machine, but it can be driven by electric motor or belts, through pulleys.
[55] Q. Now aside from the motors does the machine have any other electrical equipment? — A. Just the starting buttons, and starting and stopping and control of this motor.

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Foote Gear Works, Inc. v. United States, 4 Cust. Ct. 53, 1940 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 10 (cusc 1940).

4 Cust. Ct. 53 (Foote Gear Works, Inc. v. United States) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.