Thomas had over 1000 patents filed in his life, but theirs no room for 1000 inventions so here are some popular inventions from Edison,
some of which may failed, but others changed the world.
some of which may failed, but others changed the world.
VOTE RECORDER- 1867 Click photo to view source
The first of Thomas patented inventions was the vote recorder. Created when he was just 22, the recorder was designed to put in votes with a flip of a switch - But because of its slow reaction time, the recorder was immediately dropped and never used for its intended task.
" The slow pace of roll call voting in Congress and other legislatures enabled members to filibuster legislation or convince others to change their votes. Edison's vote recorder was never used." ( The Edison Papers)
The first of Thomas patented inventions was the vote recorder. Created when he was just 22, the recorder was designed to put in votes with a flip of a switch - But because of its slow reaction time, the recorder was immediately dropped and never used for its intended task.
" The slow pace of roll call voting in Congress and other legislatures enabled members to filibuster legislation or convince others to change their votes. Edison's vote recorder was never used." ( The Edison Papers)
PHONOGRAPH - 1877 Click photo for source
The phonograph was one of most well known of Thomas Edisons inventions and also a favorite of Thomas himself. this invention would work by wrapping wax paper around a cylinder which had two needles for recording and playback. After sending in the schematics to this idea to his mechanic and receiving it later on, Thomas immediately tested his new invention by yelling "Mary had a little lamb repeatedly into a hole in the phonograph. The noise vibrations entering the phonograph would perfectly indent the wax paper as the cylinder was rewound, the playback needle would bump the grooves to recite the sound and clearly. Thomas worked on this invention for most of his life and later improved it using tin foil instead of wax paper, and was then evolved into the famous record players we see today.
"He experimented with a diaphragm which had an embossing point and was held against rapidly-moving paraffin paper. The speaking vibrations made indentations in the paper. Edison later changed the paper to a metal cylinder with tin foil wrapped around it" (ThomasAedison)
The phonograph was one of most well known of Thomas Edisons inventions and also a favorite of Thomas himself. this invention would work by wrapping wax paper around a cylinder which had two needles for recording and playback. After sending in the schematics to this idea to his mechanic and receiving it later on, Thomas immediately tested his new invention by yelling "Mary had a little lamb repeatedly into a hole in the phonograph. The noise vibrations entering the phonograph would perfectly indent the wax paper as the cylinder was rewound, the playback needle would bump the grooves to recite the sound and clearly. Thomas worked on this invention for most of his life and later improved it using tin foil instead of wax paper, and was then evolved into the famous record players we see today.
"He experimented with a diaphragm which had an embossing point and was held against rapidly-moving paraffin paper. The speaking vibrations made indentations in the paper. Edison later changed the paper to a metal cylinder with tin foil wrapped around it" (ThomasAedison)
CARBON LIGHTBULB - 1879 Click photo for source
One of the most speculated of inventions was the carbon light bulb. Although Edison was not the first with the idea, nor the first to make the light bulb, he was the first to create a practical one that had the right elements to produce a long lasting house hold product. As past inventors used products such as platinum for their filaments, the lights were less heat resistant, used more power and simply did not last long and were too costly. By using a carbon filament which was more resistant to heat and cheaper to use, and other factors such as less energy and better suction inside the bulb itself it added up to longer lasting bulb, which would then be improved upon in the future to what we have today.
"By creating a vacuum inside the bulb, finding the right filament to use, and running lower voltage through the bulb, Edison was able to achieve a light bulb that lasted for many hours. This was a substantial improvement, and one that led with more improvements, to making the light bulb practical and economical" (Thomasaedison)
One of the most speculated of inventions was the carbon light bulb. Although Edison was not the first with the idea, nor the first to make the light bulb, he was the first to create a practical one that had the right elements to produce a long lasting house hold product. As past inventors used products such as platinum for their filaments, the lights were less heat resistant, used more power and simply did not last long and were too costly. By using a carbon filament which was more resistant to heat and cheaper to use, and other factors such as less energy and better suction inside the bulb itself it added up to longer lasting bulb, which would then be improved upon in the future to what we have today.
"By creating a vacuum inside the bulb, finding the right filament to use, and running lower voltage through the bulb, Edison was able to achieve a light bulb that lasted for many hours. This was a substantial improvement, and one that led with more improvements, to making the light bulb practical and economical" (Thomasaedison)
AC/CURRENT 1880
Thomas was also well known for inventing his own energy distribution system still used today. The D/C or Direct current was made to support and send world wide electricity to homes and his carbon light bulb. Although not as much of a success as Teslas Alternating current, D/C is was still used to power half of Americas homes, and is still used to power many battery powered products around the world today.
"Edison developed direct current -- current that runs continually in a single direction, like in a battery or a fuel cell. During the early years of electricity, direct current (shorthanded as DC) was the standard in the U.S. and powered half of amaricas homes" (energy.gov)
Thomas was also well known for inventing his own energy distribution system still used today. The D/C or Direct current was made to support and send world wide electricity to homes and his carbon light bulb. Although not as much of a success as Teslas Alternating current, D/C is was still used to power half of Americas homes, and is still used to power many battery powered products around the world today.
