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110-844: Several models were produced, including: the E8M and ER8-36 (8 hp equivalent); the E10M (10 hp); the E12 and E12M (12 hp); the E12S and E15 (14 hp); the E16 (an upgraded variant of the E15), and the E20 (16 hp). GE's claimed horsepower figures were notional and inconsistent in documentation and sales literature; the table below includes "real" horsepower. The E8M and ER8-36 were styled more as ride-on mowers than tractors. The "M" suffix used on some models indicates

220-618: A "3-prong" grounded 5-15P plug to be mated to a non-grounded 1-15R receptacle. The adapters include a spade lug to allow connecting to ground, often via the cover screw used to attach the outlet faceplate. These adapters are illegal in some jurisdictions, in particular throughout Canada. There are some obsolete 1-15R or 1-20R (120 V, 15 or 20 A) receptacles which are mechanically able to accept 1-15P (120 V), 1-20P (120 V), 2-15P (240 V), or 2-20P (240 V) plugs. These receptacles are typically found in older residential buildings and are not allowed to be installed under current NEC codes. In addition to

330-475: A "chunk of it". The representatives decided to give a cubic foot of solid copper weighing 486 pounds with their gratitude inscribed on it in appreciation for his part in the "continuous stimulation in the copper industry". Edison is credited with designing and producing the first commercially available fluoroscope , a machine that uses X-rays to take radiographs . Until Edison discovered that calcium tungstate fluoroscopy screens produced brighter images than

440-401: A $ 50-a-week profit by age 13, most of which went to buying equipment for electrical and chemical experiments. At age 15, in 1862, he saved 3-year-old Jimmie MacKenzie from being struck by a runaway train. Jimmie's father, station agent J. U. MacKenzie of Mount Clemens, Michigan , was so grateful that he trained Edison as a telegraph operator. Edison's first telegraphy job away from Port Huron

550-455: A NEMA 5 receptacle, or a NEMA 5 receptacle complete with a ground fault circuit interrupter for two-wire non-grounded configurations (when a ground conductor is not available). Ungrounded NEMA 1 plugs are still popularly used by manufacturers of small appliances and electronic devices because of the design's low cost and compact size, and they are upward compatible with modern grounded NEMA 5 receptacles. Standards permit ungrounded plugs where

660-420: A T-shaped hole to accept both 6-15P and 6-20P plugs (similar to the 5-20R receptacle accepting 5-15P and 5-20P plugs). The 50 A (and 5-50) receptacles look like bigger versions of the 5-15 A. 6-15R and 6-20R receptacles are usually manufactured on the same assembly line as "Industrial" or "Commercial" grade 5-15R and 5-20R receptacles, with all 4 receptacles sharing the same "triple wipe" T contacts behind

770-452: A T-shaped neutral hole, to accept both 5-15P and 5-20P plugs. An acceptable alternative version of the 5-20R receptacle has a rectangular slot that will only accept 5-20P plugs. The 5-30 and 5-50 are physically larger, with 1 in (25.4 mm) between power pins; 5-30 also has an L-shaped neutral blade. These larger sizes are uncommon, as twist-locking plugs are generally used for high-current applications. The neutral blade on 5-15P plugs

880-471: A bid. He was surprised to hear them offer $ 10,000 ($ 269,294 in 2023), which he gratefully accepted. The quadruplex telegraph was Edison's first big financial success, and Menlo Park became the first institution set up with the specific purpose of producing constant technological innovation and improvement. Edison was legally credited with most of the inventions produced there, though many employees carried out research and development under his direction. His staff

990-574: A businessman. Ultimately, his entrepreneurship was central to the formation of some 14 companies, including General Electric , formerly one of the largest publicly traded companies in the world. In 1866, at the age of 19, Edison moved to Louisville, Kentucky , where, as an employee of Western Union , he worked the Associated Press bureau news wire . Edison requested the night shift, which allowed him plenty of time to spend at his two favorite pastimes—reading and experimenting. Eventually,

1100-463: A chemistry course at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art to support his work on a new telegraphy system with Charles Batchelor . This appears to have been his only enrollment in courses at an institution of higher learning. Thomas Edison began his career as a news butcher , selling newspapers, candy, and vegetables on trains running from Port Huron to Detroit. He turned

1210-436: A child, he became fascinated with technology and spent hours working on experiments at home. Edison developed hearing problems at the age of 12. The cause of his deafness has been attributed to a bout of scarlet fever during childhood and recurring untreated middle-ear infections . He subsequently concocted elaborate fictitious stories about the cause of his deafness. He was completely deaf in one ear and barely hearing in

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1320-582: A coiled platinum filament but the high cost of platinum kept the bulb from becoming a commercial success. Many other inventors had also devised incandescent lamps, including Alessandro Volta 's demonstration of a glowing wire in 1800 and inventions by Henry Woodward and Mathew Evans . Others who developed early and commercially impractical incandescent electric lamps included Humphry Davy , James Bowman Lindsay , Moses G. Farmer , William E. Sawyer , Joseph Swan , and Heinrich Göbel . These early bulbs all had flaws such as an extremely short life and requiring

1430-688: A commercially viable electric light bulb on October 21, 1879, Edison developed an electric " utility " to compete with the existing gas light utilities. On December 17, 1880, he founded the Edison Illuminating Company , and during the 1880s, he patented a system for electricity distribution . The company established the first investor-owned electric utility. On September 4, 1882, in Pearl Street , New York City, his 600 kW cogeneration steam-powered generating station, Pearl Street Station 's, electrical power distribution system

