Part A is a square shaped black case for the ammeter. It has a leather strap that is held together by a buckle across the top. The lid is closed by a metal clasp that requires a key to unlock. The key is tied to the case at the top.
Part B is the ammeter. It is square, made of black metal and is s…
Edward Weston founded the Weston Electrical Instruments Company in 1888. The company manufactured electrical testing equipment and meters. Edward Weston was an rival of Thomas Edison in the early development of electricity. The company’s innovations included the Weston standard cell, the first accurate portable voltmeters and ammeters, and the first portable lightmeter. (Source: The Weston Museum at the New Jersey Institute of Technology).
Part A is a square shaped black case for the ammeter. It has a leather strap that is held together by a buckle across the top. The lid is closed by a metal clasp that requires a key to unlock. The key is tied to the case at the top.
Part B is the ammeter. It is square, made of black metal and is supported by four feet. On the top are three silver adjustment dials. There is a measurement scale with an indicating needle covered by class. A plate on the front of the ammeter reads: "WESTON ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENTS CORP / MODEL 1 NO 53645 / NEWARK. N.J. U.S.A."
Part C is a small paper certification card for the Ammeter. It repeats the serial number for the instrument, and in handwriting indicates the resistance, Ampere Range, temperature that would need to be known by someone using the ammeter. The certification is dated 1943.
Part D is a paper envelope in which the certification card is held. The serial number 53645 is repeated on this envelope.
History Of Use
An ammeter (from Ampere Meter) is a measuring instrument used to measure the current in a circuit.
This item looks like a vice grip with spring action handles, when the handles are squeezed it closes the end that splices wire. This item looks more like a wire cutter than a wire splicer.
This item looks like a vice grip with spring action handles, when the handles are squeezed it closes the end that splices wire. This item looks more like a wire cutter than a wire splicer.
Magnetic coils used in motor cars for ignition (sparks). Used in Smithers Rail yard, site of former section house. Made of interlocking wood pieces with solidified black chemical inside. Metal wire connectors on exterior.
Magnetic coils used in motor cars for ignition (sparks). Used in Smithers Rail yard, site of former section house. Made of interlocking wood pieces with solidified black chemical inside. Metal wire connectors on exterior.
History Of Use
These items were used in Smithers Railyard, site of former section house. They were found when new rails and track were being laid.
a: [currently missing]
b: White ceramic insulator with significant notch circumscribing centre.
c: White ceramic insulator with small notch circumscribing centre. G.T.P. stamp on the top in green.
d: Brown-purple ceramic insulator with significant notch circumscribing centre. Wire wrapped around no…
a: [currently missing]
b: White ceramic insulator with significant notch circumscribing centre.
c: White ceramic insulator with small notch circumscribing centre. G.T.P. stamp on the top in green.
d: Brown-purple ceramic insulator with significant notch circumscribing centre. Wire wrapped around notch, twisted closed. Wooden wedge attached to bottom with bent nail coming out of it. Grooves for screwing into insulator visible.
A rubber telegraph insulator. It has a cylinder-like body, ending in a dome top. Between the cylinder body and the dome head is an groove measuring approx. 1.5 cm in width.
See http://www.collectinginsulators.com/Rubber/Rubber.html for more information, including:
"Few references contain informat…
A rubber telegraph insulator. It has a cylinder-like body, ending in a dome top. Between the cylinder body and the dome head is an groove measuring approx. 1.5 cm in width.
See http://www.collectinginsulators.com/Rubber/Rubber.html for more information, including:
"Few references contain information on rubber insulators. Gerald Brown's book on nonglass/nonporcelain insulators is probably the lone exception, however, this was published many years ago and is out of print. Even then, there was only surface coverage of the various markings on rubber insulators
There are several reasons for the lack of interest in rubber insulators:
Limited number of styles. Continental Rubber Works catalog four styles of rubber insulators: The R-3, R-4, R-5 and RC-1. An unmarked, unattributed slot-topped rubber insulator can also be commonly found. Some early hard rubber pin-type insulators made around 1861 exist and ruber was used in making several styles of hooks. This brings the number of styles to around a dozen
Boring colors. It is no wonder that glass insulators are so popular with their range of colors that can be backlit. Rubber insulators, on the other hand, are exclusively black.
Excessive supply. Continental Rubber Works made 50,000 rubber insulators per year in the 1970s with production probably extending back to the early 1940s. Since these are more recent insulators, they tend to be the ones still on the poles when they the poles came down rather than being the ones that were carted away to the landfill years ago as some newer style replaced them. The exception to this is the earlier hard rubber and hook styles which are rare.
There are two groups of patents that are relevant to rubber insulators:
Patents by Nelson and Charles Goodyear on the process of making rubber. These include patents #3,461, #3,462, #3,633, #4,005, #4,099, #8,075 issued May 6, 1851 and #25,111. The May 6, 1851 date has been found on a hard rubber hat style insulator.
Patents assigned to The Western Union Telegraph Company under which Continental Rubber manufactured their insulators. These patents include #2,218,497 issued October 15, 1940, #2,304,483 issued December 8, 1942, and #3,061,667 issued October 30, 1962."Using this website, one can see that 5-B molds were associated with patent number 2304483.
Inscriptions
"5 - B" is on the dome end of the insulator, just above the groove.
Part a is a grey metal battery case with lid. Inside are two Burgess No. 6 Giant Telephone Dry Cell batteries (b-c), connected with copper wire cables.
Part a is a grey metal battery case with lid. Inside are two Burgess No. 6 Giant Telephone Dry Cell batteries (b-c), connected with copper wire cables.
History Of Use
A dry cell uses a paste electrolyte, with only enough moisture to allow current to flow. Unlike a wet cell, a dry cell can operate in any orientation without spilling, as it contains no free liquid, making it suitable for portable equipment. Telephone dry cell batteries were used for crank and/or portable telephones.
A brown glazed ceramic insulator with a dome and a hollow skirt. The interior has screw threads. Inscribed on the skirt is 'Thomas', and attached is a piece of tape with very faint letters reading: '8th Cabin Collin's Telegr'. The bottom of the skirt is chipped.
A brown glazed ceramic insulator with a dome and a hollow skirt. The interior has screw threads. Inscribed on the skirt is 'Thomas', and attached is a piece of tape with very faint letters reading: '8th Cabin Collin's Telegr'. The bottom of the skirt is chipped.
Narrative
The wood that is attached to some of the insulators is called a 'Cobb'. The insulators were used so people could communicate by telephone or by radio. A wire was wrapped around the insulator then hooked up to a cobb then to a telephone line.
Black metal device with four dials across the top and volt measurement under glass across the front. Panel mounted to front reads "WESTON / MODEL 280 / NO. 163582 / WESTON ELEC. INST. CORP NEWARK NJ USA". Button labelled "PRESS FOR READING" is under a piece of black electrical tape that has lost mo…
Founded in New Jersey by Edward Weston in 1888, the company’s innovations included the Weston standard cell, the first accurate portable voltmeters and ammeters. Source: http://weston.ftldesign.com/, accessed November 2017
Black metal device with four dials across the top and volt measurement under glass across the front. Panel mounted to front reads "WESTON / MODEL 280 / NO. 163582 / WESTON ELEC. INST. CORP NEWARK NJ USA". Button labelled "PRESS FOR READING" is under a piece of black electrical tape that has lost most of its adhesive
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