Auction Date:2011 Apr 13 @ 19:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:5 Rt 101A Suite 5, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Manuscript DS, signed “Thomas Alva Edison,” thirteen pages, 9 x 14, November 22, 1881. Edison’s 1883 patent application sent to the Governor General of Document is headed “The Petition of Thomas Alva Edison of Menlow Park in the State of New Jersey, United States of America, electrician, for leave to file a specification under Act XV of 1859 of the Legislative Counsel of India.” Document then continues, in part: “The Petitioner has obtained Her Majesty’s Letters Patent dated 9th Day of February A.D. 1881 #562 for improvement in Carbon Burners for Incandescent Conductors for Electric Lamps and in the means and methods of manufacture and treatment thereof partly applicable to the manufacture of other carbon articles and that such Letters patent are to continue in force for fourteen years, that your Petitioner believes that the said invention is not now and has not hitherto been publicly known or used in India. The following is a description of the invention—One object of this invention is to furnish a method or process by which pure and flexible carbon may be manufactured in any desired shape, which method is particularly applicable to the manufacture of carbon conductors for incandescent lamps. Thin sheet metal which will stand high temperatures for instance, sheet nickel or cobalt is cut or formed into the shape desired for the furnished carbon or shaped wire may be used. One or several such formed pieces of metal are suspended in a closed flask which is then heated to a high temperature. While in this heated condition, the vapor of volatile carbon is passed through the flask with the result that the carbon is deposited upon the metal shapes. For this purpose the vapor of the bisuephide of carbon, the chloride of carbon, the volatile paraffins, or a nafisha is preferable. When a sufficient thickness of carbon has been deposited the flask is allowed to cool, after which the carbon plated shapes are immersed in some acid having an infinity for the metal used and the metal thereby eaten away leaving the pure carbon in the desired shape.” Signed on the last page, “Thomas Alva Edison,” and bears witness signatures of Charles H. Smith, and George B. Pinckney. Document bears a cancelled documentary stamp at the top of the first page, as well as a stamp from the Collector of Stamp Revenue in Calcutta. In very good condition, with Edison’s signature over a light pencil notation, light central vertical crease to each page, uniform toning, a few edge chips, staple holes to top left corner of each page, and some scattered light soiling.
Having already identified the concept of the electric light bulb, Edison continued to refine his invention and worked on alternative methods to improve the carbon burners which were central to the operation of the electric lamp. This incredible 13-page patent application specifically pertains to those carbon burner improvements for incandescent conductors. In this document, Edison also proposes alternative methods to manufacture and incorporate various carbon articles into the electric lamp, making this document truly historic. On the same day he filed this patent in India, the great inventor executed the same patent for improvements to the incandescent electric lamp in the United States. This particular patent application was one of only 44 patents awarded to Edison in India. According to the consignor, after the paperwork was deaccessioned by the Indian government it was marked for destruction at a paper recycling facility, where it was rescued from its fate. A scarce document involving the life-changing incandescent electric lamp.
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5 Rt 101A Suite 5, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031, United States
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