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IET Archives - Can you identify this object?

Former Community Member
Former Community Member

The IET Archives have received images from an enquirer wishing to identify an object. