Li Yu rented another house next to the Fifth Avenue laboratory as a training school, and hired three former employees of the electric lighting company at a high salary of US$300 per month.
One of them even resigned from General Electric. There was no way, Li Yu had given him too much.
Li Yu first taught them how to make an electronic starting system according to the drawings. These people already know electricity and master it quickly.
Then you can continue to teach the recruited Chinese. In the remaining time, Li Yu continued to intensively study the engine for the Laite brothers. Although the status of today's engineers is not as high as that of later generations, they still know a lot.
They used to mainly do electrical work, but they also knew a thing or two about mechanics, so they were able to assist Li Yu's engine development, which greatly promoted the development process.
They also admired Li Yu's reputation. Even though Li Yu was Chinese, his status as a foreign academician of the Royal Society and a member of the American Astronomical Society was indeed too dazzling.
Moreover, Li Yu doesn't have too much of a capitalist greedy character, at least his salary is much higher. In addition to engines and electronic ignition systems, sometimes small inventions also have a big effect.
That day, several people from clothing companies came to the door. To be precise, they found Sierra first and she brought him here.
Sierra said: "Let me introduce, this is Mr. David Lee, and this is Mr. VF." Well, they are the founders of Lee and VF Corporation respectively.
Later, VF Corporation acquired Lee. In addition, the famous thenorthfas and other brands are also VF's brands.
VF Corporation is the earliest large-scale apparel company in the United States, more than 70 years earlier than Nike. At first, Li Yu guessed that the first companies to find him would be garment companies and jeans companies, because the jackets that most wanted to use zippers were definitely outdoor-oriented jackets.
David Lee took off his hat: "Dear scientific giant Mr. Li Yu, we are here for your zipper improvement patent. According to Miss Sierra's claim in the newspaper, it can be guaranteed that it will not loosen."
"Sit inside and say," Li Yu let them into the house and then said,
"Yes, you can test it to ensure that there will be no problems." Weifu said: "If the reliability problems of zippers in the past can be overcome, I think it will become a trend in clothing in the future."
"I can't say it's a trend, I can only say it will be a popular thing in the future." Li Yu said, after all, for him, zippers are too common.
David Lee said: "If it is produced reliably in large quantities, I think its cost will be even lower than buttons, and at the same time it has convenient features. It is exciting to think about it." The first zipper jeans were indeed produced by Lee Company Produced.
But the first pair of jeans was made by Levi's. Li Yu said: "I'm also looking forward to seeing your new jeans debut." David Li said: "I'm afraid sir, you won't need jeans." At this time, jeans were basically overalls and were the favorite of workers entering the factory.
This year Edison will air his movie "The Great Train", which has dominated American screens for nearly ten years. In it, the Western cowboys wear something similar to jeans.
Coupled with the subsequent promotion of jeans, they were deliberately associated with denim, and sales in the United States were very hot.
In addition to jeans, VF Corporation prefers zippers for its tops and jackets. They have been developing convenient leather jackets and jackets. The buttons are too leaky and are not suitable. If zippers are used, they will be very popular.
Weifu said: "Mr. Li Yu, please set a price. We are all interested in purchasing the patent rights to use the zipper." Li Yu originally wanted to sell the patent directly, but since two companies came at once, it is expected that there will be more in the future. Yes, so I first brought Sierra over to discuss it.
"How do you think the price should be set?" Li Yu asked. Sierra thought for a while and said: "I didn't expect it to be quite popular. How about just licensing it for $10,000 per person. I estimate that there will be at least a dozen or more companies interested in the follow-up, which can greatly exceed the original reservation of $100,000." Valuation." The patent protection period in the United States at this time was 17 years.
Once the sales effect is good and more companies join in, the patent may be sold for more than 200,000 US dollars.
As for small companies stealing patents, don’t worry too much. Li Yu decided to go with what Sierra said because she understood the current market in the United States better.
David Lee and VF were equally satisfied with the price, and it was settled. Li Yu couldn't help but feel itchy when he looked at the numbers in his account.
There are some patents that he will not be involved in the subsequent production of, but there is nothing wrong with launching the patents to make some money.
In addition to zippers, Li Yu also encountered some minor problems when decorating the laboratory. He found that it is difficult to install things on the wall because there is no key invention: expansion screws.
Nowadays, the construction industry in the United States is very developed. It is similar to the period when we were engaged in infrastructure construction in later generations, and the demand for building materials is very strong.
Moreover, Europeans and Americans have always had the habit of hanging things on the wall, so as long as the expansion screws are pushed out, they will be very popular.
