Below is a list of Edison patents. Thomas Edison was an inventor who accumulated 512 [1] patents worldwide for his inventions. 1,093 of Edison's patents were in the United States, but other patents were approved in countries around the globe.
Edison is credited for contributing to various inventions, including the phonograph, the kinetoscope, the dictaphone, the electric lamp (in particular the incandescent light bulb), and the autographic printer. He also greatly improved the telephone by inventing the carbon microphone. Most of these inventions were not completely original but improvements of earlier inventions. However, one of Edison's major innovations was the first industrial research and development lab, which was built in Menlo Park and West Orange.
Throughout the 20th century, Edison was the world's most prolific inventor. At the beginning of the century, he held 736 U.S. patents. His final count was 1,093 U.S. patents, including 1084 utility patents (patents for inventions) and 9 artistic design patents. It was not until June 17, 2003 that he was passed by Japanese inventor Shunpei Yamazaki. [2] Yamazaki was subsequently passed by Australian inventor Kia Silverbrook on February 26, 2008. [3]
The first hundred patents mainly deal with the telegraph system. John Kruesi was the shop manager beginning in 1872. Kruesi built models, instruments, and apparatus for Edison's work. John Ott worked with Edison throughout his career. Ott was Edison's main model and instrument maker. Charles Batchelor was a superintendent for Edison toward the end of this series of patents.
In the second hundred patents, Edison continues his work with the telegraph. He also starts to patent electrical distribution and the light.
The next series of patents Edison received was mainly for the electrical distribution of power and the electric light. In 1883, Edward H. Johnson, a business associate of Edison, persuaded Frank J. Sprague to work for Edison. One of Sprague's significant contributions to the Edison Laboratory was the introduction of mathematical methods[ citation needed ].
This period includes patents for electrical distribution circuits and methods as well as patents for the ore refining business Edison was embarking on. [4] He also continued to patent improvements in telegraphy, phonography, and lighting. Arthur Edwin Kennelly contributed to a variety of Edison's endeavors undertaken to create a unique product or service from 1887 to 1893[ citation needed ].
This series of patents mainly focus on the phonograph, telegraphy, telephone, and electrical generation and distribution.
This series of patents contain patents for the phonograph, lamps, telephone, dynamo systems, motors, and locomotives.
Around these patents issuances, Thomas Armat joined Edison and sold him the patents to the machine known as the Vitascope.
Toward the end of this series of patents, Ott was the superintendent of experimenters for Edison.
This series of patents focus mainly on the phonograph and other talking-machines. There are several battery patents included in this portion of legal protections.
Edison obtained a few design patents for the unique appearance and concept of items, giving Edison an industrial design right. His design patents are for phonograph cabinets and light bulbs with substantial decorative features.
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world. He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory.
An incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe is an electric light with a wire filament heated until it glows. The filament is enclosed in a glass bulb with a vacuum or inert gas to protect the filament from oxidation. Current is supplied to the filament by terminals or wires embedded in the glass. A bulb socket provides mechanical support and electrical connections.
An arc lamp or arc light is a lamp that produces light by an electric arc.
Henry Woodward was a Canadian inventor and a major pioneer in the development of the incandescent lamp. He was born in 1832.
Sir Joseph Wilson Swan FRS was an English physicist, chemist, and inventor. He is known as an independent early developer of a successful incandescent light bulb, and is the person responsible for developing and supplying the first incandescent lights used to illuminate homes and public buildings, including the Savoy Theatre, London, in 1881.
An alternator is an electrical generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current. For reasons of cost and simplicity, most alternators use a rotating magnetic field with a stationary armature. Occasionally, a linear alternator or a rotating armature with a stationary magnetic field is used. In principle, any AC electrical generator can be called an alternator, but usually the term refers to small rotating machines driven by automotive and other internal combustion engines.
A flashlight or torch is a portable hand-held electric lamp. Formerly, the light source typically was a miniature incandescent light bulb, but these have been displaced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) since the mid-2000s. A typical flashlight consists of the light source mounted in a reflector, a transparent cover to protect the light source and reflector, a battery, and a switch, all enclosed in a case.
Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim was an American-British inventor best known as the creator of the first automatic machine gun, the Maxim gun. Maxim held patents on numerous mechanical devices such as hair-curling irons, a mousetrap, and steam pumps. Maxim laid claim to inventing the lightbulb.
Heinrich Göbel, or Henry Goebel was a German-born American precision mechanic and inventor. In 1848 he emigrated to New York City, where he resided until his death. He received American citizenship in 1865.
Lewis Howard Latimer was an African-American inventor and patent draftsman. His inventions included an evaporative air conditioner, an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments for light bulbs, and an improved toilet system for railroad cars. In 1884, he joined the Edison Electric Light Company where he worked as a draftsman and wrote the first book on electric lighting. The Lewis H. Latimer House, his landmarked former residence, is located near the Latimer Projects at 34-41 137th Street in Flushing, Queens, New York City.
Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source.
Alexander Nikolayevich Lodygin, known after immigration to US as Alexandre de Lodyguine was a Russian electrical engineer and inventor, one of the inventors of the incandescent light bulb.
William David Coolidge was an American physicist and engineer, who made major contributions to X-ray machines. He was the director of the General Electric Research Laboratory and a vice-president of the corporation. He was also famous for the development of "ductile tungsten", which is important for the incandescent light bulb.
Charles Francis Brush was an American engineer, inventor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.
Moses Gerrish Farmer was an electrical engineer and inventor. Farmer was a member to the AIEE, later known as the IEEE.
William Edward Sawyer was an American inventor in the field of electrical engineering and electric lighting. His electric lamps were used to illuminate the Chicago's 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. He was one of the founders of the Electro-Dynamic Light Company that manufactured incandescent electric lamps and developed city electrical distribution systems. He won many lawsuits against Thomas A. Edison for the invention of the incandescent electric lamp. Sawyer had dozens of patents, with some of his inventions related to electric lights, electric meters, telegraph facsimile machines, and television technology.
Philip H. Diehl was a German-American mechanical engineer and inventor who held several U.S. patents, including electric incandescent lamps, electric motors for sewing machines and other uses, and ceiling fans. Diehl was a contemporary of Thomas Edison and his inventions caused Edison to reduce the price of his incandescent bulb.
John White Howell was an American electrical engineer who spent his entire professional career working for Thomas Edison, specializing in the development and manufacturing of the incandescent lamp.
The Electro-Dynamic Light Company of New York was a lighting and electrical distribution company organized in 1878. The company held the patents for the first practical incandescent electric lamp and electrical distribution system of incandescent electric lighting. They also held a patent for an electric meter to measure the amount of electricity used. The inventions were those of Albon Man and William E. Sawyer. They gave the patent rights to the company, which they had formed with a group of businessmen. It was the first company in the world formally established to provided electric lighting and was the first company organized specifically to manufacture and sell incandescent electric light bulbs.