Thomas Edison
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Presentation Transcript
Thomas Edison By: Shannon Matuszny EECT 111
Early life Thomas Edison and his family
Milan, Ohio • Born February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio • Inquisitive and wanted to learn on his own • Mystery of hatching eggs • Escape from drowning • Public spanking
Port Huron, Michigan • Moved to Port Huron by railroad train when seven • Removed from formal schooling at age 12 • Realized worth of education • Sponsored Edison scholarships
First Laboratory • At age 11 had a chemical laboratory • Read many books • Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” • The “Dictionary of Sciences” • At age 12 had a job as newsboy and candy “butcher” • “The Weekly Herald”
Edison’s Deafness • Tale • Caused by trainman who boxed his ears when Edison’s traveling laboratory caught fire • Truth (Edison’s Truth) • Caused by trainman who picked him up by the ears to get him on a train pulling out of the station
Edison’s Beginnings How Edison got introduced into the world of electricity
Train Rescue & Reward • Before age 17 Edison risked his life to save a station agent’s young boy • In return, Edison was taught telegraphy • First insight to electricity and the beginning of his studies and experiments
Telegrapher Jobs • At age 17 became a regular telegrapher on the Grand Trunk Line in Ontario • Creative invention got him fired • Device to automatically “report in” in Morse code every hour • Found a job with Western Union in Boston • Ended up in New York poor and in debt
Gold and Stock Telegraph Co. • Created the Universal Stock Printer • Received $40,000 • Opened a factory and manufactured stock tickers • At age 23 was established and successful
Incandescent Lamp The creation of a commercially viable incandescent electric lamp
Light History • Gas lights were prevalent before 1879 • Many inventors worked to create incandescent light stemming from electric arc lamp • James Prescott Joule • Sir Humphrey Davy
Edison’s Success • Contributing factors • Durable incandescent material • A better vacuum within the bulb • Filament material of high resistance • Platinum • Carbonized Japanese bamboo • Tungsten
Critical System Elements • Parallel circuit • Durable light bulb • Improved dynamo • Underground conductor network • Devices for maintaining constant voltage • Safety fuses and insulating materials • Light sockets with on-off switches
Following Inventions Inventions following the success of the incandescent electric lamp
The “Edison Effect” • First application in the field of electronics • Phenomenon where an independent wire or plate, when placed between the legs of the filament in an electric bulb, serves as a valve to control the flow of current
Other Inventions • Motion picture camera • Invented and patented in 1888 • Steel alkaline storage battery • Improved Edison battery in 1910 • Boost to electric car manufacturers • Short-lived • Rubber • U.S. dependent on foreign sources during WWI • Made from goldenrod
Electric Companies Following Edison’s success multiple electric companies were formed
General Electric • Edison General Electric was formed in 1889 from various smaller companies • Edison never controlled company • General Electric was formed after Edison General Electric and leading competitor Thompson-Houston merged
Board of Patent Control • Formed by Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse • “Joint arrangement between GE and the Westinghouse Co. to defend the patents of the two companies in litigation” (Venable) • Over 600 lawsuits for patent infringement filed
Conclusion Thomas Alva Edison’s impact
Conclusion • Affected life as we know it today • Huge discoveries and improvements • Incandescent light bulb • Phonograph • Motion camera • Still remembered today through the existence of General Electric
References • Light bulb history - invention of the light bulb. (2007). The Great Idea Finder. Retrieved May 2, 2012, from http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions • The inventions of Thomas Edison. (n.d.). Inventors. Retrieved May 2, 2012, from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors • Venable, J. D. (n.d.). A brief biography of Thomas Alva Edison | Thomas Edison Muckers. Thomas Edison Muckers. Retrieved May 2, 2012, from http://www.edisonmuckers.org/thomas-edison-biography/