Yes, in the early days of inventing new appliances, with many small manufacturers approaching design ideas from many different angles, you got many different and interesting approaches which is what makes vintage appliances so interesting.
It's funny how hard the industry fought the tumble-action washer design until economy and the fascination with all things European brought them to the forefront of the industry.
Even in today's world, the old Hamilton dryers dry a load faster with less electricity than my modern electric dryers due to their design and the particular air flow patterns in their dryers.
Dishwashers were another place where many different designs were presented, tried and either adopted or laid aside as designs were standardized.