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OBJECT TYPE: tumbler/surface/3 way
DATE: 1940–1956
ARTIFACT NUMBER: 1992.2455.001

MANUFACTURER: Smith & Stone Ltd.
MODEL: Unknown
LOCATION: Canada

More Information

General Information

Serial #: N/A
Part Number: 1
Total Parts: 1
AKA: N/A
Patents: N/A
General Description: synthetic shell, base & switch handle/ metal parts/ fabric covered wiring

Dimensions

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

Length: N/A
Width: N/A
Height: 3.4 cm
Thickness: N/A
Weight: N/A
Diameter: 5.1 cm
Volume: N/A

Lexicon

Group: Energy-electric
Category: User site
Sub-Category: N/A

Manufacturer

AKA: Smith Stone
Country: Canada
State/Province: Unknown
City: Unknown

Context

Country: Canada
State/Province: Unknown
Period: mid 20th century
Canada: A Canadian made switch of a type used in Canadian households. Part of a large & varied collection of over 7500 electrical items acquired & documented by Ontario Hydro in the 1960s. The collection was thought to be the largest & most comprehensive of its kind in Canada & was donated to the National Museum of Science & Technology in 1992.
Function: An electrical wiring device used to make or break a connection in an electrical circuit, specifically in domestic lighting.
Technical: The tumbler switch was one of the most characteristic British contributions to wiring installation practice. Coming into regular use around 1890, it rapidly superceded all other movements in Britain & ultimately went abroad to replace the established turn & two-button arrangements in America & Europe. The Kelvin switch of 1881 showed a radical departure from the influence of the gas tap (Ref. 2). Beginning around 1905, the design of tumbler switches became simpler & thinner. In Canada, the flush type soon became the favourite over the surface type. The latter was probably still available for older houses in which flush type switches could not be used. Tumbler switches appeared more frequently in Canadian electrical catalogues between 1925 & 1935. Before that, push-button switches & snap switches were preferred (Ref. 1).
Area Notes: Unknown

Details

Markings: raised "S S" on switch handle & underside of base/ raised lettering inside shell reads "MADE IN CANADA/ S S [logo]" & "10A. 125V./ 5A. 250V."
Missing: appears complete
Finish: dark brown shell, base, switch handle
Decoration: N/A

CITE THIS OBJECT

If you choose to share our information about this collection object, please cite:

Smith & Stone Ltd., Switch, between 1940–1956, Artifact no. 1992.2455, Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, http://collections.ingeniumcanada.org/en/id/1992.2455.001/

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