"Edison developed direct current -- current that runs continually in a single direction, like in a battery or a fuel cell. During the early years of electricity, direct current (shorthanded as DC) was the standard in the U.S. and powered half of amaricas homes" (energy.gov)
ELECTRIC PEN - 1875
After discovering electric motors, and being fascinated for the way type writers worked, Thomas sought out to to create the first electric motor powered device. The electric pens job was to trace stencils and ink paper such as a typewriter but duplicate photos or drawings instead of words. The machine was not only used for paper but was tested on Edison himself, as the inked point punctured the skin, it left ink under the surface, creating a 3 dot tattoo that Thomas wore around during his lifetime. Although not being one of his most famous inventions, the electric pen is the invention that started
printers and tattoo guns. Without the invention of the electric pen, who knows how people would print photos or get tattoos.
" This motor drove a small needle up and down the shaft of the pen, and as the user wrote, it created a stencil. This stencil was then placed in the press, and a roller was used to squeegee ink through the holes in the stencil, creating a copy of the document." (Rutgers)
After discovering electric motors, and being fascinated for the way type writers worked, Thomas sought out to to create the first electric motor powered device. The electric pens job was to trace stencils and ink paper such as a typewriter but duplicate photos or drawings instead of words. The machine was not only used for paper but was tested on Edison himself, as the inked point punctured the skin, it left ink under the surface, creating a 3 dot tattoo that Thomas wore around during his lifetime. Although not being one of his most famous inventions, the electric pen is the invention that started
printers and tattoo guns. Without the invention of the electric pen, who knows how people would print photos or get tattoos.
" This motor drove a small needle up and down the shaft of the pen, and as the user wrote, it created a stencil. This stencil was then placed in the press, and a roller was used to squeegee ink through the holes in the stencil, creating a copy of the document." (Rutgers)
CARBON MICROPHONE - 1877 Click photo for source
CARBON CARBON CARBON! shortly before the carbon light bulb, Thomas invented the carbon microphone, The carbon microphone was used in almost all telephones and in broadcasting systems during the 1980s, and was widely popular before being replaced by another type of microphone in the 1920s
"the carbon microphone was also used in radio broadcasting and public address work through the 1920s. It consisted of two metal plates separated by granules of carbon. One plate faces outward and acts as a diaphragm. When sound waves strike this plate, the pressure on the granules changes, which in turn changes the electrical resistance between the plates." (Juliantrubin)
CARBON CARBON CARBON! shortly before the carbon light bulb, Thomas invented the carbon microphone, The carbon microphone was used in almost all telephones and in broadcasting systems during the 1980s, and was widely popular before being replaced by another type of microphone in the 1920s
"the carbon microphone was also used in radio broadcasting and public address work through the 1920s. It consisted of two metal plates separated by granules of carbon. One plate faces outward and acts as a diaphragm. When sound waves strike this plate, the pressure on the granules changes, which in turn changes the electrical resistance between the plates." (Juliantrubin)
STORAGE BATTERY - 1892 Click photo for source
Although not inventing the battery, Thomas worked upon it to create the first practical and compact portable battery. in 1991 - After starting his company "general Electric" or the brand we see today as GE, Thomas was geared to bring back a project abandon in the 1880s. the storage battery that took a decade to complete was finally finished in 1892. experimenting with alkaline, Thomas made the battery small and compact as it was intended to power electric cars but later used to power internal parts of the motor vehicle. what we know today as the car battery became widely used after the time of Edisons death in 1931 and still used to this day in its modernized form.
"at the time automobiles powered by internal combustion engines had become dominant. Edison did find an extensive market for his battery in a variety of industrial uses, and it was the most successful product of his later life" (rutgers)
Although not inventing the battery, Thomas worked upon it to create the first practical and compact portable battery. in 1991 - After starting his company "general Electric" or the brand we see today as GE, Thomas was geared to bring back a project abandon in the 1880s. the storage battery that took a decade to complete was finally finished in 1892. experimenting with alkaline, Thomas made the battery small and compact as it was intended to power electric cars but later used to power internal parts of the motor vehicle. what we know today as the car battery became widely used after the time of Edisons death in 1931 and still used to this day in its modernized form.
"at the time automobiles powered by internal combustion engines had become dominant. Edison did find an extensive market for his battery in a variety of industrial uses, and it was the most successful product of his later life" (rutgers)
Kinetiscope - 1891 Click photo for source
Although first thinking of it as a toy, Thomas quickly grew fond of the device after seeing its boost in popularity. The kinetiscope worked by letting in light from a hole on the top and projecting the light through Kodak contact prints. and projected onto the screen of the movie house. One of the first short movies played on the kinetiscope was"fred otts sneeze" as it portrayed one of thomas's assistants sneezing.
"a strip of film was passed rapidly between a lens and an electric light bulb while the viewer peered through a peephole. Behind the peephole was a spinning wheel with a narrow slit that acted as a shutter, permitting a momentary view of each frame passing in front of the shutter" (Brittanica encyclopedia)
Although first thinking of it as a toy, Thomas quickly grew fond of the device after seeing its boost in popularity. The kinetiscope worked by letting in light from a hole on the top and projecting the light through Kodak contact prints. and projected onto the screen of the movie house. One of the first short movies played on the kinetiscope was"fred otts sneeze" as it portrayed one of thomas's assistants sneezing.
"a strip of film was passed rapidly between a lens and an electric light bulb while the viewer peered through a peephole. Behind the peephole was a spinning wheel with a narrow slit that acted as a shutter, permitting a momentary view of each frame passing in front of the shutter" (Brittanica encyclopedia)