General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

SMOOTH STEEL CYLINDER, SENSOR SURROUNDED BY CONCENTRIC RINGS OF CLOTH TAPE, PLASTIC CAP, GLASS TIP.

Dimensions

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

Length

12.0 cm

Width

2.0 cm

Height

N/A

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Medical Technology

Category

Research

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

NRC

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Ottawa

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

Unknown

Canada

DESIGNED AND BUILT AS PART OF JIM SWAIL'S PROGRAM TO DEVELOP AIDS FOR THE BLIND.

Function

LIGHT DETECTOR INDICATES BY SOUND IF LIGHTS ARE ON, DIRECTION OF WINDOWS, LIGHT FLASHING FOR TELEPHONE, OR PRESENCE OF PRINT ON A PAGE.

Technical

ONE OF THE FIRST EXAMPLES OF SPECIALIZED LABORATORY EQUIPMENT CONSTRUCTED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF BLIND SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS. SWAIL WAS FIRST EMPLOYED BY NRC IN 1947, AND BUILT THESE FOR HIS USE THEN. MCSHEFFREY DESCRIBED IT TO ME IN 1985 AS A "VOLTMETER" - "A REAL MUSEUM PIECE" DATING FROM C.1960, THE ONLY SURVIVOR OF A WHOLE SET OF METERING INSTRUMENTS THAT SWAIL BUILT BEFORE 1964 WHEN THEY STARTED TO MODIFY EXISTING INSTRUMENTS, SUCH AS THE SIMPSON METERS. BUT FROM THE LITERATURE THIS CLOSELY RESEMBLES THE ORIGINAL 1948 "RADIO MULTIMETER" (SEE PHOTO, ONLY HANDLE HAS BEEN ADDED LATER) AND THIS MAY IN FACT BE THAT ORIGINAL ONE.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

"MADE --?--" PRINTED ON INNER PART.

Missing

N/A

Finish

CAP IS BLACK, CYLINDER IS SILVER-COLOURED.

Decoration

SIX.5 CM. DIAMETER HOLES DRILLED AROUND CYLINDER CLOSE TO CAP.