Nikola Tesla: Guided Weapons and Computer Technology (Tesla Presents Series, Pt. 3) - Hardcover

Nikola Tesla

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Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0963601253 ISBN 13: 9780963601254

Publisher: Twenty First Century Books (CO), 1998

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This work, the third installment of the Tesla Presents series, is based upon legal records associated with the Nikola Tesla vs. Reginald A. Fessenden Patent Interference on the Fundamental AND-Gate logic circuit. While the U.S. Patent Office record is sufficiently important on the basis of its title alone, Tesla winning the claim to this invention, surprisingly the deposition contains heretofore unpublished disclosures by Tesla on the operation of his large high frequency resonators at both the Houston Street laboratory in New York and the Experimental Station in Colorado. Information is presented on what Tesla spoke of as the "art of individualization" for obtaining various levels of security in wireless transmissions. Also included is material on the history of radio-controlled devices, the first practical form of these being Tesla's radio-controlled "teleautomaton" - an operational boat first demonstrated to the public at Madison Square Garden in 1898.

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About the Author:

Leland I. Anderson is a technical writer and electrical engineer who lives in Denver, Colorado. His long-time interest in Nikola Tesla took root in the early 1950s, and his activities since then have resulted in his recognition as one of the world's foremost Tesla historians. His works include the monographs "Priority in the Invention of Radio, Tesla vs. Marconi" and "Ball Lightning & Tesla's Electric Fireballs," and the books Nikola Tesla On His Work With Alternating Currents, Nikola Tesla--Lecture Before the New York Academy of Sciences, April 6, 1897, and Nikola Tesla's Teleforce & Telegeodynamics Proposals.

In his laboratory on South Fifth Avenue (now West Broadway) in New York City, Tesla began work in the 1890s on the construction of remote-controlled devices, or "telautomatons," as he referred to them. This work evolved from his investigations in 1893 of automatic mechanisms actuated from a distance. Tesla performed experiments with tuned devices (secondary-actuated) that would respond by induction to an oscillator primary coil running up and around the cove in the experimental area of the laboratory.

Tragedy struck March 13, 1895, when the laboratory was burned to the ground. Charles Dana, editor, the New York Sun, remarked in its columns,

The destruction of Nikola Tesla's workshop, with its wonderful contents, is something more than a private calamity. It is a misfortune to the whole world. It is not in any degree an exaggeration to say that the men living at this time who are more important to the human race than this young gentleman can be counted on the fingers of one hand; perhaps on the thumb of one hand.

Driven by the enormous possibilities his investigations suggested, Tesla lost no time in establishing another laboratory on East Houston Street. He was now able to have tuned devices respond CONJOINTLY by induction from the coil around the experimental area. A very interesting prospect indeed! The question remained, could this condition also be achieved by radio (then wireless telegraphy)? ....

Tesla vigorously addressed the problem as an extension of the experiments performed in his New York City laboratories. He successfully operated a wireless receiver using the conjoint transmission of signals at different frequencies June 27, 1899, as recorded in his notes. So important did he consider the individualization concept and technique that following his return to New York City in January (1900) he instructed Scherff, his secretary and useful man, as a first order of business, to prepare patent applications from the notes kept in Colorado Springs.

The patent application was submitted, but during the period awaiting review, Tesla received notification from the U.S. Patent Office that another patent had been received from Reginald Fessenden on a similar concept and that the office was directing an Interference investigation to determine priority. Depositions were taken in 1902, and the following section is a transcript of those depositions.

In addition to resolving the issue of Tesla's patent application having priority over that of Fessenden, the depositions are of interest today because they disclose not only unavailable information about the development of the invention but as well heretofore unavailable information about experiments performed at Tesla's laboratory in New York City and his experimental station at Colorado Springs.

A discussion and analysis of these disclosures is presented in the section immediately following the Interference transcript.

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