[D8366T1], Letter from Francis Jehl to Thomas Alva Edison, August 4th, 1883

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Title

[D8366T1], Letter from Francis Jehl to Thomas Alva Edison, August 4th, 1883

Editor's Notes

All electric light companies that are now exist are exhibitng at the Vienna electrical exhibit are using our priciple regarding the cut-out or saftey catch. They say that it is indispensible to a sytem of lighting and you have no patent for the same mechanism . The Austrian patent (Jan 11, 1882 set 24 no. 129) covers the principle and the device, Your English patent of 181 also protects it. However, in London there is a a man named Killingworth Hedges who is making saftey catches and selling them to electric light companies. It would be good if you or your comapanies that hold your foriegn patents to stop these people. Jehl is warning Edison to beware it is a tough gang of people and they will make anything out of another man's patent. There is another man here at the exhibtion who is also using the saftey catches with 90 swan lamps and laid dowm wire 35mm in diameter. The United States as well as the British are using also using them. Jehl informs TAE that our show is not as large but it will be a solid one. Jehl has a resotration winter garden and some show rooms to light. The exhibit will end September 1st and they are hoping to open it by August 16th. In regard to the "saftey catches" you of course agree with me that we employed them in 1879 and our experiments did not only extend as far as lead and time for the application, but we made the safety catches out of all sorts of metals and alloys. He has written to Electrique Edison about the patent matter regarding the saftey catches and waiting for their reply. A lad told Jehl that another man had got out a patent for the application of the safety catch and wants to put in out in Arma wires [?] and wants this man to bake it. Jehl informs this man that it is nothing new and that Edison has done that long ago. Mr. Biedermann arrived at the exhibit and speaks highly of Edison and always defends the Edison light when in conflict wth others. He mentions an ancedote about a "liitle dutchman" Theirry who was once at our laboratory. He left Mr. Biedermann's service and went to work for another electric light firm that made your machine but had the[ Armature] ? In the middle. Thierry had put up a a large installation and Mr. Biederman who held the [ S--]? Patent for Electrique Edison marched them down to the plant with the "agent of police" who in turn cleared the whole thing and carried to the mayor for safe keeping. TAE marginalia "Better let them use the saftey catch as a fire [maned armatire?] . Why don't our people enter suit and stop gang with his Swan infingement suit? Are our patents no good?"

Author

Date

1883-08-04

Type

Folder/Volume ID

D8366-F

Microfilm ID

70:671

Document ID

D8366T1

Publisher

Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University
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