Old French Knife Switch - 05/08/05 09:32 PM
An interesting find from Alan Belson in France:
Quote
Found this double-knife switch on a vide-grenier (empty your loft) stall today. 5 1/2" x 2 1/2" porcelain base, one corner broken off. The sprung knives open with a strong snap action when the box-wood lever is pulled, by a helical spring on the drum axle.
Fuses, one missing, are on a red fibreboard plate, the fusewire is a low melting point metal - tin-alloy? Centre drum is hardwood- possibly lignum vitae?. I think this was used on dc, by the verdigris on one fuse post.
Possibly it had a wooden cover?. Weight 1lb 5 oz.
No makers marks at all, except the letters 'M' 'B' cast into the ceramic back, where incidentally all the fixing screws throught the porcelain have been potted in wax.
Fuses, one missing, are on a red fibreboard plate, the fusewire is a low melting point metal - tin-alloy? Centre drum is hardwood- possibly lignum vitae?. I think this was used on dc, by the verdigris on one fuse post.
Possibly it had a wooden cover?. Weight 1lb 5 oz.
No makers marks at all, except the letters 'M' 'B' cast into the ceramic back, where incidentally all the fixing screws throught the porcelain have been potted in wax.