|
EDISWAN DYNAMONameplate details: “EDISWAN” DYNAMO, No. 190, VOLTS 100. AMPS 60, REVS 1500
This Edison-Hopkinson generator is possibly from about 1885. It is a commercial machine made by the Edison&Swan United Light Company Limited of England. With the objective of improving the efficiency of his early long-legged dynamos, Edison sought advice from Professor John Hopkinson, Professor of Electrical Engineering at King’s College in London. Hopkinson advised that shorter field magnets would be more efficient. The shorter, more compact field magnets of this machine are a result of Professor Hopkinson’s recommendation. The output of the generator is 6000 watts or 6 kW. (100 volts by 60 amps) Six kilowatts is about 8 horsepower. Thomas Edison of the USA and Joseph Swan of England each independently invented the incandescent electric lamp. Following a legal battle, they agreed to combine their business activities in England. The result, the Edison&Swan United Lighting Company, founded in October 1883. From then, the company had a virtual monopoly on electric lamps in the UK for a number of years. These lamps were made to Swan’s design rather than to Edison’s. The business name Ediswan existed in the UK until about 1964. |
|