General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

3

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

.1 CAST IRON FRAME; METAL METER CASINGS WITH GLASS WINDOWS; COPPER SWITCH; SYNTHETIC CONTROLS/.2-.3 WOOD HANDLES; METAL PROBES; RUBBER? WIRE COVERING

Dimensions

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

Length

33.5 cm

Width

20.0 cm

Height

30.8 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Energy-electric

Category

Measurement

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

FOREST

Country

United States of America

State/Province

New Jersey

City

Newark

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

C. 1930 INTO 1950'S

Canada

FROM COLLECTION OF AUTOMOBILE PTS &SERVICING EQ ACQUIRED BY MR. T.H. OLIVER, FATHER OF DONOR, DURING CAREER IN AUTOMOTIVE SERVICING. AFTER WORKING AT WILLYS-OVERLAND & FAIRBANKS-MORSE IN TORONTO, & IN AUTO GARAGE IN AURORA, IN 1931 HE BEGAN HIS OWN BUSINESS, ONE PART OF WHICH INVOLVED AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRICAL SERVICING.

Function

INSTRUMENT USED TO MEASURE VOLTAGE & AMPERAGE OF AUTOMOBILE BATTERIES IN AUTOMOBILE SERVICE FACILITY.

Technical

BATTERY LOAD TESTING WAS OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE FOR CARE OF BATTERIES OPERATING IN CANADIAN WINTER; IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO DETERMINE CONDITION OF BATTERY BEFORE COLD WEATHER OCCURRED. DEVELOPMENT OF SUCH EQUIPMENT WAS SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO YEAR-ROUND USE OF AUTOMOBILE IN CANADA (REF. 1).

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

.1 CAST LETTERING ON SIDE READING "FOREST/ ELECTRIC CO./ NEWARK NJ/ USA"; CAST LETTERING ON FRONT READING "PORTOSTAT/ THE/ [EYE]/ THAT SEES/ INSIDE THE BATTERY" & FOR CONTROL FUNCTIONS/ BLACK SCALE MARKINGS & LETTERING ON AMMETER FACE READING"D.C. AMPERES/ PORTOSTAT/ TYPE TDX/ MADE BY ROLLER-SMITH CO. BETHLEHEM, PA., U.S.A."/ BLACK & RED SCALE MARKINGS & BLACK LETTERING ON VOLTMETER FACE READING "D.C. VOLTS/ PORTOSTAT/ TYPE TD/ MADE BY ROLLER-SMITH CO. BETHLEHEM, PA., U.S.A."

Missing

APPEARS COMPLETE

Finish

.1 GREY ALUMINUM PAINTED FRAME; GLOSSY BLACK PAINTED METER CASINGS, WHITE METER FACES, COLOURLESS TRANSPARENT WINDOWS; BLACK SYNTHETIC; COPPER COLOURED PARTS/.2 HANDLE ORIGINALLY PAINTED BLACK, METAL FINISH OBSCURED BY CORROSION, BLUE WIRE COVERING/.3 HANDLE ORIGINALLY PAINTED RED, METAL FINISH OBSCURED BY CORROSION, RED WIRE COVERING

Decoration

N/A