Sangamo Electric Company Gutmann Type A Wattmeter, 1899-1901

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Artifact Overview

In the late 1800s, companies that supplied electricity to consumers needed a way to measure how much customers used -- and then charge them accordingly. Ludwig Gutmann, one of several inventive electrical engineers who designed meters to calculate power usage, developed this induction-type wattmeter. U.S. production of this meter stopped after courts ruled that it infringed on existing patents held by Westinghouse.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Wattmeter

Date Made

1899-1901

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

00.285.106

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of General Electric.

Material

Metal
Iron (Metal)
Wire
Enamel (Fused coating)

Color

Black (Color)
Brown
Gray (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 8.5 in
Width: 7 in
Length: 8.25 in

Inscriptions

on face: GUTMANN RECORDING WATTMETER/[...]/ DIRECT READING/ PATENTED JULY 23 '95 NOV. 15 '98/ SANGAMO ELECTRIC COMPANY/ SPIRNGFIELD, ILLINOIS, U.S.A.