Knife Switch, 1910-1930
THF156256 / Knife Switch, 1910-1930
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Artifact Overview
Switches open or close an electrical circuit to turn things off or on. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, knife switches were commonly found in engine or generating rooms, connected to factory motors, or mounted on a building's power and lighting switchboard. Operators pushed the hinged, metal blades into the switch's jaws to send electricity to where it was needed.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Knife switch
Date Made
1910-1930
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
00.625.177
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Copper (Metal)
Slate (Rock)
Bakelite (TM)
Dimensions
Height: 2.5 in
Width: 3.75 in
Length: 9.25 in
Keywords |
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Related Content
SetBakelite, “The Material of a Thousand Uses”
- 13 Artifacts
When Leo Baekeland finally succeeded in developing the first chemically synthetic plastic in 1907, he knew he'd created a versatile material with broad appeal. Indeed, "Bakelite" proved suitable for a wide range of industrial and commercial applications. Touted as "the material of a thousand uses," Bakelite became a household name and helped usher in the age of plastics.