1540-521: A draftsman and an expert witness in patent litigation, began working for the United States Electric Lighting Company run by Edison's rival Hiram S. Maxim . While working for Maxim, Latimer invented a process for making carbon filaments for light bulbs and helped install broad-scale lighting systems for New York City, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London. Latimer holds the patent for the electric lamp issued in 1881, and

1650-541: A grooved cylinder. Despite its limited sound quality and that the recordings could be played only a few times, the phonograph made Edison a celebrity. Joseph Henry , president of the National Academy of Sciences and one of the most renowned electrical scientists in the US, described Edison as "the most ingenious inventor in this country... or in any other". In April 1878, Edison traveled to Washington to demonstrate

1760-402: A high electric current to operate which made them difficult to apply on a large scale commercially. In his first attempts to solve these problems, Edison tried using a filament made of cardboard, carbonized with compressed lampblack. This burnt out too quickly to provide lasting light. He then experimented with different grasses and canes such as hemp, and palmetto, before settling on bamboo as

1870-738: A laboratory in West Orange, New Jersey , that featured the world's first film studio , the Black Maria . With 1,093 US patents in his name , as well as patents in other countries, Edison is regarded as the most prolific inventor in American history. Edison married twice and fathered six children. He died in 1931 due to complications from diabetes . Thomas Edison was born in 1847 in Milan, Ohio , but grew up in Port Huron, Michigan , after

1980-415: A large part of the market without electrical service. AC companies expanded into this gap. Edison expressed views that AC was unworkable and the high voltages used were dangerous. As George Westinghouse installed his first AC systems in 1886, Thomas Edison struck out personally against his chief rival stating, " Just as certain as death, Westinghouse will kill a customer within six months after he puts in

2090-527: A more compact design and was easier to manufacture. This design was improved once again in 1915, introducing a polarized plug under the U.S. patent 1,180,648 . The flat blade plug which in subsequent years evolved to become NEMA 1-15 was born. It is worth noting that in addition to Hubbell's system, circulated a large variety of different plugs and receptacles, some of them compatible with Hubbell's, some not. In 1919, Hubbell unsuccessfully tried to prevent other manufacturers from making receptacles and plugs to

2200-561: A number of nearby private dwellings, but was shut down in September 1886 as uneconomic, since he was unable to extend the premises. On January 19, 1883, the first standardized incandescent electric lighting system employing overhead wires began service in Roselle, New Jersey . As Edison expanded his direct current (DC) power delivery system, he received stiff competition from companies installing alternating current (AC) systems. From

2310-510: A preferred orientation, but the National Electrical Contractors Association 's National Electrical Installation Standards (NECA 130-2010) specify that the preferred location of the ground is on top. When the ground blade of a receptacle is on the bottom, the neutral blade is on the upper left and the hot blade is on the upper right. All descriptions below assume this orientation (i.e., clockwise order

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2420-552: A second patent for the "process of manufacturing carbons" (the filament used in incandescent light bulbs), issued in 1882. On October 8, 1883, the US patent office ruled that Edison's patent was based on the work of William E. Sawyer and was, therefore, invalid. Litigation continued for nearly six years. In 1885, Latimer switched camps and started working with Edison. On October 6, 1889, a judge ruled that Edison's electric light improvement claim for "a filament of carbon of high resistance"

2530-466: A system of any size. He has got a new thing and it will require a great deal of experimenting to get it working practically. " Many reasons have been suggested for Edison's anti-AC stance. One notion is that the inventor could not grasp the more abstract theories behind AC and was trying to avoid developing a system he did not understand. Edison also appeared to have been worried about the high voltage from misinstalled AC systems killing customers and hurting

2640-820: Is ground, neutral, hot for 120 V receptacle versions; and counter-clockwise for plug versions). This "2-prong" design, with two flat parallel non-coplanar blades and slots, is used in most of North America and on the east coast of South America on lamps; consumer electronics such as clocks, radios, and battery chargers; and other double-insulated small appliances that do not require grounding (earthing). All NEMA 1 devices are two-wire non-grounding devices (hot-neutral) rated for 125 V maximum. 1-15P plugs have two parallel flat blades, 1 ⁄ 4 inch (6.4 mm) wide, 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) thick, 5 ⁄ 8 – 23 ⁄ 32 inch (15.9–18.3 mm) long, and spaced 1 ⁄ 2 inch (12.7 mm) apart. 1-15R receptacles have been prohibited in new construction in

2750-468: Is not always wider than the line blade, since the ground pin enforces polarity. The Electrical Safety Foundation International has stated: "Never remove the ground pin (the third prong) to make a three-prong plug fit a two-prong outlet". In addition to the dangers of breaking a ground connection, removing the ground pin to make it fit a 1-15R receptacle or extension cord , may result in the live–neutral polarity being lost. The 5-15R and 5-20R are by far

2860-598: Is notably the first US patent for an electronic device due to its use of an Edison effect bulb as an active component . Subsequent scientists studied, applied, and eventually evolved the bulbs into vacuum tubes , a core component of early analog and digital electronics of the 20th century. In 1878, Edison formed the Edison Electric Light Company in New York City with several financiers, including J. P. Morgan , Spencer Trask , and

