General Information

Serial #

390

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

CAST IRON BASE, FIELD CORES, & POLE PIECES. BRONZE BEARING BLOCKS AND BEARINGS. (OILER LUBRICATED) BRASS OR BRONZE POLE PIECE SUPPORT & PROTECTIVE COVER. STEEL SHAFT, SUPPORTING LAMINATED STEEL ARMATURE CORE AND COPPER COMMUTATOR. (MICA INSULATED) BRONZE BRUSH ASSEMBLY; CARBON BRUSHES. ARMATURE & FIELDS WOUND WITH INSULATED COPPER WIRE. BRASS CONNECTING BLOCKS MOUNTED ON WOOD, ON TOP OF FIELD ASSEMBLY. MISC. HARDWARE & WIRING.

Dimensions

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

Length

89.0 cm

Width

55.0 cm

Height

47.0 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

KIMBALL

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Massachusetts

City

Boston

Context

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Vermont

Period

THIS TYPE OF GENERATOR USED C. 1900- 1920. THIS GENERATOR SAID TO HAVE BEEN USED IN 1903.

Canada

PART OF A LARGE & VARIED COLLECTION OF ELECTRICAL ITEMS ACQUIRED & DOCUMENTED BY ONTARIO HYDRO IN THE 1960S. THIS COLLECTION CONSISTS OF OVER 7500 ARTIFACTS, AND IS THOUGHT TO BE THE LARGEST & MOST COMPREHENSIVE IN CANADA. IT WAS DONATED IN ITS ENTIRETY TO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY IN 1992.

Function

TO CONVERT ROTARY MECHANICAL ENERGY INTO DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRICAL ENERGY.

Technical

EXAMPLE OF 110 V GENERATOR SAID TO HAVE BEEN USED IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING LAB AT UNIV. OF VERMONT IN 1903. HEAVY BRASS PLATE COVERING EXPOSED ARMATURE BETWEEN THE POLES IS UNUSUAL DESIGN FEATURE.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Mfr's plate reads: " FRED M. GIMBALL & CO./ MAKERS/ BOSTON, MASS., U.S.A./ NO. 390 STYLE D/ SPEED 1450 VOLTS [blank] ". " 706 " etched in casing & highlighted in white above mfr's plate. Dymo tape label on wooden plate mounted on generator casing top reads: " IN. USE. ABOUT. 1903 ". Second label, below, reads: "SHUNT "; " third label, below, reads: " MC.2.16 ". Cast into field bridge opposite armature side: " F.M. KIMBALL & CO./ BOSTON, MASS,/ U.S.A. ".

Missing

ONE OILER. BRUSH ASSEMBLY TO CONNECTOR JUMPERS.

Finish

IRON WORK & WINDINGS HAVE BLACK ENAMEL FINISH. BRONZE, BRASS & COPPER COMPONENTS HAVE NATURAL FINISH. WOODEN PLATE ON GENERATOR TOP IS VARNISHED. BLACK SUPPORT PIECES & SPACERS.

Decoration

N/A