ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Electrical Nostalgia More Old Wiring!

Thanks for the explanation!

Sorry about bringing up an old thread, but should the butt splices in the 3rd picture down be enclosed in a box? It doesn't look like it was possible to do that here, though.

That fitting, from threaded female to insulated part with holes for wires, is called an "A Head". Creighton.

Sorry, I have to properly answer Thinkgoods question. It may be called a head but thats the first time I heard of that. I am an electrician from the Boston area so I see these quite frequently. They are called "ROSETTES" because they resemble roses before they bud. Now their could be a very tiny possisbility that i am wrong or maybe its a regional thing but seeing that my father is also an elctrician and also has has had the experience of hooking them up personally useing the old Western Union Splice hitch with solder,,, which by the way, taught me how to do one,,who am I to argue.

In the top photo,
What do them transformers feed?.

The transformers feed doorbells.

Steven, south of Boston we never called those "Rosettes". They were always called "A" connectors. I have installed some myself on knob & tube repairs. The last supply house that carried them around here has long since gone out of business.
Al

Never saw such a bell transformer around here. Even the oldest one are in a nice black bakelite enclosure with shrouded terminals. Modern ones are designed to fit a DIN-rail panel.

I think if something like the old stuff on the wood were mounted like that there would be a sheet of asbestos between the wood and the electrical stuff.
We had some light switches that were screwed to the wooden door casings and they had a hand-made asbestos backing. Carefully removed it...

Sven, to answer your question about the lampholder....
It was commercially manufactured, is being used as intended, and pre-dates the current type of "keyless."
It is also missing a ceramic tube, or funnel-shaped, piece that slipped over the bulb socket. The darn thing probably came loose during a bulb change, fell to the floor, and broke.

OH MY GOD, RENO; I had forgotten all about this thread!!!

Thank you very much for your answer regarding the lampholder I was posting about.