Existing comment:
Precision Machine Shop
"[Edison was] most considerate, and never found fault with the work, merely, when things were going wrong, explaining what should be done to make them go right."
-- Reginald Fessenden, experimenter, in "The Inventions of Reginald Fessenden"
Perfecting the Product:
The experimental machinists who worked here created prototypes to test which ideas worked best. They also built working models and explored ways to improve existing Edison products. The work was precise -- hence the name of the shop. The room was open and flexible so it could change as projects changed.
The machines in this shop and the heavy machine shop downstairs gave Edison and his staff the ability to work on a variety of inventions. The tools in the heavy machine shop allowed Edison to develop large-scale projects such as ore milling equipment in the 1890s. Tools in the precision machine shop were used to build prototypes for smaller inventions, including the photograph and the storage battery.
What Is a Prototype?
A prototype is a full-scale working model. Edison's experimenters would keep making changes until a prototype was perfected. This became the basis for commercial production.
John Ott:
Machinist and experimenter John Ott worked with Edison at Newark and Menlo Park. At West Orange, he became superintendent of all the machinists. Ott was also a good draftsman, often drawing up plans for special equipment. He held 22 patents related to work he conducted for Edison. One of Edison's closest friends, Ott died the day after Edison died. |