The Philadelphians then backed Edison's evolution into a full-time inventor, established in his "invention factory" in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

The proceeds would be evenly divided between the sites, which include Edison's invention factory in West Orange and the Edison Memorial Tower in Edison.

At this "invention factory," Edison and his workers cranked out the movie camera, an improved storage battery, the fluoroscope, and rubber from the goldenrod plant.

Edison became widely heralded not only as the creator of a longer-lasting light bulb and the phonograph but also as the inventor of the invention factory.

Hillary has traveled across the country to inspire recognition and support for saving places like Thomas Edison's invention factory and Harriet Tubman's home.

The National Trust for Historic Places, whose watch list includes the entire state of Vermont, issued its warning largely because the laboratory, known to historians as "the invention factory," has an estimated 390,000 papers and objects that are uncatalogued and deteriorating.

"People have called Edison's greatest invention the invention factory, and in many respects that's true," said Paul Israel, a history professor at Rutgers University and associate editor of the Edison Papers Project.

Menlo Park laboratory was such a successful 'invention factory' because Thomas Edison had a firm belief in recombinant innovation.

Edison eventually sells an invention to Taggart and Powell for $40,000, enabling him to get married and open his own "invention factory" at Menlo Park.

In West Orange, Edison created the first technical research and development facility with his "invention factory".