[D8732AAU], Letter from William J Jenks to John F Ott, June 17th, 1887
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Title
[D8732AAU], Letter from William J Jenks to John F Ott, June 17th, 1887
Editor's Notes
"By the kindness of Mr. Stieringer, who went to Bergman's this morning, the thimbles for Municipal sockets, also two samples of the socket and two samples of the cutout for hoods, were prepared and forwarded you today by special messenger. ## As a further aid to you in considering the matter of a socket for a new type of lamp, I may mention that Mr. Bergmann is arranging that these sockets for interior use shall hereafter be made of porcelain and be water tight. Also that it will be far better to be obliged even to put a coil and armature in the socket with a paper cutout to operate it, in case all other devices fail, and to depend upon a spring and third contact in the lamp which you to not anticipate will be absolutely reliable. ## I have given a great deal of time to the matter of these Municipal sockets and cutouts, and while they may have to be materially changed in their interior construction, two things should still be born in mind as imperative: First, is that of being as nearly as possible, water-proof. Second, that the springs used to complete the short circuiting contact when the lamp is taken out, shall be sufficiently long and sufficiently rigid to make a firm and reliable contact without danger of setting. ## I am satisfied that with this new device on the lamp, a great many of these lamps will be used to interior lighting, and this, in spite of all our preferences or professions or recommendations to the contrary. It therefore is important that we should make this socket for interior suspension so reliable and so easily applied that the public shall not get into trouble with it. ## There need be no metal whatever exposed to be handled, and Mr. Bergman's idea of using porcelain is an admirable one. ## I enclose two or three blue prints which may still further illustrate applications, and it should be born in mind that in the department of structural lighting and decorative work as well as in mines and in tunnels, we are to look for no insignificant portion of our future business. ## When we come out the first of next week, I shall hope to see samples embodying your ideas. ## It may not be possible, but it would certainly be very desirable indeed, if we could get rid of the radical change in lamp and socket necessitated by a third contract."
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1887-06-17
Type
Folder/Volume ID
D8732-F
Microfilm ID
119:827
Document ID
D8732AAU
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University