General Information

Serial #

4208

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Wood base/ Working pieces are made of metal (copper, steel, and brass).

Dimensions

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

Length

26.0 cm

Width

23.0 cm

Height

12.5 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Energy-electric

Category

Measurement

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

General Electric

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Very early switchboard ammeter. Possibly made by Canadian General Electric Company.

Function

To measure current.

Technical

Early Thomson-Houston instruments used with complete switchboard set-up. As their name implies the meter is an "indicator" of amperes in the circuit but accurate enough for the purpose intended: this type of ammeter was connected directly into a circuit of 2,200 volts without the use of an insulating current transformer; the meter was part of the a complete Thomson-Houston system including alternator switchboard, with control system and transformers; a frequency of 125 cycles was used at the time, late 1880s and early 1890s.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Mfr. plate reads: "CURRENT INDICATOR/ NO. 4208/ CAPACITY 40 AMPERES/ PATENTED OCT. 22, 1889./ GENERAL ELECTRIC CO./ THOMSON-HOUSTON SYSTEM" Obverse side of attached 'provenance' tag reads: "Ammeter/ MD 31-17/ from: G.C. Allen, Sarnia, Ontario/ #184/ mfr'd by: Canadian General Electric Company/ gift of: [space left blank]/ current indicator (ammeter); Thomson-Houston sy???m [probably 'system']/ #4208; reads 0-40 amp; General Electric Company;/ patented October 22, 1889; contained in wood case and/ arranged for mounting on a switchboard; as their name/ implies the meter is an "indicator" of amperes in the/circuit but accurate enough for the purpose intended; this/ type of ammeter was connected directly into a circuit of" Reverse side of attached 'provenance' tag reads: "2,200 volts without the use of an insulating current/ transformer; the meter was part of a complete/ Thomson-Houston system including alternator/ switchboard, with control system and transformers;/ a frequency of 125 cycles was used at the time, late 1880's and early 1890's." Marking scratched into back of ammeter reads: "125 Cycles"

Missing

N/A

Finish

Unknown

Decoration

N/A