Edison "Sunbury" Demonstration Motor
date: label: date made
content: ca. 1884
label: date made
content: ca 1884
name: label: maker
content: Edison Electric Co.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: The donor related the following on the occasion of the donation: he was given this motor by Harry L. Keefer, a science teacher at Sunbury (PA) High School. Keefer is cited by Francis Jehl as "the Edison Historian of Sunbury," (Menlo Park Reminiscences, pages 1101 through 1115) and listed in an article in the Sunbury Daily Item as the "organizer of the Edison Science Club of Sunbury High School." Weber said that Keefer was one of his teachers, and that he assisted Keefer in class. Keefer used the motor as a (static) demonstration model in his lectures to show the parts of a motor. Late in life, Keefer gave the unit (and other items) to Weber "because he knew I was interested in such things." Weber cannot remember precisely how Keefer came by the unit, but believes that Edison sent it to Keefer (as the "Edison historian") and that the unit may have a connection to the 1883 Sunbury Station (the first Edison 3-wire station -- see Jehl pages 937, 1003, 1096-99). A sign accompanying the motor reads: "Electric Motor Used in early experimenting at Edison's Sunbury Plant, E. Vine St. near N. Fourth St."
label: Description (Brief)
content: A direct current motor mounted on a wooden base, and held in place with two slotted-screws visible on bottom of base. Two empty holes in base may have been used to mount the unit to a table. Two connecting posts (similar to those seen on experimental Edison lamps) are mounted on the base, but are not wired to the motor. Cylindrical armature is wound only in one plane. Pole-pieces are wrapped with insulated wire and are 5.5" high. Note oiling cups built into armature support-yokes. Commutator has leaf-spring brushes (3 on each side of the unit) that appear to be brass, the two which contact the armature have shoes that appear to be carbon.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from James O. Weber
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1999.0138.01
label: accession number
content: 1999.0138
label: catalog number
content: 1999.0138.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Electric Motor
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: iron (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 3/4 in x 6 1/8 in x 6 1/2 in; 17.145 cm x 15.5575 cm x 16.51 cm