General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

brass shell/ copper/ porcelain

Dimensions

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

Length

4.5 cm

Width

4.0 cm

Height

N/A

Thickness

7.1 cm

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Energy-electric

Category

User site

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

HUBBELL

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

North America

State/Province

Unknown

Period

early 20th century +

Canada

Unknown

Function

An electrical wiring device used to support & connect to electricity a lamp or other electrical device

Technical

An example of a chain-pull switch socket. Edison had the idea for a light socket while screwing the cap on a kerosene can. It has the advantage of firmly seating the bulb without having to snap, pull or otherwise jar the lamp and its delicate filament. There were rival lamps before 1900, each with its own base, but Edison's base had 70% of the market (Ref. 3). Mellanby writes that switched lampholders were used since domestic electrical lighting was introduced in the 1880s. Much of the demand for sockets with switches came from the days of gas lighting, and it took people some time to get used to the greater convenience of a switch near the door of a room. Portable lamps began to be introduced so the demand for switch holders continued in spite of frequent efforts by engineers and insurance interests to discourage it (Ref. 2)

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

incised lettering reads 'HARVEY HUBBELL INC./ PAT'D/ AUG. 11. 96/ MAY. 8. 00 FEB. 18. 02/ JAN. 14. 08 OCT. 13. 08/ 250 V 50 C.P.'

Missing

unknown

Finish

gold coloured metal

Decoration

N/A