Farm Implement Salesman Sample

Greetings. I have what appears to be a Salesman Sample Farm Implement, a Plow. It is very detailed and clearly has some age to it. It measures approx. 9 1/2" between the Wheels, 12" in Length with a Wheel diameter of 8 1/2". The only markings on the piece is "Pat - Nov 17 1884" handwritten in pencil. One Wheel needs repair as pictured. I am interested in knowing the manufacturer. I attempted to post photographs but rec'd an error message "file to large". Solution please

 

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/posting-a-thread-and-uploading-pictures.15990/

 

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Most salesman samples were made to 1:6 scale or 1:8 scale when compared to the actual product, machine or piece of equipment. Generally, the more a vintage salesman sample remains true to the original product and its working features, the higher its value to collectors.

here's an interesting article........

https://www.farmcollector.com/equipment/salesmans-samples-good-things-small-packages/

 

Possible Salesman Sample of an antique plow. Very detailed. Functional hardware. Marked in pencil "Pat - Nov 17 1884". No patent number. S eeking the manufacturer.

 

Wow that piece is quite remarkable!

 

That is a fantastic piece. Perhaps you can repair it, or have it repaired by someone who has the skills.

 

Based on the following, I think you have something legit:

Here's the link to the patent page->

 

Salesman sample is very possible. Nice piece. If mine, I would pay to have it professional restored.

 

Great piece-I think of these as true folk art & they can be worth a lot.

 

Looks like the real deal to me. Well worth fixing. Do you have the missing metal hoop?

 

Sabre123 I very much appreciate you locating the patent information as it gives this piece absolute validity. The date on the patent diagram is 1874 while the pencil notation on the plow is 1884. Regardless, I played around at different patent search sites but I was lost and would never have found the patent information on my own. As to the metal "Tire' I do not have it. I found this plow at a local estate sale. The house was filled with a diverse range of items. The owner was a flea market junkie much like myself. I was fortunate to find the outer ring of the wheel as it was not in the immediate vicinity of the plow itself. I lack the skills to repair the wheel (unless I use Duct Tape) and will need to find a professional restorer. Any suggestions? I live on the west coast. BTW, I have a Japanese Military Sword which appears to be from the WWII era that is signed on the Tang. It also has an unusual wrap on the Sleeve/Handle which may help in identifying the rank of the owner. I again have tried to identify the maker with zero success. I plan to post photographs on this site shortly in hopes that someone knowledgeable can identify the maker.

 

I guess I did plug in the wrong year by accident. Kind of bizarre that I got that lucky with the hit. Did you find any documents with your patent search?

 

Initially I found nothing. Using the patent information you located I searched briefly and found nothing related, no documents or photographs. Question: When submitting a patent application in this time period was a model of the invention required or just a diagram and description? Phrased differently, is this a model as part of the submission process or a salesman sample or something else?

 

That particular patent is for an enhancement to the original plow design, not a salesman sample. Something to do with the axle/wheels, I believe.

There's still work to be done to find the original patent of the plow, which may lead you to a company who made it. But the picture, for all intents and purposes, is virtually identical to your model and can be used as high level of provenance, I would think.

 

Hello @Politically Collect & welcome to the forum!!

This could very well be the model submitted for this particular item. According to this site, a model had to be submitted until 1880.

Maybe you can contact them for some further information & possible craftsmen who could do repairs.

https://www.hagley.org/patentmodels

These are very highly sought after. I sold this simple piece back in 2021 for $163.00. IOnes like yours with moving parts go for much more.



Let us know what you find out.

 

Thanks Bercrystal-The Hagley Museum looks like a wonderful place and they have a fine reference site .

 

This is a Cultivator from 1880 in the Online Hagley Museum.