Edison's Method In Inventing - 4

Edison's Method In Inventing - 4

 The history of the development of the telephone transmitter, phonograph, incandescent

lamp, dynamo, electrical distributing systems from central stations, electric railway, oremilling,

cement, motion pictures, and a host of minor inventions may be found embedded

in the laboratory note-books. A passing glance at a few pages of these written records

will serve to illustrate, though only to a limited extent, the thoroughness of Edison's

method. It is to be observed that these references can be but of the most meagre kind, and

must be regarded as merely throwing a side-light on the subject itself. For instance, the

complex problem of a practical telephone transmitter gave rise to a series of most

exhaustive experiments. Combinations in almost infinite variety, including gums,

chemical compounds, oils, minerals, and metals were suggested by Edison; and his

assistants were given long lists of materials to try with reference to predetermined

standards of articulation, degrees of loudness, and perfection of hissing sounds. The notebooks

contain hundreds of pages showing that a great many thousands of experiments

were tried and passed upon. Such remarks as "N. G."; "Pretty good"; "Whistling good,

but no articulation"; "Rattly"; "Articulation, whispering, and whistling good"; "Best tonight

so far"; and others are noted opposite the various combinations as they were tried.

Thus, one may follow the investigation through a maze of experiments which led up to

the successful invention of the carbon button transmitter, the vital device to give the

telephone its needed articulation and perfection.

The two hundred and odd note-books, covering the strenuous period during which Edison

was carrying on his electric-light experiments, tell on their forty thousand pages or more

a fascinating story of the evolution of a new art in its entirety. From the crude beginnings,

through all the varied phases of this evolution, the operations of a master mind are

apparent from the contents of these pages, in which are recorded the innumerable

experiments, calculations, and tests that ultimately brought light out of darkness.

The early work on a metallic conductor for lamps gave rise to some very thorough

research on melting and alloying metals, the preparation of metallic oxides, the coating of

fine wires by immersing them in a great variety of chemical solutions. Following his

usual custom, Edison would indicate the lines of experiment to be followed, which were

carried out and recorded in the note-books. He himself, in January, 1879, made

personally a most minute and searching investigation into the properties and behavior of

plating-iridium, boron, rutile, zircon, chromium, molybdenum, and nickel, under varying

degrees of current strength, on which there may be found in the notes about forty pages

of detailed experiments and deductions in his own handwriting, concluding with the

remark (about nickel): "This is a great discovery for electric light in the way of

economy."

This period of research on nickel, etc., was evidently a trying one, for after nearly a

month's close application he writes, on January 27, 1879: "Owing to the enormous power

of the light my eyes commenced to pain after seven hours' work, and I had to quit." On

the next day appears the following entry: "Suffered the pains of hell with my eyes last

night from 10 P.M. till 4 A.M., when got to sleep with a big dose of morphine. Eyes

getting better, and do not pain much at 4 P.M.; but I lose to-day."

The "try everything" spirit of Edison's method is well illustrated in this early period by a

series of about sixteen hundred resistance tests of various ores, minerals, earths, etc.,

occupying over fifty pages of one of the note-books relating to the metallic filament for

his lamps.

But, as the reader has already learned, the metallic filament was soon laid aside in favor

of carbon, and we find in the laboratory notes an amazing record of research and

experiment conducted in the minute and searching manner peculiar to Edison's method.

His inquiries were directed along all the various roads leading to the desired goal, for

long before he had completed the invention of a practical lamp he realized broadly the

fundamental requirements of a successful system of electrical distribution, and had given

instructions for the making of a great variety of calculations which, although far in

advance of the time, were clearly foreseen by him to be vitally important in the ultimate

solution of the complicated problem. Thus we find many hundreds of pages of the notebooks

covered with computations and calculations by Mr. Upton, not only on the

numerous ramifications of the projected system and comparisons with gas, but also on

proposed forms of dynamos and the proposed station in New York. A mere recital by

titles of the vast number of experiments and tests on carbons, lamps, dynamos, armatures,

commutators, windings, systems, regulators, sockets, vacuum-pumps, and the thousand

and one details relating to the subject in general, originated by Edison, and methodically

and systematically carried on under his general direction, would fill a great many pages

here, and even then would serve only to convey a confused impression of ceaseless

probing.