Trumbull Electric Manufacturing Company Electric Knife Switch, 1900-1920

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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

1900-1920

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

28.974.19

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Metal
Stone (Worked rock)

Color

Black (Color)
Brown

Dimensions

Length: 8.5 in
Width: 5.5 in
Height: 3.25 in

Inscriptions

on both sides of handle: 100 AMP / TRUMBULL-A- / 250 VOLTS
Trumbull Electric Manufacturing Company Electric Knife Switch, 1900-1920