2970-582: Is now the Czech Republic), opened in 1882, and was the first public building in the world to use Edison's electric lamps. Francis Jehl , Edison's assistant in the invention of the lamp, supervised the installation. In September 2010, a sculpture of three giant light bulbs was erected in Brno, in front of the theater. The first Edison light bulbs in the Nordic countries were installed at the weaving hall of

3080-411: Is obsolete, and only Hubbell still manufactures 2-20 devices (for repair purposes). This series of devices is specified for 277-volt, two-wire, non-grounding devices. According to NEMA, this is "reserved for future configurations", so no designs for this series exist and no devices have been manufactured. This series of devices is specified for 600-volt, two-wire, non-grounding devices. Identically to

3190-500: Is registered on 1,093 patents. Edison began his career as an inventor in Newark, New Jersey , with the automatic repeater and his other improved telegraphic devices, but the invention that first gained him wider notice was the phonograph in 1877. This accomplishment was so unexpected by the public at large as to appear almost magical. Edison became known as "The Wizard of Menlo Park". His first phonograph recorded on tinfoil around

3300-408: Is required. The numerals preceding the hyphen encode the number of poles (current-carrying terminals) and wires connected to it, the voltage, and single- or three-phase power. A connector with ground terminal has more wires than poles: two-pole, three-wire; or four-pole, five-wire; etc. A non-grounded device may be two-pole, two-wire; three-pole, three-wire; etc. The numerals following the hyphen

3410-423: Is the current rating of the device in amperes. This number is followed by the letter 'R' to indicate a receptacle (socket) or 'P' to indicate a plug (prongs). As an example, the 5-15R is the common 125 V two-pole, three-wire receptacle rated for 15 A. The L5-15R, while sharing the same electrical rating, is a locking design that is not physically compatible with the straight-blade 5-15 design. The 5-30R has

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3520-582: Is the standard 15-ampere electric receptacle (outlet) found in the United States, and under relevant national standards, in Canada ( CSA C22.2 No. 42 ), Mexico ( NMX-J-163-ANCE ) and Japan ( JIS C 8303 ). Other plug and receptacle types are for special purposes or for heavy-duty applications. The dimensional standard for electrical connectors is ANSI/NEMA WD-6 and is available from the NEMA website. In

3630-404: Is used for convenience in manufacturing; if present, it must be of specified diameter and position. Small specialized padlocks are available to fit these holes, allowing " lockout " of hazardous equipment, by physically preventing insertion of locked plugs into a power receptacle. Since at least 1949, numerous receptacle devices have also been invented to use these holes to hold the prongs inside

3740-586: The Columbia . Although hesitant at first, Edison agreed to Villard's request. Most of the work was completed in May 1880, and the Columbia went to New York City, where Edison and his personnel installed Columbia 's new lighting system. The Columbia was Edison's first commercial application for his incandescent light bulb. The Edison equipment was removed from Columbia in 1895. In 1880, Lewis Latimer ,

3850-530: The 1st Middlesex Militia during the War of 1812. His father, Samuel Edison Jr. moved to Vienna, Ontario , and fled to Ohio after his involvement in the Rebellion of 1837 . Edison was taught reading, writing, and arithmetic by his mother, a former school teacher. He attended school for only a few months. However, one biographer described him as a very curious child who learned most things by reading on his own. As

3960-595: The American Midwest . Early in his career he worked as a telegraph operator , which inspired some of his earliest inventions. In 1876, he established his first laboratory facility in Menlo Park, New Jersey , where many of his early inventions were developed. He later established a botanical laboratory in Fort Myers, Florida , in collaboration with businessmen Henry Ford and Harvey S. Firestone , and

4070-794: The Finlayson 's textile factory in Tampere, Finland in March 1882. In 1901, Edison attended the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York . His company, the Edison Manufacturing Company , was given the task of installing the electric lights on the various buildings and structures that were built for the exposition. At night Edison made a panorama photograph of the illuminated buildings. After devising

4180-532: The International Electrotechnical Commission 's IEC 60906-2 standard IEC system of plugs and sockets-outlets for household and similar purposes – Part 2: Plugs and socket-outlets 15 A 125 V a.c. and 20 A 125 V a.c. All NEMA 6 devices are three-wire grounding devices (hot-hot-ground) used for 208 and 240 V circuits and rated for 250 V maximum, with the 6-15, 6-20 and 6-30 being grounding versions of

4290-535: The Thomson-Houston Electric Company of Lynn, Massachusetts (another AC-based competitor) built 22 power stations. Parallel to expanding competition between Edison and the AC companies was rising public furor over a series of deaths in the spring of 1888 caused by pole mounted high voltage alternating current lines. This turned into a media frenzy against high voltage alternating current and

4400-412: The phonograph , the motion picture camera , and early versions of the electric light bulb , have had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world . He was one of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory . Edison was raised in

4510-407: The 1880s that used wax-coated cardboard cylinders. In 1876, Edison began work to improve the microphone for telephones (at that time called a "transmitter") by developing a carbon microphone , which consists of two metal plates separated by granules of carbon that would change resistance with the pressure of sound waves. A steady direct current is passed between the plates through the granules and

