And they needed them hurry.XIV- 9
"old man" had been right about the dangers getting into the
radio business, but never said told you so" his
sons. Theodore Edison again
carried out much the research and development. and Pont finally pooled their technical
talent into joint operation produce new system of
17
refrigeration based freon.
The project began GM's lab 1920 and continued throughout
the decade. The management the Edison enterprise were looking
for some new products replace the earnings lost the
declining phonograph business.
TAE Inc. 1926 the
Board Directors appropriated $20,000 investigate
16
electrical refrigeration.
The lab was put work designing electric coffee makers,
waffle irons, and toasters. had neither the time nor resources mount such
a venture. But this was insufficient for an
adequate R&D program that might end commercial product.
When Charles Kettering and experimental team GM's
research laboratory undertook this task, took several years
and false-trails before commercial technology was developed.
Thomas Edison Junior returned the West Orange lab to
.^
This sad story was repeated with the other new product
line TAE Inc. These were simple products that
could easily manufactured the Phonograph Works. The decision manufacture electrical
appliances for the kitchen was made the management who then
earmarked fixed amount for R&D work
