ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Violation Photo Forum Old Electrical Parts

Circuit Man:

Looked at it a little while ago. This is a fascinating website!! Thanks for putting me onto it.

Does anyone have any pix or know of any websites which deal with vintage fuse boxes or circuit breaker panels?

Mike (mamills)

[This message has been edited by mamills (edited 07-20-2002).]

There are a few searching at memory.loc.gov

Please don't tell me the two brass screws on the white receptacle were the terminal screws!
Was this 120 volts?

Texas ranger,

Yes, as a matter of fact those 2 screw terminals were used to connect 110 volt wiring to that white receptacle. It came from a very old wiring system here in the east coast.

Caper

The label reads: "GEM" Sectional Switch Box--Patented April 2, 1907, March 1, 1910, February 13, 1912. Type "F" 2 1/4" Deep, beveled corners, knock-outs for loom, approved by the underwriters, takes all makes of switches and receptacles. Chicago Fuse Mfg. Co. sole manufacturers, Chicago, New York.


The label reads: Single H & H Struck Up Push Switch Plate, Old Brass, Std. Pkg. is Plates for 100 Switches


4401, N Trade Mark, 10 Ampere Single Pole Nutmeg Push Switch, Std. Pkg. 100, Patented Nov.1, 1916, N. E. C. Standard Ratings, 10 Amp. 120 Volt, 5 Amp. 240 Volt.

The packaging of the old stuff is interesting, too. It's very heavy box board, by today's standards. This was found in an 1880's house in West St. Paul (which is immediately south of downtown. . .no kidding). The first electrification of the structure happened in the 1920's, and the installer left his "trash" between the joists of the second floor floor.

Al

Joe,
What did ElectricAL talk about? He has one I never heard of? Knockout parts for loom? What is that? Did I send you the picture of LOOM? If not I will send it in the next batch.

Caper

Caper,


This is the back of a 1920's bevel back gangable switch box. The steel is not galvanized, just painted black. The loom knock outs (the bottom two are the most visible) were intended to be punched into the box with something like a tack hammer.


A cotton binder from a coil of Loom.


This is hard to read, even when I have it in my hands. This photo is color shifted a bit from yellow to red to enhance the actual yellow ink (for Gold) on the old yellow of the box board. The box reads: 1 Roll, No. 8 Size, Gold Bond, Pure Rubber, Splicing Tape, Northwestern Electric Equipment Co., Jobbers of Electrical Supplies, 174-78 E. Sixth St., St. Paul, Minn.


A scrap of foil, or sheet, solder. Paste flux on a splice and crumple the solder around it, then apply heat. Viola! Flowed solder joint.

[This message has been edited by ElectricAL (edited 07-22-2002).]

Caper: Is the white receptacle (mentioned by Texas Ranger) a one-piece device, or are there two pieces - an edison base socket + a plug body?

Also, have you seen an edison base socket which mounts flush in a wall, inside a device box? An old church here (built in 1926, and only minimally rewired since that time) had (has?) a large number of these guys, each one protected by a nice brass plate with a little flap that lifts up to expose the socket for use. At the time, I believe this may have been the only way to connect portable cord-and-plug equipment to a source of power. I remember seeing an old electric heater that had a screw body wired to the end of it's power cord instead of the male connectors everyone knows today. Kinda odd, though...in a couple of locations, there were 30a plug fuses screwed into these wall sockets, and I don't think this was an attempt to keep little fingers from harm because the fuse element was still intact.

Mike (mamills)

[This message has been edited by mamills (edited 07-22-2002).]

[This message has been edited by mamills (edited 07-22-2002).]

Mike,

That white receptacle is one piece. It would mount to the wall and your Knob and Tube wiring would attach to the brass screws. I haven't seen many of these installed, but I have only found the one. I have seen many,many of those old black boxes with the 2 holes for the loom. I have a picture of the loom which I will send in. As for the Edison based sockets that you mentioned, I haven't seen them either. I worked in northern NJ and many towns/cities have buildings 100-200 years old. Many still have the old wiring still in place and in use today.

Caper

Joe, These three pictures are of a piece of loom. Remember this stuff? (LOL)
Caper

Yes, and it is still available!

TUBING, FLEXIBLE NONMETALLIC(YCTR)

These listings include woven flexible nonmetallic tubing (fiber loom) in
trade sizes 7/32 to 2-1/2 in. incl. for installation as mechanical protection
in accordance with Articles 320 and 324 of the 1999 National Electrical Code.

The basic standard used to investigate products in this category is UL3,
Flexible Nonmetallic Tubing.

Joe