General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

CAST IRON SIDE FRAMES & FIELD CORES. IRON PIPE; BRASS PLATED TOP SUPPORT; CAST IRON PULLIES & STEEL SHAFT. FIELD COILS; INSULATED COPPER WIRE WITH BRASS END PLATE. ARMATURE, MULTIPLE INSULATED COPPER WIRE COILS WITH CAST IRON CORES MOUNTED ON A CAST IRON BACK PLATE. EACH COIL CONNECTED TO 1 SEGMENT OF COPPER, MICA

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

96.0 cm

Width

35.0 cm

Height

62.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Energy-electric

Category

Generation

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Wallace

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Connecticut

City

Ansonia

Context

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Unknown

Period

WALLACE FARMER GENERATOR USED C.1878-1898

Canada

Unknown

Function

TO CONVERT ROTARY MECHANICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY. USED SPECIFICALLY TO POWER ARC LAMPS

Technical

FIRST COMMERCIAL DYNAMO USED IN THE USA FOR ARC LIGHTING.(REF.2) IT WAS DESCRIBED AS A DOUBLE MACHINE, EACH SERIES OF COILS, WITH IT'S COMMUTATOR, BEING CAPABLE OF USE INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHER. IN FACT, THIS WAS NOT SO: THE TWO CURRENTS GENERATED ARE JOINED IN ONE EXTERNAL CIRCUIT. THE ARMATURE DESIGN PRESENTED CONSIDERABLE RESISTANCE TO ROTATION. IT ALSO PRODUCED HEAT SUFFICIENT TO MELT SEALING WAX. (REF.1 & 3) WHEN WILLIAM WALLACE DEMONSTRATED HIS GENERATOR IN 1878 HE CONNECTED IT TO EIGHT ARC LAMPS, EACH HAVING A RADIANCE OF APPROX. 4,000 CANDLES. AMONG THOSE PRESENT TO VIEW WALLACE'S MACHINE WAS THOMAS EDISON. (REF.2)

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

CAST BRASS PLATE SCREWED TO EITHER END OF GENERATOR READS: 'MANUFACTURED BY/ WALLACE & SONS/ ANSONIA CONN.'/ DYMO-TAPE LABEL READING 'MC.4.1' & DECAL 'THE HYDRO/ HISTORICAL/ ELECTRICAL/ COLLECTION' APPLIED TO GENERATOR BY ONTARIO HYDRO STAFF.

Missing

ORIGINAL CAST IRON BASE MISSING. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO GENERATOR MAY HAVE RESULTED IN SOME PARTS BEING LOST. LOOSE/BROKEN PIECES RECOVERED HAVE BEEN BOXED FOR STORAGE.

Finish

* MATERIALS (CONT): INSULATED COMMUTATOR. BRUSH SUPPORT RODS ARE BRASS, WITH BRASS BRUSH HOLDERS & WIRE BUNDLED BRUSHES (SIMILAR TO A PAINT BRUSH)/ END PIECES HAVE BLACK GLOSS ENAMEL BASE, WITH YELLOW BORDER STRIPING & RED DETAILING BETWEEN BORDERS. PULLEYS PAINTED WITH BLACK GLOSS ENAMEL.ARMATURE COILS VARNISHED, WITH BROWN ENAMEL FINISH. WOODEN BASE VARNISHED, WITH LIGHT STAIN.

Decoration

DECORATIVE YELLOW & RED PINSTRIPING ON SUPPORTING FRAME