We had a chance to check out some antique shops that were new to us, and although I didn't see a single steam-related item, I did manage to find this old iron. It's not that I collect old irons, but for the last fifty years or so, I have collected any electrical device that has this original Edison plug still attached.
These plugs were normally cut off and replaced with a two-prong plug. Once people began to have two-pronged electrical outlets in their homes, these earliest electrical devices came with the Edison screw type plug because the only electricity at the time was afforded by removing the light bulb from the kitchen ceiling and screwing that device into the light socket. This hefty iron, according to the brass tag, draws 900 watts, which is way more than any light bulb of its time. But the old knob and tube wiring of the day probably handled it just fine. Devices with the original Edison plug are extremely hard to find, and after almost fifty years of collecting them, I probably only have two dozen of these items. My understanding is that most of these appliances would date from the late 1890's to the late 1910's.
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WOW ..... I've never even seen an Edison plug before!
15lbs....that would have been a tennis elbow causer!
Very neat Doug, if I ever spot these in my steam engine antique store shopping, I will let you know
Very neat Doug , I noticed the weigh as well & its really a wonder it survived the scrap drives of WWII .
Very neat Doug , I noticed the weigh as well & its really a wonder it survived the scrap drives of WWII .
Whoever owned it at the time was probably still using it! That generation didn't replace anything that worked, just to have a newer model!
crazydoug
Very nice Doug, i have a small collection of sad irons from gas, coal and regular ones and a couple sad iron heaters.
Neat Doug.
Have you made/found a socket for the Edison Plugs?
Thatīs cool Doug (or hot, depending on how one would put it, now that this particular one is mounted on an iron).
Would definitely collect appliances carrying those plugs as well...if i ever encountered one
Neat Doug.
Have you made/found a socket for the Edison Plugs?
Yes Charlie. The Edison plugs were designed to fit in a standard light bulb socket still used today.. A light bulb hanging from the kitchen ceiling was the first use of electricity in homes. People had to unscrew their light bulb to plug in these early electrical devices as they were being invented. I have an early Y adapter that allowed for the light bulb to remain installed while adding another device.
Doug
You may be interested in this patent drawing that I sell in another life.
Should print out at any size;
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Neat Doug.
Have you made/found a socket for the Edison Plugs?
Yes Charlie. The Edison plugs were designed to fit in a standard light bulb socket still used today.. A light bulb hanging from the kitchen ceiling was the first use of electricity in homes. People had to unscrew their light bulb to plug in these early electrical devices as they were being invented. I have an early Y adapter that allowed for the light bulb to remain installed while adding another device.
Doug
Thank you for the explanation Doug.
I hope your rehab is progressing well.