Screws were invented more than 100 years ago. With the beginning of the industrial revolution, screws have been widely used.
However, the invention of expansion screws would take many more years. Like zippers, expansion screws are not a difficult design. To put it simply, they allow the pointed part of the screw to expand when it is driven into the wall, making it very stable.
Moreover, expansion screws with different degrees of sophistication can be designed according to different pricing, and some expansion screws can be pulled out from the wall.
Li Yu quickly designed three different structures, from simple to complex, and from low to high prices, basically covering most of the usage scenarios of expansion screws.
Of course, if you want, you can continue to refine many different usage scenarios, but for now, these can meet the needs of the construction industry.
The design of the expansion screws took about half a day. Li Yu found Sierra with a few drawings.
"I have to trouble you to go to the patent office again." Sierra didn't know whether she should be surprised or not.
"Have you come up with another new patent?" Li Yu said with a smile: "While we are in the United States, get more out of it, otherwise it will waste time traveling back and forth."
"Okay," Sierra took the drawing,
"What is it this time?"
"An improved screw structure." Li Yu picked up the drawing and explained the principle to her. Sierra is convinced,
"I really don't know what kind of education you received in China before. You know too much." Li Yu joked: "Cramming education." - Fortunately, I learned so many things by force back then.
Sierra has never heard of this term.
"Duck?" Li Yu explained: "It's like making foie gras. Feed farms force feed into the geese's mouths to make them reduce their exercise and grow rapidly." This was also the case with foie gras production later. Each goose in the breeding farm has to be force-fed more than ten kilograms of feed through a tube into its stomach every day.
So in fact, the high-end foie gras that everyone eats is all caused by force-feeding fatty liver that is six to ten times larger than ordinary foie gras... Sierra has never been to a breeding farm, so she continued to go to the patent office with the drawings in doubt. .
——Following Huang Boyao's report, many Chinese came to New York's Chinatown, hoping to enter Li Yu's factory.
Huang Boyao was more or less educated. He first selected some people using test papers, and then finally selected about 20 people based on their level of proficiency.
The requirements are quite strict, and at least they must reach the entry level of the current general technical college in the United States. In addition, there are many who only have an American high school education and can only fill out a form and wait for the time being.
But they really want to find a job, and they keep pleading: "Sir, please do well, I can continue to study."
"Yes, let me in too. The whole family is leaning on me."
"It's our Chinese factory anyway, what's the point of hiring a few more people?" Huang Boyao felt soft-hearted and didn't know how to refuse. He still had to rely on Situ Meitang to stand up in person: "Don't make any noise! Do you think we can open a Chinese factory in the United States? Is it very simple? Even if you are doing charity, you have to make the factory run normally! Mr. Li Yu built the factory to do the best, we can't hold him back! When the scale of his factory expands in the future, he will naturally recruit More people. So don’t waste your time here, just go back and continue studying!” A few words calmed everyone down.
Situ Meitang turned to Huang Boyao and said, "You can do whatever you want from now on. You have to learn to refuse." Huang Boyao followed his instructions: "I remember it." Situ Meitang sighed: "The more I wander overseas, the more I have to say no." Be tough, you can't do this, how can you stand on it, don't have the kindness of a woman." Situ Meitang then found Li Yu and asked him to come and see the selected person in person.
Li Yu read the questionnaire and was very interested in one of the people named Zou Zhou. He not only answered all the questions, but even drew several circuit diagrams.
Although it is all basic physics knowledge, it is already rare and valuable. Because today's middle school physics does not teach electrical knowledge as conventionally as in later generations.
Li Yu pointed to his answer sheet and asked Huang Boyao: "Bring him here first and let me have a look." Zou Zhou was dressed simply and was not yet twenty years old.
Li Yu asked curiously: "Have you studied in an American school?" Zou Zhou replied: "No, but I am very interested in these things, and I learned them all by myself." Huang Boyao said: "He I am currently working in a restaurant and I learned about the recruitment by chance." Zou Zhou said: "I like these technological things, but I have never been able to find a place to learn and apply them." Li Yu smiled and said: "There will be more in the future. ." If you really want to look for it, you will definitely find talented Chinese people.
Zou Zhou is a very ordinary child from a Chinese family. He was named very casually because his parents' last names were put together.
Except for him, everyone else basically has the level of Western learning, so the training is relatively simple and fast.
Li Yu said loudly to them: "You will be trained at the school on Fifth Avenue for the time being. I will provide food and accommodation. I hope you can master the knowledge you have learned as soon as possible."
