Philo T. Farnsworth

Philo T. Farnsworth
Born	Philo Taylor Farnsworth 19 August 1906(1906-08-19) Beaver, Utah
Died	11 March 1971 (64) Salt Lake City, Utah
Religion	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)
Workplace(s)	Philco; Farnsworth Television and Radio Corp.; International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT)
Known for	First fully electronic television

Philo Taylor Farnsworth (August 19, 1906 - March 11, 1971) was an American inventor who worked in the field of electronic television from the 1920s through the 1950s, making contributions to the development of the television system, and later in his life researched nuclear fusion, developing the Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor.

Selected Patents

• US1758359. Electric Oscillator System. 13 May 1930, filed 7 Jan. 1927. "My invention relates to systems for producing alternating electrical potentials or waves; and its broad object is to produce a wave in which the potential rises at a substantially constant rate for a definite period, suddenly starts to fall, also at a constant rate and for a definite period, after which it again rises as before, this cycle being repeated indefinitely." https://patents.google.com/patent/US1758359
• US1773980. Television System. 26 Aug. 1930, filed 7 Jan. 1927. "This invention relates to a television apparatus and process, that is, it is directed to an apparatus and process for the instantaneous transmission of a scene or moving image of an object located at a distance in which the transmission is by electricity." https://patents.google.com/patent/US1773980
• US1773981. Television Receiving System. 26 Aug. 1930, filed 7 Jan. 1927. "My invention relates to television, and particularly to the reception of pictures or views transmitted by radio. The receiving system comprising my invention is especially adapted for receiving pictures transmitted as described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 159,540, filed January 7, 1927, of which this is a division." https://patents.google.com/patent/US1773981
• US1806935. Light Valve. 26 May 1931, filed 7 Jan. 1927. "My invention relates to an apparatus for modulating a beam of light, and its broad object is to accomplish such modulation in accordance with changes in the strength of an electric current." https://patents.google.com/patent/US1806935
• US1941344. Dissector Target. 26 Dec. 1933, filed 7 Jul. 1930. "My invention relates to electron discharge apparatus, and particularly to electron dissector tubes such as are, used for the electrical scanning and transmission of television pictures." https://patents.google.com/patent/US1941344
• US1970036. Photoelectric Apparatus. 14 Aug. 1934, filed 9 Jan. 1928. "The broad object of the invention is to provide a generator of picture modulated electric currents. An object of my invention is to provide a photo-electric tube in which picture analysis is accomplished." https://patents.google.com/patent/US1970036
• US2059683. Scanning Oscillator. 3 Nov. 1936, filed 3 Apr. 1933. "This invention relates to oscillators for producing non-sinusoidal waves of predetermined form, and particularly to oscillators for producing waves having a portion of substantially constant slope, for producing scanning fields in cathode ray television equipment. This application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application, Serial No. 550,654, filed July 14, 1931." https://patents.google.com/patent/US2059683
• US2071516. Oscillation Generator. 23 Feb. 1937, filed 5 Jul. 1934. "This invention relates to electronic oscillators, and particularly to oscillators wherein the electron flow is derived, substantially in its entirety, from so-called secondary electrons liberated from solid conductors by bombardment." https://patents.google.com/patent/US2071516
• US2087683. Image Dissector. 20 Jul. 1937, filed 26 Apr. 1933. "My invention relates to transmitters of electrical impulses representing pictures, and particularly to tubes or photocells adapted, with their associated apparatus, to dissect a view to be transmitted into elementary areas, translating the illumination of these areas into successive electrical impulses which may be retranslated to reconstitute the picture." https://patents.google.com/patent/US2087683
• US2089054. Incandescent Light Source. 3 Aug. 1937, filed 9 Mar. 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2089054
• US2100842. Charge Storage Tube. 30 Nov. 1937, filed 14 Sep. 1935. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2100842
• US2109289. High Power Projection Oscillograph. 22 Feb. 1938, filed 2 Nov. 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2109289