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4620-609: The 1889 merger that formed Edison General Electric. In 1890 he told president Henry Villard he thought it was time to retire from the lighting business and moved on to an iron ore refining project that preoccupied his time. Edison's dogmatic anti-AC values were no longer controlling the company. By 1889 Edison's Electric's own subsidiaries were lobbying to add AC power transmission to their systems and in October 1890 Edison Machine Works began developing AC-based equipment. Cut-throat competition and patent battles were bleeding off cash in

4730-405: The 2-15, 2-20 and 2-30, respectively. The 6-15 resembles the 5-15, but with collinear horizontal pins, spaced 23 ⁄ 32  in (18.3 mm) center-to-center. The 20 A plug has a blade rotated 90° (opposite blade from what would be the "line" blade on a 2-15 or 5-15 plug. This prevents accidental insertion of plugs into outlets that use different voltages), and the 6-20R receptacle has

4840-602: The Associated Manufacturers of Electrical Supplies and represented manufacturing companies of the electrical segment in a national level. NEMA provided a forum between companies for reaching standardization, but it was not until the 1940s that NEMA started to publish standards on receptacles and plugs, much later than UK, France and Germany. Since NEMA was a forum between manufacturers and not an governmental body, any decision had to be thoroughly discussed and agreed upon by its members, which substantially slowed

4950-475: The Goldenrod plant. Edison decided on Solidago leavenworthii , also known as Leavenworth's Goldenrod. The plant, which normally grows roughly 3–4 feet tall with a 5% latex yield, was adapted by Edison through cross-breeding to produce plants twice the size and with a latex yield of 12%. During the 1911 New York Electrical show, Edison told representatives of the copper industry it was a shame he did not have

5060-506: The ML series (so-called "Midget Locking" connectors named for their diminutive size), TT (for connecting travel trailers and other recreational vehicles to external power sources), SS series ("ship-to-shore" connectors for connecting boats to shore power ) and the FSL series (used in military and aircraft applications). The small hole near the end of the power (non-ground) blades of some NEMA plugs

5170-485: The NEMA 3 series, this is "reserved for future configurations" and no designs for this series exist and no devices have been manufactured. All NEMA 5 devices are three-wire grounding devices (hot–neutral–ground) rated for 125 V maximum, with the 5-15, 5-20 and 5-30 being grounded versions of the 1-15, 1-20 and 1-30, respectively. The addition is a 3 ⁄ 16 -inch (4.8 mm) diameter round or U-shaped ground pin, 1 ⁄ 8  in (3.2 mm) longer than

5280-676: The US National Electrical Manufacturers Association . NEMA wiring devices are made in current ratings from 15 to 60 amperes (A), with voltage ratings from 125 to 600 volts (V). Different combinations of contact blade widths, shapes, orientations, and dimensions create non-interchangeable connectors that are unique for each combination of voltage, electric current carrying capacity, and grounding system. NEMA 1-15P (two-pole, no ground) and NEMA 5-15P (two-pole with ground pin) plugs are used on common domestic electrical equipment, and NEMA 5-15R

5390-634: The US electrical business and would compete with Westinghouse for the AC market. Edison served as a figurehead on the company's board of directors for a few years before selling his shares. Edison moved from Menlo Park after the death of his first wife, Mary, in 1884, and purchased a home known as " Glenmont " in 1886 as a wedding gift for his second wife, Mina , in Llewellyn Park in West Orange, New Jersey . In 1885, Thomas Edison bought 13 acres of property in Fort Myers , Florida, for roughly $ 2,750 (equivalent to $ 93,256 in 2023) and built what

5500-440: The United States and Canada since 1962, but remain in many older buildings, and this obsolete design is still available for repair use only. Since January 1, 1974, all new power outlets are required to have a ground connection, using grounded receptacles (typically 5-15R or 5-20R) that accept both grounded and non-grounded plugs. Replacement of obsolete NEMA 1 receptacles requires either rewiring with an additional ground conductor for

5610-562: The ability to accommodate a mid-mounted (belly) mower, and an "H" was used on some models to indicate a heavy duty, extra range battery pack. Starting in 1972, GE also made an industrial version of the Elec-Trak, the I-5, compliant with all relevant sections of ANSI B56.1-1969 and OSHA FMEC Class E. Mostly identical to the E-20, it was orange instead of yellow, had a 12vdc warning horn, fenders over

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5720-413: The appliance does not require grounding due to low risk of leakage current , such as on double-insulated devices. In older plug designs both blades were the same width, so the plug could be inserted into the receptacle either way around. Many plugs manufactured since 1948 are polarized ; the neutral blade is 5 ⁄ 16  in or 7.9 mm wide, 1 ⁄ 16  in or 1.6 mm wider than

5830-424: The barium platinocyanide screens originally used by Wilhelm Röntgen , the technology was capable of producing only very faint images. The fundamental design of Edison's fluoroscope is still in use today, although Edison abandoned the project after nearly losing his own eyesight and seriously injuring his assistant, Clarence Dally . Dally made himself an enthusiastic human guinea pig for the fluoroscopy project and

5940-409: The best filament. Edison continued trying to improve this design and on November 4, 1879, filed for U.S. patent 223,898 (granted on January 27, 1880) for an electric lamp using "a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected to platina contact wires". The patent described several ways of creating the carbon filament including "cotton and linen thread, wood splints, papers coiled in various ways". It

