Fort Wayne Type K-4 Wattmeter, 1911-1914

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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. Inventive electrical engineers developed various methods to measure electric power. Induction meters that employed magnetic fields to rotate a disc or cylinder to register energy usage would become the standard. Continued improvements made these wattmeters more compact and reliable.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Wattmeter

Date Made

1911-1914

Creator Notes

Manufactured by the Fort Wayne Electrical Works, a division of the General Electric Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2016.0.1.4

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Metal
Glass (Material)

Color

Black (Color)
White (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 6.5 in
Width: 5.5 in
Length: 6.25 in

Inscriptions

on readout: 3972/ KILOWATT HOURS on plate: INDUCTION WATTHOUR METER/ NO. 811009 TYPE K4 FORM S A A / CYCLES 60 AMP. 5 VOLTS 20110/ PATENTED DEC. 3, '95 NOV. 6, 1906/ FORT WAYNE ELECTRIC WORKS OF GENERAL ELECTRIC CO./ FORT WAYNE, IND., U.S.A. on case: LINE LOAD
Fort Wayne Type K-4 Wattmeter, 1911-1914