• US2128580. Means and Method of Operating Electron Multipliers. 30 Aug. 1938, filed 18 Aug. 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2128580
• US2137528. Multipactor Oscillator. 22 Nov. 1938, filed 27 Jan. 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2137528
• US2139813. Secondary Emission Electrode. 13 Dec. 1938, filed 24 Mar. 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2139813
• US2139814. Cathode Ray Tube. 13 Dec. 1938, filed 2 Nov. 1936. "My invention relates to electron image dissectors, and more particularly to a target assembly for such dissectors wherein aperture effect is substantially eliminated. The present invention relates to a particular type of aperture combined with a particular type of collecting electrode, the combination being utilized to minimize aperture effect." https://patents.google.com/patent/US2139814
• US2140284. Projecting Oscillight. 13 Dec. 1938, filed 14 Jul. 1931. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2140284
• US2140695. Charge Storage Dissector. 20 Dec. 1938, filed 6 Jul. 1935. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2140695
• US2140832. Means and Method of Controlling Electron Multipliers. 20 Dec. 1938, filed 16 May 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2140832
• US2141837. Multistage Multipactor. 27 Dec. 1938, filed 1 Jun. 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2141837
• US2143145. Projection Means. 10 Jan. 1939, filed 6 Nov. 1934. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2143145
• US2143146. Repeater. 10 Jan. 1939, filed 31 Oct. 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2143146
• US2143262. Means of Electron Multipaction. 10 Jan. 1939, filed 12 Mar. 1935. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2143262
• US2155478. Means for Producing Incandescent Images. 25 Apr. 1939, filed 7 May 1935. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2155478
• US2159521. Absorption Oscillator. 23 May 1939, filed 9 Mar. 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2159521
• US2168768. Television Method. 8 Aug. 1939, filed 9 Jan. 1928. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2168768
• US2174488. Oscillator. 26 Sep. 1939, filed 12 Mar. 1935. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2174488
• US2179996. Electron Multiplier. 14 Nov. 1939, filed 9 Nov. 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2179996
• US2184910. Cold Cathode Electron Discharge Tube. 26 Dec. 1939, filed 4 Nov. 1936. " My invention relates to an oscillation generator tube, and more particularly to such a tube utilizing cold cathodes." https://patents.google.com/patent/US2184910
• US2204479. Means and Method for Producing Electronic Multiplication. 11 Jun. 1940, filed 16 May 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2204479
• US2214077. Scanning Current Generator. 10 Sep. 1940, filed 10 Feb. 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2214077
• US2216265. Image Dissector. 1 Oct. 1940, filed 18 Aug. 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2216265
• US2221374. X-Ray Projection Device. 14927, filed 13596. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2221374
• US2221473. Amplifier. 12 Nov. 1940, filed 12 Mar. 1935. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2221473
• US2228388. Cathode Ray Amplifier. 14 Jan. 1941, filed 6 Jul. 1935. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2228388
• US2233887. Image Projector. 4 Mar. 1941, filed 6 Feb. 1935. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2233887
• US2233888. Charge Storage Amplifier. 4 Mar. 1941, filed 6 Jul. 1935. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2233888
• US2246625. Television Scanning and Synchronization System. 24 Jun. 1941, filed 5 May 1930. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2246625
• US2251124. Cathode Ray Amplifying Tube. 29 Jul. 1941, filed 10 Aug. 1935. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2251124
• US2260613. Electron Multiplier. 28 Oct. 1941, filed 18 May 1936. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2260613
• US2263032. Cold Cathode Electron Discharge Tube. 15298, filed 13458. https://patents.google.com/patent/US2263032
• US3258402. Electric Discharge Device for Producing Interaction Between Nuclei. 24286, filed 21972. https://patents.google.com/patent/US3258402
• US3386883. Method and Apparatus for Producing Nuclear Fusion Reactions. 24993, filed 24240. https://patents.google.com/patent/US3386883
• US3664920. Electrostatic Containment In Fusion Reactors. 26442, filed 25010. https://patents.google.com/patent/US3664920

Reading

• Everson, George (1949), The Story of Television: the Life of Philo T. Farnsworth, New York: W. W. Norton & Co., https://archive.org/details/storyoftelevisio00everrich