6050-403: The company, industry, and use.) In the motion picture and TV production industries, an extension cord that uses this type of connector (usually with 12 AWG or 10 AWG wire) is called a "stinger". Generally, lighting technicians use these extension cords to deliver power to lights rated at 2,000 watts or less. Internationally, the NEMA 5-15P plug and NEMA 5-15R receptacle are the basis for

6160-428: The competing companies and the idea of a merger was being put forward in financial circles. The War of Currents ended in 1892 when the financier J.P. Morgan engineered a merger of Edison General Electric with its main alternating current based rival, The Thomson-Houston Company, that put the board of Thomson-Houston in charge of the new company called General Electric . General Electric now controlled three-quarters of

6270-591: The cost of interior furnishings. Edison and Mina spent many winters at their home in Fort Myers, and Edison tried to find a domestic source of natural rubber. Due to the security concerns around World War I , Edison suggested forming a science and industry committee to provide advice and research to the US military, and he headed the Naval Consulting Board in 1915. Edison became concerned with America's reliance on foreign supply of rubber and

6380-436: The critical parameters of his electric lighting system including lamp resistance by an analysis of Ohm's law , Joule's law and economics. Nearly all of Edison's patents were utility patents, which were protected for 17 years and included inventions or processes that are electrical, mechanical, or chemical in nature. About a dozen were design patents , which protect an ornamental design for up to 14 years. As in most patents,

6490-642: The design leaving a gap with exposed prongs. This safety flaw has been exploited by a January 2020 Internet phenomenon known as the Outlet challenge , where conductive materials, usually coins or paper clips were dropped into the gap, causing electric sparks , which once led to a building evacuation in Westford Academy . MA 250 V 250 V 120/ 208 V SS1 ; ML2 phase) 120/208 V (wye) ML3 SS2 NEMA non-locking connectors all use blades of various flat and folded shapes (except for

6600-641: The dimensions used by Hubbell. The report of the court proceedings includes a comprehensive review of the development of the art in the US prior to 1919, based on evidence presented to the Court. Separable plugs had been available for more than a decade prior to Hubbell's 1904 design. In 1926, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) was founded by the merger of the Electric Power Club and

6710-539: The early 1880s, AC arc lighting systems for streets and large spaces had been an expanding business in the US. With the development of transformers in Europe and by Westinghouse Electric in the US in 1885–1886, it became possible to transmit AC long distances over thinner and cheaper wires, and "step down" (reduce) the voltage at the destination for distribution to users. This allowed AC to be used in street lighting and in lighting for small business and domestic customers,

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6820-607: The early days of electrification, residential use was almost exclusively for illumination, with rooms normally having just a single electrical outlet spot in the center. Along with his lightbulb, Thomas Edison developed the Edison screw in the early 1880s, patented 1881. The Edison screw was very successful, and quickly became the first de facto standard for electric connection. In the early 1900s, table and floor lamps became more popular, and sockets were mounted on walls for secondary connections. One big disadvantage of screw connectors

6930-667: The family moved there in 1854. He was the seventh and last child of Samuel Ogden Edison Jr. (1804–1896, born in Marshalltown, Nova Scotia ) and Nancy Matthews Elliott (1810–1871, born in Chenango County, New York ). His patrilineal family line was Dutch by way of New Jersey ; the surname had originally been "Edeson". His great-grandfather, loyalist John Edeson, fled New Jersey for Nova Scotia in 1784. The family moved to Middlesex County, Upper Canada , around 1811, and his grandfather, Capt. Samuel Edison Sr. served with

7040-482: The far higher currents drawn by the snowblower at 36VDC. An Anderson connector , standard on the I-5 and optionally available for other models, was mounted under the right rear fender for rear-mounted heavy current draw attachments such as the vacuums, sickle bar, and rear electric lift. After the shutdown of production at GE, Elec-Traks were produced under the Wheel Horse and Avco New Idea labels. Some time after

7150-671: The final shutdown of the Wheel Horse line in 1983, all remaining parts and dies were sold to Bill Gunn, a dealer in Edgerton, Wisconsin. Eventually, Gunn retired and all remaining stock was sold to Jim Coate of the Electric Tractor Store. NEMA connector NEMA connectors are power plugs and sockets used for AC mains electricity in North America and other countries that use the standards set by

7260-727: The front wheels, and attachment points for additional accessories, including a roll cage and forklifts of varying heights that could be mounted either forward or rear facing. Elec-Trak branded attachments included electric trimmers, edgers, chainsaws, radios, arc welders, fork lifts, front-end loaders, rotary brooms, roller aerators, lawn rollers, dump carts, maintenance carts, large vacuums, agricultural sprayers, moldboard plows, row crop cultivators, tillers, disk harrows, sickle bar mowers, belly mowers, front-mounted rotary mowers, front or rear-mounted ganged reel mowers, lawn sweepers, electric rakes, snowplows, golf bag holders, double seats, 120vac rotary inverters, canopy tops, and more. The snowblower

7370-476: The hood overhang on the left side, is used to power handheld tools. High current draw front and mid-mounted attachments connect to a 36VDC "power take off" using a NEMA 10-50 outlet , mounted forward of the accessory outlet. The NEMA 10-50 is a heavy, thick bladed design rated for 50A at 250VAC (readily available in the 1970s in the USA for use with 240VAC electric range/ovens) that GE empirically found to be capable of

