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Ingenium, 1992.2465.001
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OBJECT TYPE: pendant/pull
DATE: 1920
ARTIFACT NUMBER: 1992.2465.001

MANUFACTURER: General Electric Co.
MODEL: Unknown
LOCATION: 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: brass shell & chain/ fabric wire covering/ metal wiring & parts

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: 3.9 cm
Thickness: N/A
Weight: N/A
Diameter: 4.0 cm
Volume: N/A

Lexicon

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

Manufacturer

AKA: General Electric
Country: United States of America
State/Province: Unknown
City: Unknown

Context

Country: North America
State/Province: Unknown
Period: circa 1920+
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: The single-cord pull switch is often considered to be a modern innovation but it was the subject of threepatents by C. Browett in 1886 & one by A.P. Lundberg in 1887. However, more great developments occurred in the 1920s & the use of this type of switch was recommended for bathrooms, etc. to reduce the danger of shock (Ref. 3). The first GE versions of of this switch appeared in GE's 1920-1921 catalogue; Cutler-Hammer had models in the 1917 Northern Electric catalogue (Ref. 4-5).
Area Notes: Unknown

Details

Markings: incised lettering on shell reads "3A. 125V.-1A. 250V./ G.E. CO. U.S.A."
Missing: appears complete
Finish: gold coloured metal
Decoration: N/A

CITE THIS OBJECT

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

General Electric Co., Switch, circa 1920, Artifact no. 1992.2465, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collection.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/1992.2465.001/

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