John,
You may be right about J.P. Morgan contracting with Edison for a metered
power invention. I know that Edison spent time developing several systems
for metering DC power (quite different from the present system we use for
metering AC power). He came up with at least one system that involved an
electro-chemical meter that essentially plated one metal from one electrode
to another. By weighing the electrodes, the amount of current passing thru
the meter could be determined. Edison did a lot of development work under
contract. In fact, Edison is remembered today among the technically
oriented establishment as the inventor of the research and R&D laboratory
concepts. Before Edison, technical research was primarily done by
independent inventors like Edison. His primary motivator in his career was
inventing. He always referred to himself as an inventor, not a scientist or
engineer. Toward that end, he developed tools and procedures that aided in
inventing things. When he was able to accrue enough funding, the natural
evolution of that disposition was to invent the "invention shop". At Menlo
Park and again at West Orange, he had people employed for the sole purpose
of researching ideas (pure research) and in trying to find ways to employ
those ideas in the making of practical products (research and development).
He was the first employer to do this in history, and thus became the
inventor of the R&D laboratory.
I'm sitting here biting my tongue so that I don't say anything more on
the subject of executives at big corporations. Such as the fact that CEO
actually refers to the CRIMINALLY EXCESSIVELY OVERPAID.
I forgot to comment earlier on the price of that Edison dynamo on
Craigslist. There are collectors of early electric motors and related
paraphernalia who would probably know much better about the worth of this
piece. But I have seen such items go for this kind of price on eBay. I'm
sure its value depends on its particular model and condition, but this is
probably a ballpark value for it these days.
Greg Bogantz
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Maeder" <appywander at hotmail.com>
To: "Antique Phonograph List" <phono-l at oldcrank.org>
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 4:20 PM
Subject: RE: [Phono-L] Interesting Edison item on Craigslist
Greg -- I am actually under the impression that Edison was approached and
contracted by J.P. Morgan to invent metered power and the practical
applications thereof. Speaking of "one of the biggest cash cows in Murkan
history" . . . my wife is (grudgingly) an executive with GEMoney (formerly
GE Credit)! John
> From: gbogantz1 at charter.net
> To: phono-l at oldcrank.org
> Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Interesting Edison item on Craigslist
> Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:17:18 -0500
>
> That's an Edison motor-dynamo. The design of it would date to the
> invention
> of the incandescent lamp in 1879 or thereabouts, so the 1882 patent date
> is
> probably right. Edison had to invent the entire power generation,
> distribution, and consumer product line of products right along with the
> lamp to ensure that there was a market for the lamp products. He
> literally
> had to invent the entire market for distributed-power electricity in the
> home and much of industry and small businesses. Most people either don't
> know this or have forgotten it in all the hoopla over the lamp and the
> phonograph. Unlike Rockefeller and Vanderbilt in his own gilded age, and
> Bill Gates, Rupert Murdock, and all the other fat capitalist pigs of our
> modern Second Gilded Age (have YOUR wages kept up with inflation?
> Murdock's
> has and plenty more), Edison wasn't in business to get filthy, stinking
> rich. He could have EASILY done so with several of his inventions, the
> lamp
> and its accoutrements in particular. He wanted to invent things. He sold
> them so that he could afford to buy more equipment and personnel to invent
> more things. Consequently, he created the Edison General Electric
> Company,
> together with some fat cash investors to handle the drudgery of dealing
> with the whole lamp and power distribution business. When he needed more
> cash for his laboratory, he sold out his interest in the company to the
> fat
> butts, they dropped the "Edison" from the company name, and they went on
> to
> create one of the biggest cash cows in Murkan history.
>
> Greg Bogantz
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Maeder" <appywander at hotmail.com>
> To: <phono-l at oldcrank.org>
> Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 2:02 PM
> Subject: [Phono-L] Interesting Edison item on Craigslist
>
>
>
> Here's an interesting piece of Edisonia . . . is this as early as the
> patent
> indicates? Don't know if the price is good or not. John
>
> http://huntsville.craigslist.org/grd/580738136.html
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