7480-482: The incandescent electric lamp and was put in charge of tests and records on that device. In 1880, he was appointed chief engineer of the Edison Lamp Works. In his first year, the plant under general manager Francis Robbins Upton turned out 50,000 lamps. According to Edison, Hammer was "a pioneer of incandescent electric lighting". Frank J. Sprague , a competent mathematician and former naval officer ,

7590-408: The inventions he described were improvements over prior art . The phonograph patent, in contrast, was unprecedented in describing the first device to record and reproduce sounds. In just over a decade, Edison's Menlo Park laboratory had expanded to occupy two city blocks. Edison said he wanted the lab to have "a stock of almost every conceivable material". A newspaper article printed in 1887 reveals

7700-412: The lack of grounding, these obsolete receptacles could allow a connected device to overheat and create a fire hazard if a device designed for the wrong voltage is connected. These problematic outlets are easily identifiable due to their lack of ground, along with both openings on the receptacle face being a sideways T-shaped opening that appear to be mirrored on the vertical center line of the face. Due to

7810-498: The latter preoccupation cost him his job. One night in 1867, he was working with a lead–acid battery when he spilt sulfuric acid onto the floor. It ran between the floorboards and onto his boss's desk below. The next morning Edison was fired. His first patent was for the electric vote recorder, U.S. patent 90,646 , which was granted on June 1, 1869. Finding little demand for the machine, Edison moved to New York City shortly thereafter. One of his mentors during those early years

7920-455: The line blade, so the plug can be inserted only one way. Polarized 1-15P plugs will not fit into unpolarized receptacles, which possess only narrow slots. Polarized 1-15P plugs will fit 5-15R grounded receptacles, which have the same wider slot for the neutral blade. Some devices that do not distinguish between neutral and line, such as internally isolated AC adapters , are still produced with unpolarized narrow blades. Cheater plug adapters allow

8030-440: The list goes on. Over his desk Edison displayed a placard with Sir Joshua Reynolds ' famous quotation: "There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking." This slogan was reputedly posted at several other locations throughout the facility. In Menlo Park, Edison had created the first industrial laboratory concerned with creating knowledge and then controlling its application. Edison's name

8140-468: The market Edison's patented low voltage DC incandescent lamp system was designed to supply. Edison's DC empire suffered from one of its chief drawbacks: it was suitable only for the high density of customers found in large cities. Edison's DC plants could not deliver electricity to customers more than one mile from the plant, and left a patchwork of unsupplied customers between plants. Small cities and rural areas could not afford an Edison style system, leaving

8250-680: The members of the Vanderbilt family . Edison made the first public demonstration of his incandescent light bulb on December 31, 1879, in Menlo Park. It was during this time that he said: "We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles." Henry Villard , president of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company , attended Edison's 1879 demonstration. Villard was impressed and requested Edison install his electric lighting system aboard Villard's company's new steamer,

8360-539: The most common electrical receptacle in North America in buildings built since the mid-twentieth century. It is usually installed in a duplex configuration; two receptacles may share a common circuit or may each be wired separately, sometimes to a switch. In 46 of the 50 United States and all of Canada, tamper-resistant receptacles are required in new residential construction as of November 2013 . These prevent contact by objects like keys or paper clips inserted into

8470-422: The other. It is alleged that Edison would listen to a music player or piano by clamping his teeth into the wood to absorb the sound waves into his skull. As he got older, Edison believed his hearing loss allowed him to avoid distraction and concentrate more easily on his work. Modern-day historians and medical professionals have suggested he may have had ADHD . It is known that early in his career he enrolled in

8580-423: The phonograph before the National Academy of Sciences, Congressmen, Senators and President Hayes . The Washington Post described Edison as a " genius " and his presentation as "a scene... that will live in history". Although Edison obtained a patent for the phonograph in 1878, he did little to develop it until Alexander Graham Bell , Chichester Bell , and Charles Tainter produced a phonograph-like device in

8690-426: The physics of loose-contact carbon transmitters (work that Hughes did not bother to patent). Edison used the carbon microphone concept in 1877 to create an improved telephone for Western Union . In 1886, Edison found a way to improve a Bell Telephone microphone, one that used loose-contact ground carbon, with his discovery that it worked far better if the carbon was roasted . This type was put in use in 1890 and

8800-461: The plug housing, different marking requirements, and mandatory testing and approval by METI or JIS . NEMA standards exist for 1-15P, 1-20P and 1-30P plugs, and the 1-15R receptacle. There are no 1-20R and 1-30R receptacles, because 1-20P and 1-30P can mate with a corresponding NEMA 5 receptacle. All NEMA 2 devices are two-wire non-grounding devices (hot-hot) rated for 250 V maximum. Although standards exist for 2-15, 2-20 and 2-30, this series

8910-583: The potential danger of a voltage mismatch, whenever possible these receptacles should be replaced. Depending on local code, replacement with a "repair" approved non-grounded receptacle may be sufficient. The Japanese plug and socket with narrow insulating faces appear and work physically identical to NEMA 1-15, and such non-grounded receptacles are still common in Japan (though grounded 5-15R and 5-20R receptacles are slowly becoming more common). The Japanese system incorporates stricter dimensional requirements for

9020-425: The power blades (so the device is grounded before the power is connected) and located from them by 1 ⁄ 4  in (6.4 mm) edge-to-edge or 15 ⁄ 32  in (11.9 mm) center-to-center. Compared to the 5-15P plug, the 5-20P plug has the neutral blade rotated 90° and shifted so its inner edge is approximately 1 ⁄ 2  in (12.7 mm) from the hot blade. The 5-20R receptacle has

