Title devised by cataloger.

Bound collection (2 v.) of patents issued to Edison by the U.S. Patent Office for various technological improvements and inventions.

Vol. 1 contains 152 patents, dating from June 1, 1869 (no. 90,646, for improvement in electrographic vote-recorder), to Dec. 23, 1879 (no. 222,881, for improvement in magneto-electric machines). The patents are in chronological and numerical order, with the exception of two from Apr. 22, 1879 (nos. 214,636-214,637) which are bound at the end of the volume. The patents in v. 1 are mostly duplicated in v. 2, although some are re-issues or have slightly different texts.

Vol. 2 contains 383 patents, dating from June 1, 1869 (no. 90,646, for improvement in electrographic vote-recorder) to May 20, 1884 (no. 298,956, for mode of operating dynamo-electric machines), arranged in chronological and numerical order.

The patent drawings were photo-lithographed by N. Peters, Washington, D.C.

Patent 282,287 (July 31, 1883) in v. 2 includes a printed errata slip.

SCDIRB copy of v. 1 (39088009797978) has a sheet of Paris hotel stationery with ms. pencil notes (by Hammer?), concerning patents for phonographs, tipped in on the verso of the drawing for patent no. 210,767 (Dec. 10, 1878).

SCDIRB copy of v. 1 has stamp: From the William J. Hammer collection.

SCDIRB copy of v. 1 has later black buckram portfolio with gilt-lettered spine; some leaves have been "silked" or otherwise repaired with tape.

SCDIRB copy of v. 2 (39088009798059) has inscription on front free endpaper: W.J. Hammer from Thomas A Edison, N[ew] York Feb[ruar]y 19th 1885; with Hammer's ink stamps: William J. Hammer; From the William J. Hammer Scientific Collection.

SCDIRB copy of v. 2 has later green buckram binding; approximately 60 leaves of blank lined paper have been inserted at the front of the volume.