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Ingenium, 1992.2331.001
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OBJECT TYPE: PUSH BUTTON/SINGLE/SURFACE
DATE: 1890
ARTIFACT NUMBER: 1992.2331.001

MANUFACTURER: Unknown
MODEL: Unknown
LOCATION: Unknown

More Information

General Information

Serial #: N/A
Part Number: 1
Total Parts: 1
AKA: N/A
Patents: N/A
General Description: WOODEN CASING; MELA CONTACTS AND (PRESUMABLY) INTERNAL WORKS..3 BONE (?) PUSH BUTTON.

Dimensions

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

Length: 6.3 cm
Width: 6.3 cm
Height: 3.0 cm
Thickness: N/A
Weight: N/A
Diameter: N/A
Volume: N/A

Lexicon

Group: Energy-electric
Category: User site
Sub-Category: N/A

Manufacturer

AKA: Unknown
Country: Unknown
State/Province: Unknown
City: Unknown

Context

Country: North America
State/Province: Unknown
Period: THIS TYPE OF SWITCH POPULAR C. 1890-1920S.
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 MAKE OR BREAK A CONNECTION IN AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT.
Technical: EXAMPLE OF A SINGLE BUTTON WOOD SWITCH, HAVING PUSH SPRING CONTACT. PORCELAIN SWITCHES LARGELY REPLACED WOODEN ONES IN THE 1890S: DOUBLE BUTTON SWITCHES WERE ALSO INCREASINGLY POPULAR, VISUALLY INDICATING THE OPEN OR CLOSED (ON/OFF) STATE OF THE CIRCUIT.
Area Notes: Unknown

Details

Markings: No markings visible.
Missing: APPEARS COMPLETE. METAL HOOK SCREWED TOSWITCH IS NOT ORIGINAL: PRESUMABLY ADDED AS MEANS OF SUSPENDING SWITCH FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES, PROBABLY BY OH.
Finish: WOODEN CASING PAINTED OFF-WHITE, SAVE UNDERSIDE WHICH IS UNFINISHED. NATURAL BONE COLOUR PUSH BUTTON. DULL SILVER METAL CONTACTS AND SUSPENSION HOOK.
Decoration: N/A

CITE THIS OBJECT

If you choose to share our information about this collection object, please cite:

Unknown Manufacturer, Switch, circa 1890, Artifact no. 1992.2331, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collection.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/1992.2331.001/

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