Patent Application for the Incandescent Light Bulb
1/27/1880
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On January 27, 1880, The Patent Office granted Thomas Edison’s patent for the “electric-lamp.” His patent was an improvement on electric lamps, not the invention of them; but because of Edison’s design changes and the materials he used—such as a carbon filament—his patent allowed for an electric lamp that was reliable, safe, and practical.
Text adapted from “Teaching with Documents : OurDocuments.gov” in the November/December 2002 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) publication Social Education.
Text adapted from “Teaching with Documents : OurDocuments.gov” in the November/December 2002 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) publication Social Education.
Transcript
To the Honorable Commissioner of Patents:Your Petitioner Thomas A. Edison of Menlo Park in the State of New Jersey prays that Letters Patent may be granted to him for the invention of an Improvement in Electric Lamps and in the method of manufacturing the same set forth in the annexed specification. (Case no. 186).
And further prays that you will recognize Lemuel W. Serrell, of the City of New York, N.Y., as his Attorney, with full power of substitution and revocation, to prosecute this application, to make alterations and amendments therein, to receive the Patent, and to transact all business in the Patent Office connected Therewith.
1879
This primary source comes from the Records of the Patent and Trademark Office.
National Archives Identifier: 595450
Full Citation: Drawing for an Electric Lamp; 1/27/1880; Patents Issued to Thomas A. Edison, 1868 - 1911; Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, Record Group 241; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/patent-application-incandescent-light-bulb, July 22, 2017]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