9130-437: The project, while Edison did all the research. Edison, however, wished to contribute $ 25,000 as well. Edison did the majority of the research and planting, sending results and sample rubber residues to his West Orange Lab. Edison employed a two-part Acid-base extraction , to derive latex from the plant material after it was dried and crushed to a powder. After testing 17,000 plant samples, he eventually found an adequate source in

9240-490: The receptacle slots, using a corresponding latch or locking mechanism. The blades of a NEMA connector are identified within the dimensional standard as follows: 'G' identifies the grounding conductor, 'W' identifies the (grounded) neutral conductor, and 'X', 'Y', and 'Z' are the "hot" line conductors. Single-phase connectors have only a single terminal identified as 'X' or two terminals, 'X' and 'Y'. Three-phase connectors will use 'X', 'Y' and 'Z'. Criticism has been aimed at

9350-561: The round pins used on grounding connectors). The plugs can be detached from the receptacles by pulling back on the plug body. These connector families have been designed so that connectors of differing types cannot be accidentally intermated. NEMA wall receptacles can be found installed in any orientation. Neither NEMA nor the US National Electrical Code nor the Canadian Electrical Code specify

9460-481: The sales of electric power systems in general. The primary reason was that Edison Electric based their design on low voltage DC, and switching a standard after they had installed over 100 systems was, in Edison's mind, out of the question. By the end of 1887, Edison Electric was losing market share to Westinghouse, who had built 68 AC-based power stations to Edison's 121 DC-based stations. To make matters worse for Edison,

9570-481: The same plug, thus being the first socket and plug design patented in the US. Later in 1904, he changed the design to flat blades (a design later incorporated in the NEMA 2 series), filled under the U.S. patent 774,251 Both these patents were granted in November 1904. In 1910, Hubbel worked on improving his popular flat blade design, filled U.S. patent 1,064,833 in 1912. The new design had parallel blades,

9680-427: The same two-pole, three-wire configuration and 125 V rating, but is rated for 30 A. Although there are several non-grounding device types in the NEMA standards, only three of them are in widespread use today. These are the two-pole 1-15, still in use in millions of buildings built before the 1960s, and the three-pole 10-30 and 10-50. Other types of NEMA connectors that do not follow this nomenclature include:

9790-452: The seemingly greedy and callous lighting companies that used it. Edison took advantage of the public perception of AC as dangerous, and joined with self-styled New York anti-AC crusader Harold P. Brown in a propaganda campaign, aiding Brown in the public electrocution of animals with AC, and supported legislation to control and severely limit AC installations and voltages (to the point of making it an ineffective power delivery system) in what

9900-457: The seriousness of his claim, stating the lab contained "eight thousand kinds of chemicals, every kind of screw made, every size of needle, every kind of cord or wire, hair of humans, horses, hogs, cows, rabbits, goats, minx, camels ... silk in every texture, cocoons, various kinds of hoofs, shark's teeth, deer horns, tortoise shell ... cork, resin, varnish and oil, ostrich feathers, a peacock's tail, jet, amber, rubber, all ores ..." and

10010-434: The signal so generated to the telephone line. Edison was one of many inventors working on the problem of creating a usable microphone for telephony by having it modulate an electric current passed through it. His work was concurrent with Emile Berliner 's loose-contact carbon transmitter (who lost a later patent case against Edison over the carbon transmitter's invention ) and David Edward Hughes ’ study and published paper on

10120-514: The socket. This is accomplished by an interlocking mechanism that requires hot and neutral blades inserted simultaneously to release the small doors blocking the slots. The grounding slot is not blocked by a door. In stage lighting for film and theater, this connector is sometimes informally known as PBG ( Parallel Blade with Ground ), U-ground , Edison or Hubbell , the name of a common manufacturer. (The name "Hubbell" can be confusing as several different connectors share this name depending on

10230-567: The standardization process. NEMA connectors are named following an alphanumeric code consisting of: (prefix L for locking) numerals – numerals (suffix R for receptacle, P for plug). There are two basic classifications of NEMA connectors: straight-blade and locking. The metal conductive blades are often informally called prongs (as in 3-prong plug ). Numbers prefixed by 'L' are curved-blade, twist-locking connectors. Twist-locking types are used for heavy industrial and commercial equipment, where increased protection against accidental disconnection

10340-435: The varying faceplates. The faceplate bonded onto the receptacle determines the final configuration of the receptacle. Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation , mass communication , sound recording , and motion pictures. These inventions, which include

10450-417: The varying resistance results in a modulation of the current, creating a varying electric current that reproduces the varying pressure of the sound wave. Up to that point, microphones, such as the ones developed by Johann Philipp Reis and Alexander Graham Bell , worked by generating a weak current. The carbon microphone works by modulating a direct current and, subsequently, using a transformer to transfer

10560-627: Was a fellow telegrapher and inventor named Franklin Leonard Pope , who allowed the impoverished youth to live and work in the basement of his Elizabeth, New Jersey , home, while Edison worked for Samuel Laws at the Gold Indicator Company. Pope and Edison founded their own company in October 1869, working as electrical engineers and inventors. Edison began developing a multiplex telegraphic system, which could send two messages simultaneously, in 1874. Edison's major innovation

