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Western Electric Control Wheel??

Started by Doug Rose, February 28, 2015, 02:06:14 PM

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Doug Rose

I saw this last week and couldn't pass it up. Heavy wheel over a Brass and Black Western Electric disk. Raise Lower adjusted by wheel on a metal base by Burndy. No idea what is is, seller speculates a CO device. I just love the brass disk with the heavy wheel above it. It is not functional, besides the wheel turning, like it was removed from something bigger. Any ideas?....Doug
Kidphone

G-Man

#1
I remember the powerboards in the old central offices having hand-wheels such as the one in your photo. They were used to control and adjust large rheostats and switches.

Does it appear that it was factory installed on the Burndy hardware?
Burndy manufactured splice sleeves, crimpers, pole-line hardware etc.
Here is an excerpt from a WECo catalog showing these hand-wheels offered separately for sale.

Bill

#2
[Typing at the same time as G-Man, same kind of conclusions.]

My first guess was that it was a control wheel for a big Variac (variable transformer) or rheostat.  But Burndy Co, founded in 1924, made big connectors for electrical cables, so this might be a wheel for opening/closing what would amount to a big crimper. Nowadays, of course, it would be done hydraulically, but maybe not in 1924.

Bill

Greg G.

My first thought was that it was used in a laboratory to raise and lower the platform.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

K1WI

#4
Doug , that "wheel" would be used on the control panel of large motor / generator sets in central office. typically operated a very large rheostat. The bracket it is mounted on doesn't go with it ...it is a Burndy buss bar splice plate.   If you were wondering what a motor generator is (or was) it was a way of converting one voltage to another ie a 220 volt  AC motor turning a generator that produced 24 , 48 , or 130 volt DC .
   Andy F   K1WI


eleven hours out of synch
Andy F    K1WI

baldopeacock

Quote from: Brinybay on February 28, 2015, 08:04:59 PM
My first thought was that it was used in a laboratory to raise and lower the platform.

It's pronounced "Eye-gore".

I had to look twice to see that pic is from the original "Frankenstein", and not the "Young" version.

Doug Rose

Hey guys...thanks for all the great info on this. It is secure in the Burndy base, but it didn't look right to me when I purchased it. It is a good way to display it. I have been a phone tech for most of my life, so I do like the old tools and the go withs.

Below is an Old Riser Cabinet, this was a IDF to a floor of a building from the MDF where the Phone Switch was, so you could wire phones to that floor. I found this at a flea market years ago. It was not a flea market we usually went do, we just happened to be driving by going somewhere we normally didn't. Seller had been "lugging it  forever" and was going to chuck it, if I didn't take it for $5. I took it without any bargaining.  8) Look at the quality of the wood, same as the old ringer boxes. WE did things the right way.

Now my WE Control Wheel from a CO, sits proudly on top of my Riser cabinet. The riser cabinet is one of my favorite pieces, right up there with my Bell System stool...Doug
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