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Ingenium, 1992.2447.001
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OBJECT TYPE: turn/rotary
DATE: 1915
ARTIFACT NUMBER: 1992.2447.001

MANUFACTURER: Hart & Hegeman Mfg. Co.
MODEL: 2258
LOCATION: Hartford, Connecticut, United States of America

More Information

General Information

Serial #: N/A
Part Number: 1
Total Parts: 1
AKA: N/A
Patents: N/A
General Description: metal shell & parts/ porcelain base/ hard rubber switch handle

Dimensions

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

Length: N/A
Width: N/A
Height: 5.0 cm
Thickness: N/A
Weight: N/A
Diameter: 5.4 cm
Volume: N/A

Lexicon

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

Manufacturer

AKA: Hart Hegeman
Country: United States of America
State/Province: Connecticut
City: Hartford

Context

Country: North America
State/Province: Unknown
Period: 1915+
Canada: An American made switch of a type used in Canadian households. Part of a large & varied collection of over 7500 electrical items acquired & documented by Ontario Hydro in the 1960s. The collection was thought to be the largest & most comprehensive of its kind in Canada & was donated to the National Museum of Science & Technology in 1992.
Function: An electrical wiring device used to make or break a connection in an electrical circuit, specifically in domestic lighting.
Technical: An example of a rotary switch, turned in one direction to give on-off-on-off alternately. From 1880 to 1890 the great majority of switches were of the turn type. Edison was one of the very first to give attention to the question of the branch switch. Out of the many possible movements, he chose that of turning, partly through its association with the gas tap. He thought that it would be a good selling point to allow his customers to turn electricity on or off in the same manner as they were accustomed to dealing with gas (Ref. 3).
Area Notes: Unknown

Details

Markings: raised lettering on switch handle reads "THE HART & HEGEMAN MF'G CO. " & "HART/ SWITCH"/ raised lettering on underside reads "H&H 2258" & " PAT NOV 5 95 JAN 26 97 NOV 24 03 PAT APPLD FOR"
Missing: appears complete
Finish: nickel plated shell/ partially glazed white base/ black switch handle
Decoration: N/A

CITE THIS OBJECT

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

Hart & Hegeman Mfg. Co., Switch, after 1915, Artifact no. 1992.2447, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collection.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/1992.2447.001/

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