Man who invented photocopy machine

His favorite toys were set of resin letters from typography and kids typewriter. He will be genius of 20th century, but now he works in patent office and hardly makes both ends meet.

– Chester, there is terrible stench coming from your room, your neighbors start to comply. What do you do there?

Graduate of prestige college and certificated physicist did his copying experiments in small hired apartment. In that time he tried to use sulphur, and that smelled very specific and not like bananas at all.

Destiny brought our inventor to advocate office, where he worked as lawyer assistant in patent department. Carlson dreamed he will make a photocopy machine that can transfer picture from document to blank page with no additional operation. Together with Austrian engineer and physicist Otto Kornei he started to build such a machine. First “lab” was kitchen of Chester’s aunt.

Kornei was pessimistic, but experiments were successful. A new prototype of photocopier was built in Chester’s shed – the beginning of laser technology. First steps were successful. There were nothing to do but find an investor and company, who would manufacture this equipment.

Seven years Carlson visited big companies and presented his copier. He searched for one who would implement jis idea. From 1939 to 1944 he got refusals from 20 companies. Even National society of inventors and army did not pay attention to his idea.

Chester was certain for sure that his invention is hopeful and will be noticed. But after many refusals he deflated and decided to give up as lost.

To be continued.