[LB029325], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to Charles Batchelor, May 7th, 1889
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Title
[LB029325], Letter from Thomas Alva Edison to Charles Batchelor, May 7th, 1889
Editor's Notes
"NOTES FOR MR. BATCHELOR in replying to attached letter from Milwaukee, dictated by Mr. Edison. ### The battery now sent out with the phonograph is only temporary. The amount of work necessary to get the phonograph out has been stupendous, and we had no time to fool away on getting a property battery; hence we were compelled to send out an ordinary type of battery, which we know is not of much value. Your people should I think be notified that the battery is only a temporary makeshift, to permit them to get into business. I am now putting up a building, and making the machinery, to turn out a proper battery for the phonograph. This battery is about twice the size of the present cell, and instead of lasting ten hours – or a couple of days in ordinary practice – it will last 30 days, and by renewing the fluid will last 30 days, and by renewing the fluid will last 20 days longer. In other words, it will give fifty days good ordinary service, and the renewal process is very much simpler than with the present battery. ### Regarding the warping of thick cylinders, I wish to say that the thick cylinders do not warp. The error comes from the fact that the inside of the cylinder gets dirty from wax and other things, and the thread ends becoming loose, produces an eccentricity, apparently, but not real [?]. If the cylinders are kept properly cleaned inside, they will not be eccentric. I might say in respect of phonograph blanks that we have had to pay more attention to the phonograph than the blanks. We fully appreciate the fact that the company should be supplied as soon as possible with single record blanks, and we are getting everything ready to turn them out in large quantities, and if your people will exercise a little more patience, every complaint and defect will be remedied. We are well aware that there are defects in the phonograph, and we are striving to eradicate them, and to do the best for all concerned, as rapidly as human flesh can stand it. ### The class of complaints that we would like to get, would be not generalities, such as the battery is not good and cylinders are defective – facts which we know already – but mechanical and little defects in the mechanism of the phonograph. These are defects which we cannot find out ourselves, and which practice alone will [unclear] out. These are the kind of complaints that we are anxious to get hold of. ### The following are my answers to the questions asked in the Milwaukee letter:- ### [in list form] (1) The battery which is being sent out at present is only a temporary ends. ### (2) One charge of the battery, as per directions, should run the phonograph up to speed for 12 consecutive hours. ### (3) Battery does not need to be given a chance to recuperate. If the solution had been made and used as directed, it will run 12 hours in the aggregate, whether run continuously or otherwise. ### (4) We have been to work on a new battery, and have got it perfect, and are getting ready the apparatus for manufacturing it. The battery will last 25 days, 4 hours a day, and on [unclear] renewal, 20 days, 4 hours per day. The battery retains [unclear] its full strength up to the last hour. ### (5) Will not discuss this question re present battery ### (6) No No No ### (7) No No No ### (8) Implies that the battery will fail &c. &c., and suggests statement. This is entirely unnecessary, as with a proper battery the phonograph will not give out more than once in a year. The parties remark that the three glasses from the recorder and reproducer were broken in shipping were broken in shipping the machines, and asks if you will please send him three more. I suggest in this connection that it is a great mistake in the case of a recorder and reproducer to order broken parts, and have the parties, who do not understand the little fine points put them in. The proper way to do when the glass of a transmitter or receiver is broken, it is put it in a small box and mail it to us, when we will return it in good order; otherwise through carelessness &c., half of transmitters being put together badly, will give very poor results. They ask for two spectacles of the latest style phonograph to place upon two old machines. This cannot be done. I have understood that the old phonographs should all be recalled, and after they are recalled we can fix them ourselves and send them out as new phonographs. ### (9) We shall be able to ship some of these single record cylinders in a couple of weeks. (10) With single record cylinders it will never be necessary to set the reproducer, therefore it is not necessary to raise the jig-bank. ### (11) The recorder and reproducer adjusting screws; in adjusting screws; in adjusting these you will never out the record, providing you do not [unclear] more than one record on the part of the cylinder and forget to turn it off, or if the [unclear] of phonograph is kept so dirty and the interior of the cylinder so dirty, that it runs it badly. A properly worked phonograph that these machines are to go into the hands of "green horns" ultimately, and we would also like to call your attention to the fact that even the parties in Milwaukee are "GREEN HORNS," and they are just as green as the public. After a while, of course, they will be EXPERTS, I wish you to say that I cannot for the life of me understand how these Milwaukee parties can do as well as they have done with the new phonographs, without receiving some explanation. ### (12) It has been the habit to run the cylinders at 150 for music. Hereafter, all music will be taken at not higher than 125 revolutions. The amount of words that can be recorded on present cylinder, depends on the speed. If the Milwaukee people will slow their phonograph down to 75 or 80, they will find their talking just as good, and they can get double the number of words on the cylinder. ### Replying to the remarks on the "annex" to the letter, I would say that we will not discuss the battery; that has been explained. He says that the utmost care is required not to cut the record out. There must be something radically wrong with the Milwaukee parties because every phonograph sent out from the factory is so adjusted that if a customer fails to trim [unclear] the latter half of the cylinder, the adjustment as such that it will turn that off without cutting record. In addition to this, it will not only permit them to turn off half the cylinder, but it will allow a very considerable eccentricity in the cylinder. He makes a statement and says, "Suppose he [unclear] the spectacle down a little hard." Now, allow me to state than an expert teaching an outsider – if he taught im properly – with the universal screw at hand, there is no possible way he could set it down hard, as stated. The little dent is not necessary to be made, for the reason that if the party is told that when he sets it down to be careful and have the cylinder tight &c., the dent is prevented from being made. ### I think I will stop here. I could go on for a week answering this kind of a letter, but it would be useless. The letter is simply the judgment of a man does not know how to work the machine. I should advise the Wisconsin Phonograph Co., if they want to work the phonograph properly, to send on a man [unclear]." [signed] TAE
Author
Recipient
Mentioned
Date
1889-05-07
Type
Folder/Volume ID
LB029-F
Microfilm ID
139:117
Document ID
LB029325
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University