The first robot to receive a US patent was a 19th-century musical automaton - Apparently.
In 1868, American inventor Thaddeus Cahill patented a mechanical instrument called the "Telharmonium," which was essentially a robot that could produce musical notes using a series of hammers and metal pipes. This precursor to modern electronic instruments was the first robot to be granted a US patent. The patent, number 89,823, was issued on December 22, 1868, and marked the beginning of a new era in robotics and music.