10670-681: Was at Stratford Junction, Ontario, on the Grand Trunk Railway . He also studied qualitative analysis and conducted chemical experiments until he left the job rather than be fired after being held responsible for a near collision of two trains. Edison obtained the exclusive right to sell newspapers on the road, and, with the aid of four assistants, he set in type and printed the Grand Trunk Herald , which he sold with his other papers. This began Edison's long streak of entrepreneurial ventures, as he discovered his talents as

10780-443: Was commonly called snowthrower to draw distinction from the more mass marketable Leafblower certainly cheaper and more easily produced then anything ruggedized for below freezing that only sees use from the occasional snowfall. Electric crop sprayers were advertised and sold, but GE discontinued the product and refunded all orders in 1974 due to low demand. A 36VDC "accessory outlet" for NEMA L2-20 twist-lock connectors, mounted under

10890-521: Was determined to find a native supply of rubber. Edison's work on rubber took place largely at his research laboratory in Fort Myers, which has been designated as a National Historic Chemical Landmark. The laboratory was built after Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey S. Firestone pulled together $ 75,000 to form the Edison Botanical Research Corporation. Initially, only Ford and Firestone were to contribute funds to

11000-467: Was exposed to a poisonous dose of radiation; he later died (at the age of 39) of injuries related to the exposure, including mediastinal cancer. In 1903, a shaken Edison said: "Don't talk to me about X-rays, I am afraid of them." Nonetheless, his work was important in the development of a technology still used today. Edison invented a highly sensitive device, that he named the tasimeter , which measured infrared radiation . His impetus for its creation

11110-511: Was generally told to carry out his directions in conducting research, and he drove them hard to produce results. William Joseph Hammer , a consulting electrical engineer , started working for Edison and began his duties as a laboratory assistant in December 1879. He assisted in experiments on the telephone, phonograph, electric railway, iron ore separator , electric lighting , and other developing inventions. However, Hammer worked primarily on

11220-634: Was later called Seminole Lodge as a winter retreat. The main house and guest house are representative of Italianate architecture and Queen Anne style architecture . The building materials were pre-cut in New England by the Kennebec Framing Company and the Stephen Nye Lumber Company of Fairfield Maine. The materials were then shipped down by boat and were constructed at a cost of $ 12,000 each, which included

11330-424: Was not until several months after the patent was granted that Edison and his team discovered that a carbonized bamboo filament could last over 1,200 hours. Attempts to prevent blackening of the bulb due to emission of charged carbon from the hot filament culminated in Edison effect bulbs, which redirected and controlled the mysterious unidirectional current. Edison's 1883 patent for voltage-regulating

11440-563: Was now being referred to as a " war of the currents ". The development of the electric chair was used in an attempt to portray AC as having a greater lethal potential than DC and smear Westinghouse, via Edison colluding with Brown and Westinghouse's chief AC rival, the Thomson-Houston Electric Company, to ensure the first electric chair was powered by a Westinghouse AC generator. Edison was becoming marginalized in his own company having lost majority control in

11550-495: Was recruited by Edward H. Johnson and joined the Edison organization in 1883. One of Sprague's contributions to the Edison Laboratory at Menlo Park was to expand Edison's mathematical methods. Despite the common belief that Edison did not use mathematics, analysis of his notebooks reveal that he was an astute user of mathematical analysis conducted by his assistants such as Francis Robbins Upton, for example, determining

11660-580: Was switched on, providing 110 volts direct current (DC), initially to 59 customers in lower Manhattan , quickly growing to 508 customers with 10,164 lamps. The power station was decommissioned in 1895. Eight months earlier in January 1882, to demonstrate feasibility, Edison had switched on the 93 kW first steam-generating power station at Holborn Viaduct in London. This was a smaller 110 V DC supply system, eventually supplying 3,000 street lights and

11770-430: Was that the cord inevitably got twisted after being connected to the receptacle. In 1903, Harvey Hubbell filled the U.S. patent 774,250 , for a lightbulb socket adaptor and plug, also a standalone receptacle. The adaptor was screwed into the lightbulb socket, leaving a flat face with two holes to conveniently attach the plug. The same patent had a second design, with a wall attachable receptacle, capable of receiving

11880-488: Was the establishment of an industrial research lab in 1876. It was built in Menlo Park , a part of Raritan Township (now named Edison Township in his honor) in Middlesex County, New Jersey , with the funds from the sale of Edison's quadruplex telegraph . After his demonstration of the telegraph, Edison was not sure that his original plan to sell it for $ 4,000 to $ 5,000 was right, so he asked Western Union to make

11990-527: Was used in all telephones along with the Bell receiver until the 1980s. In 1878, Edison began working on a system of electrical illumination, something he hoped could compete with gas and oil-based lighting. He began by tackling the problem of creating a long-lasting incandescent lamp, something that would be needed for indoor use. However, Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb. In 1840, British scientist Warren de la Rue developed an efficient light bulb using

12100-515: Was valid. To avoid a possible court battle with yet another competitor, Joseph Swan , who held an 1880 British patent on a similar incandescent electric lamp, he and Swan formed a joint company called Ediswan to manufacture and market the invention in Britain. The incandescent light bulb patented by Edison also began to gain widespread popularity in Europe as well. Mahen Theatre in Brno (in what

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