returned the West Orange laboratory in
1894 and thereafter was closely involved Edison’s search for the perfect
recording medium.113
113 Ibid. Edison
supported expenses the lab Aylsworth’s house.
During the early part the twentieth century, Aylsworth was charged with
finding harder compound for the disc records which could stand the
diamond stylus.
Jonas Aylsworth. The material
had soft enough take the impression indentation the recording stylus
but then made hard enough hold the analog signal for adequate reproduction.: American Chemical Society, 1971),
pp. His work was
of the greatest importance the Edison phonograph business. Frank Dyer Aylsworth, August 1910 (in DF
1910, WOL-Employees). 118-22.116
44
. Aylsworth spent years developing these
substances and testing their performance phonograph cylinders. variety different materials were tried recording surfaces:
resins, gums, waxes, asphalt, and solid fatty acids and their salts, such stearic
acid. Marshall described
him quiet plodder and his lack supervisory duties the laboratory might
indicate retiring personality.
115 Byron Vanderbilt, Thomas Edison, Chemist, (Washington, D. worked Buildings and 1891 he
moved Edison Lamp Company factory New Jersey and supervised the
production cellulose filaments. Although worked Building his main place work was
his house Orange, where had fully equipped laboratory. worked a
table next Aylsworth’s Building insulation and inorganic incandescent
filaments.David Trumbull Marshall. Sperling, "Jonas Aylsworth: Leif Erickson Interpenetrating Polymer Networks," unpublished
manuscript Edison National Historic Site. Aylsworth joined Edison’s laboratory 1887 after studying
for one year Purdue University. also worked the machine shop and probably served some time in
the lamp experimental room the second third floor Building left the
laboratory 1890.C. 60-75.H.
114 L.116 The requirements for record compounds were demanding., pp.
116 Aylsworth was important Edison that was prepared pay him whatever wanted. graduate Rutgers College, Marshall joined the
Edison laboratory when first opened 1887, after leaving his job chemical
testing laboratory the New York, Erie, and Western Railroad. During this
period was not paid weekly like the rest the experimenters but had special
contract with Edison that paid him fixed yearly amount.114 Aylsworth’s forte was the waxes and resins used in
recordings.
The material had able hold groove few thousandths inch deep
and maintain over numerous plays
