Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

The Regular Stuff: Chat, Buy, Sell, Off Topic, etc. => General Discussion - Dynamos, Generators, Alternators, Magnetos... Scale Models, Toys, Originals, etc => Topic started by: Mi Steam on February 11, 2020, 12:54:10 am

Title: Different Old Time Batteries
Post by: Mi Steam on February 11, 2020, 12:54:10 am
Here is Edison-LaLande Battery Type V. You see a lot of
tops for Edison batteries but the plates that make the
power are hard to find because they are destroyed making
the electricity from caustic soda.

(https://www.officeofsteamforum.com/gallery/officeofsteamforum/0/6-110220094046-513752.jpeg)

The Gladstone-LaLande is like the previous Edison battery
except the container is enameled steel container and not
ceramic like the Edison battery. On the top, it has patent
dates of 1883 and 1903.

(https://www.officeofsteamforum.com/gallery/officeofsteamforum/0/6-110220094048-5142199.jpeg)

(https://www.officeofsteamforum.com/gallery/officeofsteamforum/0/6-110220094049-5152174.jpeg)

The Edison Nickel-Iron-Alkaline storage battery
was used in railway signal equipment. They have no acid in
them like are car a battery. You have seen
the gray boxes shitting next a Railroad Crossing well
in them are these batteries. There are some similar things
that can be said about this battery and today's Lithium batteries.

(https://www.officeofsteamforum.com/gallery/officeofsteamforum/0/6-110220094045-5121348.jpeg)

This is an Exide DFG battery. I know nothing about this battery
it just different from any battery I have seen.

(https://www.officeofsteamforum.com/gallery/officeofsteamforum/0/6-110220094051-516728.jpeg)

Here are some different No. 6 battery company makers. That
replaced the wet cell batteries that had dangerous liquids in them.

(https://www.officeofsteamforum.com/gallery/officeofsteamforum/0/14-110220130645.jpeg)

What is amazing is that all the batteries from the 1800s until
todays Lithium batteries have a voltage of 1.25 to 1.5 volts.
No matter the size of a lithium button battery to some Edison
batteries that can hold 2 gallons of liquid.

Title: Re: Different Old Time Batteries
Post by: crazydoug on February 11, 2020, 07:25:24 am
I love the blue one! Here are some pictures of a few I have collected over the years. Some were used in the local Bell telephone substations, The Philco provided filament voltage for an old radio, some are very small, and one is almost 2 feet tall (I wish I had the lid for it). Like you said, these batteries were used for everything back in the day. Our local Bell substation did not remove the old glass batteries until the 1990's! They were used for back-up power.
The small bottle that says Edison battery oil is interesting- it is my understanding this oil was poured over the top of the electrolyte solution to prevent evaporation

[attachimg=1][attachimg=2][attachimg=3][attachimg=4][attachimg=5][attachimg=6][attachimg=7][attachimg=8][attachimg=9][attachimg=10]
Title: Re: Different Old Time Batteries
Post by: Hero on February 11, 2020, 12:34:51 pm
I like all of those. Never seen anything like that around here, not even those defecating gray boxes by railroad crossings🤔🤔
Title: Re: Different Old Time Batteries
Post by: Mi Steam on February 11, 2020, 01:24:44 pm
I love the blue one! Here are some pictures of a few I have collected over the years. Some were used in the local Bell telephone substations, The Philco provided filament voltage for an old radio, some are very small, and one is almost 2 feet tall (I wish I had the lid for it). Like you said, these batteries were used for everything back in the day. Our local Bell substation did not remove the old glass batteries until the 1990's! They were used for back-up power.
The small bottle that says Edison battery oil is interesting- it is my understanding this oil was poured over the top of the electrolyte solution to prevent evaporation

(Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)

Doug, I like all of your batteries. I started collecting Thomas Edison batteries
because I live in the area that Edison lived in and got started on all his inventions.
Also, today is Thomas Edison's Birthday as he was born on February 11, 1847.
The Edison battery oil bottles and they are 3 different styles. In 1976 when
they were digging at his boyhood home I got some of the ashes from the
burned-out house he lived in and have put them in the bottles. The top
on the bottle is the same as are beer bottles.
Title: Re: Different Old Time Batteries
Post by: Nick on February 12, 2020, 01:04:26 pm
Like Doug, I love that blue one  8)

Neat indicator on the side of that Exide too
Title: Re: Different Old Time Batteries
Post by: txlabman on February 13, 2020, 03:26:55 am
Awesome antiquities.

Thanks for posting the pictures.

Last thing I need is something else to collect! 🤠
Title: Re: Different Old Time Batteries
Post by: wulfrun on February 13, 2020, 07:24:38 am
Since you know nothing about the Exide battery, I'll hazard a guess. It's an "accumulator" cell, lead-acid type (2.2V). Such cells (technically, it's not a battery since there's only one cell) were common back in the days when people didn't always have mains-power. It would be used to power the heaters in the valves (tubes in the US) of a "wireless". When discharged, you'd take it to a hardware or wireless sales shop and they'd recharge it for a small fee - they either had mains-power or a generator. Such cells were commonly to be found is school physics labs too, I remember them from my days! They seemed to withstand the "accidental" shorts with bits of wire and other such abuse that we threw at them.
Title: Re: Different Old Time Batteries
Post by: Woe is me on February 17, 2020, 07:18:09 am
Awesome antiquities.

Thanks for posting the pictures.

Last thing I need is something else to collect! 🤠


Yes I totally agree, it's like having Henry Ford Museum in the club. The blue one has my vote just because it looks like a cookie jar,
and yes I need nothing new to collect.