General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

METAL (BRASS ?) AND PORCELAIN COMPOSITION; WAX SEALS

Dimensions

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

Length

9.0 cm

Width

4.3 cm

Height

5.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Energy-electric

Category

User site

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

PERKINS

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

THIS TYPE OF RECEPTACLE USED C. 1917- 1930S, AND POSSIBLY LATER

Canada

PART OF A LARGE & VARIED COLLECTION OF ELECTRICAL ITEMS ACQUIRED 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 PROVIDE A POINT AT WHICH POWER CAN BE DRAWN FROM A WIRING SYSTEM.

Technical

LIKE THE SWITCHED SOCKET, THESWITCHED RECEPTACLE WAS A LEFTOVER FROM THE DAYS OF GAS. SWITCHED RECEPTACLES EXISTED FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF THE RECEPTACLE IN THE 1880S. THE SWITCH WAS INTENDED TO PROTECT THE USER FROM THE CURRENT. LIKE THE T-SLOT, IT WAS DESIGNED TO ACCEPT BOTH TANDEM & PARALLEL PINS IN AN EFFORT TO ACHIEVE STANDARDIZATION, SOMETHING NOT ACCOMPLISHED UNTIL THE MID-1920S.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

.1 "PERKINS" incised on push button. "10A 125V" incised on one of metal brackets used to secure receptacle to wall. "CAT. 117", "MADE IN U.S.A." and "C5842" cast in raised print on underside of receptacle houding..2 "C5843" cast in raised print on underside of receptacle.

Missing

BRASS PLATE (ACCORDING TO NE CATALOGUE)

Finish

WHITE RECEPTACLE & HOUSING; BRASS-COLOURED BUTTON & FITTINGS.

Decoration

N/A