Linton & Southwick Electric Switch with Fuse Blocks, 1890-1910
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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
1890-1910
Creator Notes
Knife switch manufactured by Linton & Southwick of Worcester, Massachusetts. Fuse blocks manufactured by Chase-Shawmut Co. of Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
00.365.150
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Metal
Stone (Worked rock)
Color
Black (Color)
Gray (Color)
Red
White (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 2.5 in
Width: 7 in
Length: 20 in
Inscriptions
on handle:
50 / AMP / LINTON & SOUTHWICK / WORCESTER, MASS. / 600 / VOLTS
on decals on fuse blocks:
CHASE-SHAWMUT CO. / [?] / NEWBURYPORT
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