The policy contract research meant that the lab had to
be all things all people. The lab serviced and rebuilt
office machinery, including the Sholes typewriter and telegraph
apparatus. Sholes had brought his typewriter Edison and the
latter claimed have improved and made into a
commercial West Orange laboratory continued the
development work the typewriter while Edison contemplated
building large factory manufacture improved model. devoted several experiments
to this problem and claimed that had transmitted messages
over air space 580 feet. This
plan was probably forgotten during the great experimental
campaigns the phonograph and nothing came it. Edison clearly saw vast market wireless
communication over land and sea. His knowledge the market, and the store of
technical expertise the laboratory, made telegraphy an
appropriate area launch into.
The telegraph industry was Edison's first business
involvement.11-21
33
possibilities copper smelting with electricity. The income the laboratory was
not restricted research and development; also earned
money from manufacture and repair. was major focus of
research when the laboratory opened; December 1887 Edison
made out list experiments started which included the
phonoplex, and "grasshopper" telegraph. This idea never achieved any
.^ The latter was a
wireless telegraph system that utilized induction coils to
communicate between moving trains and fixed telegraph
station
