Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing
| Company type | Partnership |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric lighting |
| Founded | December 1884 |
| Founder | Nikola Tesla, Robert Lane, Benjamin Vail |
| Defunct | 1886 |
| Fate | Dissolved; succeeded by Union County Electric Light & Manufacturing Company |
| Headquarters | Rahway , United States |
| Products | Arc lighting systems, dynamos |
Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing Company was an electric lighting enterprise based in Rahway, New Jersey, operating between December 1884 and 1886.
History
The company was established in December 1884 at the location now known as 1571-1579 Irving Street, Rahway, New Jersey. Its creation followed inventor Nikola Tesla’s departure from Thomas Edison’s firm due to a disagreement over compensation. The business was a partnership formed by Tesla, Robert Lane, and Benjamin Vail. Tesla’s role involved designing an arc lighting system, a segment of the electric lighting market that was expanding rapidly and primarily focused on outdoor illumination. He engineered an arc lamp incorporating features such as automatic adjustment and a fail-safe switch, alongside enhancements to dynamos. These developments led to Tesla securing his initial patents in the United States. By 1886, he had implemented a central station system in Rahway that provided street lighting and illuminated several industrial buildings.
Despite Tesla’s advancements in motors and electrical transmission, investors showed limited enthusiasm for these innovations. With the industry landscape dominated by companies like the Brush Electric Illuminating Company and Thomson-Houston Electric Company, the decision was made to prioritize establishing an electrical utility rather than pursuing new technological developments. Consequently, in the fall of 1886, the Union County Electric Light & Manufacturing Company was formed, effectively dissolving Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing. This outcome left Tesla financially ruined and without control over his patents, which he had assigned to the company in exchange for stock.
Patents
Tesla obtained multiple patents vital to electric machinery and lighting technologies, including:
- US patent 359748 – Dynamo-Electric Machine (1886)
- US patent 334823 – Commutator for Dynamo Electric Machines (1886) – Designed to reduce sparking in drum-type dynamo machines.
- US patent 335786 – Electric arc lamp (1886) – Enhanced arc lamp featuring electromagnet-controlled carbon electrodes and a clutch mechanism that addressed common design issues within the industry.
- US patent 335787 – Electric arc lamp (1886) – An automatic fail switch that responds to arc inconsistencies with self-resetting capability.
- US patent 336961 – Regulator for dynamo electric machines (1886) – Brush arrangement enabling better regulation of electrical current.
- US patent 336962 – Regulator for Dynamo Electric Machines (1886) – Use of auxiliary brushes to modulate energy flow and current intensity.
- US patent 350954 – Regulator for Dynamo Electric Machines (1886) – Mechanical apparatus for automatic brush shifting aimed at controlling energy output.
Further reading
- Tesla: Life and legacy: Coming to America, PBS.
- Stock certificate for the Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing Company, PBS.
- "Nikola Tesla: Research in High Frequency Phenomena, 1894." Nikola Tesla: Recognized Genius.
References
- Notes
- Sources
- National Electric Light Association Convention (1890), page 18