This folder contains correspondence and other documents relating to Edison's desire to develop a more efficient mechanism for feeding ammunition to machine guns by using hoppers or non-refillable belts. The correspondents include Edward Craig and H. W. Morgan, inventors of nail-handling machines, as well as Brig. Gen. W. S. Peirce, Lt. Col. Earl McFarlane, and other officers of the Engineering Division of the Ordnance Dept. Some of the selected items pertain to Edison's efforts to locate inventors who could work on this problem and to obtain guns and cartridges for experimental purposes. Also included are shipping documents relating to Edison's receipt of a machine gun and ammunition for use at Key West, along with other items regarding the testing of Morgan's hopper-type ammunition feeder. Related documents can be found in Edison Wartime Research Report No. 50, Charles Hummel Collection.
Approximately 50 percent of the documents have been selected, including all items detailing Edison's personal involvement. The documents not selected include routine correspondence dealing with requests and shipments; correspondence between Morgan and the Engineering Division; oversize blueprints sent to Edison by inventors; and a report on a test of Morgan's device conducted at the Springfield Armory. Courtesy of Thomas Edison National Historical Park.