E. B. Myers Company Ltd.
founded 1922
Elmer B. Myers entered the wireless field in 1907 and in 1908 became employed by Poulsen Wireless Telegraph and Telephone Company in San Francisco. After two years he returned to the East Coast and did independent research. In 1912, he was employed by De Forest at Highbridge in tube development and manufacture. In 1915 he took charge of the Pacific Coast Division of the De Forest Company, and was engaged in installing radio apparatus on ships.
He left De Forest later in 1915 to produce his own "radiotron" tubes. He sold 12 to Elmer T. Cunningham at the Haller-Cunningham Company in San Francisico. Cunningham would later produce these tubes as "Audiotrons." However, Myers was infringing on the De Forest patents, and submitted to an injunction.
After working with Cunningham for about seven months, Myers returned in 1916 to De Forest. At this time, he broke into the Belmar, NJ station of the Marconi Company to gather evidence of Marconi infringing on De Forest patents. He was arrested, fined, and put on probation for a year.
Around 1918, he went to work for General Electric Company in Harrison, N. J., and then Western Electric's Engineering Department in New York.
In 1920, he went to work for the Radio Lamp Corporation of Verona, N.J. and the Radio Audion Company in Jersey City. The tube of his design that they sold was the RAC-3 Audion tube. These tubes were advertised as being under the De Forest patent, but Myers, in fact, was not yet under license, and De Forest had an exclusive deal with AT&T. RCA and AT&T prosecuted the Radio Audion Company, and closed them down.
In 1922, Myers then went to Canada, where he opened in Montreal the E. B. Myers Company Ltd. The tubes were sold by mail order to the US market and advertised in popular radio publications as "Myers Tubes" through 1925.
After the De Forest and Fleming patents expired, the E. B. Myers Company Ltd. moved to Cleveland, OH and formed the Myers Radio Tube Corporation in 1926. Myers was not part of this operation, which was sued by RCA for infringement. This company went bankrupt. For his part, Myers went on to work as an engineer with Music Master Corporation of Philadelphia, and stayed until 1926 when the business was stopped.
He left De Forest later in 1915 to produce his own "radiotron" tubes. He sold 12 to Elmer T. Cunningham at the Haller-Cunningham Company in San Francisico. Cunningham would later produce these tubes as "Audiotrons." However, Myers was infringing on the De Forest patents, and submitted to an injunction.
After working with Cunningham for about seven months, Myers returned in 1916 to De Forest. At this time, he broke into the Belmar, NJ station of the Marconi Company to gather evidence of Marconi infringing on De Forest patents. He was arrested, fined, and put on probation for a year.
Around 1918, he went to work for General Electric Company in Harrison, N. J., and then Western Electric's Engineering Department in New York.
In 1920, he went to work for the Radio Lamp Corporation of Verona, N.J. and the Radio Audion Company in Jersey City. The tube of his design that they sold was the RAC-3 Audion tube. These tubes were advertised as being under the De Forest patent, but Myers, in fact, was not yet under license, and De Forest had an exclusive deal with AT&T. RCA and AT&T prosecuted the Radio Audion Company, and closed them down.
In 1922, Myers then went to Canada, where he opened in Montreal the E. B. Myers Company Ltd. The tubes were sold by mail order to the US market and advertised in popular radio publications as "Myers Tubes" through 1925.
After the De Forest and Fleming patents expired, the E. B. Myers Company Ltd. moved to Cleveland, OH and formed the Myers Radio Tube Corporation in 1926. Myers was not part of this operation, which was sued by RCA for infringement. This company went bankrupt. For his part, Myers went on to work as an engineer with Music Master Corporation of Philadelphia, and stayed until 1926 when the business was stopped.
"Myers, E.B. Ltd.; Montreal (Myers3)," Radiomuseum, http://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_hersteller_detail.cfm?company_id=11881 (accessed 09/15/2014) [unvetted]