[NP020G], Technical Note, Thomas Alva Edison, March 21st, 1884
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/NP020G
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Title
[NP020G], Technical Note, Thomas Alva Edison, March 21st, 1884
Editor's Notes
[WHAT SHOULD WE DO WITH THESE MANY IDEAS ABOUT FILAMENT MFG AND CELLULOID-TYPE MATERIALS?] TAE In Florida "Paint filaments with camelhair brush with acetate of mag also lime, mag 1st, then get vac & gently bring up then bk vac & paint again." See if agate othter stone grinding mill can be obtained for grinding oxides with the carbonizable compounds. [image 23 telephone diaphgram; notes on direct conversion of light: thousands of fine platinum wires over chalk cylinder. [image 24: direct carbon battery.] then "Bran has a silica surface"---methods of bleaching it off. [image 25]: "secondary battery with mercury electrode & such solution as to make a hydrogen amalgam." Then back to filament materials: "melt glue or gelatine mixed with oxide magnesia or compound thereof in the smallest quantity of water possible & force this out into sheets through a die, blower or otherwise cooling to set it quick when it comes out. By this means a minimum of quality water can be used." etc... [image 27]: "I wonder if starch is ground so as to break all the starch granules if it is moistened & dried in sheets if that wold work. Try this grinding with glue" etc. [image 30]: "perhaps in the silk experiment an elastic precipitate from something might be formed in a platinum point immersed in the liquid & wound up on a platinum cylinder within the liquid." Lists more things to experiment with: charcoal, back to bran, glue; [image 33] "Mix with collodion an animal matter like glue which will reduce the O of the nitro-cellulose in carbonization. Don't think glue is soluble but some carbonizable material may be--think Linseed oil is & that would reduce." [image 34]: "Cant something be put in collodion that will be decomp by light such as the iron solutions hence after sheet is made exposure to light decomps the Nitro-C to plain cellulose." [image 36 TAE's writing changes to careful micro-writing] continues suggestions for mixing glue, lampblack, gelatine, etc for sheets of celluloid for filaments. [image 37 back to regular hasty writing] note to get 10-15 foot rushes from near mouth of Colo river.
Author
Date
1884-03-21
Type
Folder/Volume ID
NP020-F
Microfilm ID
44:131
Document ID
NP020G
Publisher
Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University