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Posted By: Admin Old Square D Switch - 02/09/09 09:08 PM
Quote
My grandfather was an electrician. He just found and gave me this old disconnect made by square D .

The enclosure is made of porcelain. Has patent info on back for patent Oct 27 1914, 1916 and 1919 Says "making electricity safe for everyone" on front.

This is definetly before my day, anyone know anything about this era equipment?

- Jim K.

[Linked Image from electrical-photos.com]

[Linked Image from electrical-photos.com]

[Linked Image from electrical-photos.com]

[Linked Image from electrical-photos.com]
Posted By: Admin Re: Old Square D Switch - 02/09/09 09:13 PM
My apologies to Jim.

I just found these in my Email folder and have apparently been sitting on them for about 8 Months blush

Bill
Posted By: packrat56 Re: Old Square D Switch - 04/05/09 05:12 AM
Nice find, didn't know square D was around then.
Posted By: Rewired Re: Old Square D Switch - 04/06/09 06:01 AM
A porcelain enclosure??? Perhaps this switch was intended for use in a hostile environment of some kind??

A.D
Posted By: ghost307 Re: Old Square D Switch - 04/06/09 02:34 PM
I picked up a few porcelain outlet boxes a few years ago.
My guess is that at the time it was cheaper to make porcelain than metal. Also, since many people were scared of this new fangled electricity, they probably would have felt safer with touching something non-conductive.
Posted By: JBD Re: Old Square D Switch - 04/07/09 05:18 AM
Square D started around 1905 as a merger between a fuse company and Detroit switch.
In those days electrical equipment was almost all open knife blades. Detroit started to put their knife switches in enclosures thereby make them Safety Switches. They put an embossed letter D, in a square, on the front of their switches. After awhile people began asking for that 'Square D' switch, so the company name was changed to Square D.

Posted By: mamills Re: Old Square D Switch - 04/07/09 03:45 PM
Hi JBD;
That's an interesting little bit of history on Square D. I've always wondered how the Square D name came to be. Thanks.

Mike
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