Such was Ott’s skill that he
was given the most delicate machining jobs the laboratory, becoming Edison’s
"confidential experimental instrument and model maker. Taylor, who was investigating "trembling and bad regulation" the assembly
of Amberolas. 1914, Edison was examining the new line disc playing
phonographs before the prototypes were taken the Works.233
233 "Report Work Done the Laboratory," John Constable TAE, October 23,1920, Engineering
Department Records, Box 11, T. Wilson, December 12, 1914 (in 1914, Phonograph-Manufacture).
Thomas Edison.A.
John Ott." Marginalia TAE, R. 560. also had space on
the third floor Building His office the library often served sleeping
quarters. Edison was
also examining the product development work the cylinder machine, including new type Amberola.
With the disc line moving ahead, Edison was asked what the lab should concentrate next. His answer:
"The 2nd thing start full blast the new disc clockwork mfg fast tools are ready. John Ott was placed charge the second floor precision shop when
the laboratory opened and likely that his office was room 10, which directly
overlooked the machine shop.
John Ott had been associated with Edison since 1870 when was hired at
Edison’s machine shop Newark. Yet his favorite place was room 12, experimental room the second
floor Building 5. Room was probably the site "years of
empirical experiments" during which Edison made thousands diaphragms
and reproducers." Their friendly, life-long
relationship embodied the unity master and craftsman the shop. The 3rd big
phono 4th Amberola new clock work.235 was expert machinist who could
turn Edison’s rough sketches into working models. Edison folder.phonograph’ and making demonstration apparatus. draftsman was also working the second floor disc record
machinery.H. could found the back Building next the end
table (table 10) where was photographed several times.
During Period (1901-1914) much Edison’s time was spent storage battery
and phonograph experiments.A. Gibbs had one assistant. Edison
worked close cooperation with his machinists, overseeing the work and
71
. Edison had places reserved for his experiments every
building the site. kept all the records shop orders for work done
in the shop and this required close supervision the work being done the shop. Also "Thomas Edison
Laboratory-Payroll Comparison’s [sic]", December 14, 1920, D-Box Collections Box D10 West Orange. Scott, who was charge building "revised dipping machine," and
Mr.
235 Edison Papers, vol.234 probably
inspected them the third floor, where much the testing was being carried
out. Bachman Stephen Mambert, December
31, 1914 (in 1914, Phonograph-Manufacture).
234 Memorandum C." Also working this area
were Mr
