Here are some of the famous patent models submitted during the nineteenth century.
Patent model of Samuel F. B. Morse’s telegraph register, 1849
Used by permission from National Museum of American History, Behring Center, Smithsonian Institution
Edison Light Bulb Model (circa 1886)
Used by permission from National Museum of American History, Behring Center, Smithsonian Institution
Model of William N. Whiteley’s reaper, 1877
Used by permission from National Museum of American History, Behring Center, Smithsonian Institution
