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Valves

History and Development of Major UK
Valve Manufacturers up to 1932
This table shows some of the inter-relatedness of the various major manufacturers of valves in the U.K. prior to 1930. Links lead to related pages.
See also: National Valve Museum / Valve Technology Timeline .

Year

Company developments

Technical & Scientific developments

1883
 Edison Electric Co. and Swan Electric lighting Co. amalgamate to form Edison Swan United Electric Co.
Western Electric Co.		 Edison effect

1889
 General Electric Co.  

1896
 British Thompson Houston Ltd.
Alfred Charles Cossor sets up business as a scientific glassware maker		  

1897
 Wireless Signal and Telegraph Co. J J Thompson discovers the electron

1900
 Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co.  

1901
   O W Richardson
Emission Theory

1902
   Wehnhelt's oxide cathode

1904
   Fleming valve

1907
   DeForest Audion

1908
 A C Cossor Ltd. Formed Tungsten Filament

1913
   Round soft valves

1914
   Langmuir dull emitter

1915
   French TM
Langmuir Pliotron

1916
 British Thompson Houston Ltd. "BTH"
Edison Swan Co. "EDISWAN", "Royal EDISWAN"		 R-type

1917
 Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co.
English Electric Co. Ltd. "Osram"
Metropolitan-Vickers Co. Ltd "COSMOS"		  

1919
 Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co. - Transmitting valves
Marconi-Osram Valve Co. "MARCONI VALVE"
Capt. S R Mullard joins the Z Electric Lamp. Co.		 Tetrode invented

1920
 M-O Valve Co. "MARCONI VALVE"
Mullard Radio Valve Co. "MULLARD"		  

1921
   First dull emitters sold

1922
 Western Electric "WECO"  

1923
 Edison Swan Electric Co. "EDISWAN"
N V Phillips Gloelampenfabriken
Electron Company Ltd. "SIX-SIXTY"		  

1924
 Phillips obtains 50% holding in Mullard Radio Valve Co. Azide process and other oxide cathodes

1925
 M-O Valve Co. "MARCONI", "OSRAM"
British Thompson Houston Ltd. "MAZDA"
Standard Telephones and Cables "STC", "STANDARD"		  

1926
 Mullard gains control of Electron Co. Ltd. "SIX-SIXTY" Pentode invented

1927
 Phillips obtains full control of Mullard Radio Valve Co. Tetrode marketed

1928
 BTH, Edison-Swan and Metro-Vickers form Associated Electrical Industries Pentode marketed

1929
 The Gramophone Co. Ltd.  

1931
 Electrical amd Musical Industries. "EMI"  

Later
 EMI "MARCONI", "OSRAM", "GEC"
"MAZDA", "BRIMAR", "EDISWAN"
"MULLARD", "EVERREADY", "COSSOR", "STANDARD"		  


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