General Information

Serial #

226300

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

CAST IRON FRAME & WEIGHTS. LAMINATED STEEL TRANSFORMER CORE HAS INSULATED COPPER WIRE WINDINGS: THESE ARE TAPE WRAPPED & VARNISHED. CONTROL LEVERS CAST BRASS, WITH STEEL CABLES. STEEL ELECTRIC WIRE SUPPORTS WITH CERAMIC INSULATORS.

Dimensions

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

Length

63.0 cm

Width

48.0 cm

Height

121.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Energy-electric

Category

Electricity & electronics

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

General Electric

Country

United States of America

State/Province

New York

City

Schenectady

Context

Country

North America

State/Province

Unknown

Period

THIS TYPE OFTRANSFORMER USED C. 1900-1910

Canada

PART OF A LARGE AND VARIED COLLECTION OF ELECTRICAL ITEMS ACQUIRED & DOCUMENTED BY ONTARIO HYDRO IN THE 1960S. THIS COLLECTION CONSISTS OF OVER 7500 ARTIFACTS, AND IS THOUGHT TO BE THE LARGEST & MOST COMPREHENSIVE IN CANADA. IT WAS DONATED IN ITS ENTIRETY TO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY IN 1992.

Function

TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT CURRENT THROUGH A SERIES STRING OF ELECTRIC LIGHTS

Technical

EARLY EXAMPLE OF AN AUTOMATIC AC CURRENT REGULATING DEVICE. IT WAS THE PRACTICE TO SHORT OR CUT THE CURRENT THROUGH A LAMP SOCKET IF THE LAMP WERE REMOVED, TO KEEP THE STRING OPERATIONAL. THIS DEVICE MAINTAINED A CONSTANT CURRENT THROUGH THE REMAINING LAMPS. SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT VOLTAGE IS APPLIED TO THE PRIMARY WINDING CONSTANT CURRENT WILL FLOW IN THE SECONDARY WINDING REGARDLESS OF THE IMPEDANCE APPLIED ACROSS IT. ABILITY TO REGULATE SECONDARY CURRENT IS INHERENT IN DESIGN: SECONDARY COIL FREE TO MOVE TO & APART FROM FIXED COIL (REF.2)

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

MFR'S PLATE SCREWED TO SIDE OPPOSITE WEIGHT ARM READS: 'CONSTANTCURRENT/ TRANSFORMER/ NO. 22 6300 SPEC. ___/ TYPE R CYCLES 60 KW. 4/ PRIM. VOLTS 220/ SEC. AMP. 6.6/ FORM C/ PATENTED/ MAY 17'87 FEB. 12'89 MAR. 20'94/ GENERAL ELECTRIC CO./ SCHENECTADY, N.Y. U.S.A.'/ DECAL APPLIED TO TOP EDGE READS: 'CLEMSON COLLEGE/ ELEC. ENG. 1648/ SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING'

Missing

APPEARS COMPLETE, SAVE MINOR COMPONENTS- 1. CABLE ON STOP FITTING, OPPOSITE WEIGHTS; 2. ONE PORCELAIN INSULATOR RING

Finish

FRAMES, LEVERS & WEIGHTS PAINTED MEDIUM GREY. CORE IS TAPE WRAPPED & VARNISHED. PRIMARY & SECONDARY COILS ARE TAPE WRAPPED & PAINTED BLACK. WHITE CERAMIC INSULATORS.

Decoration

N/A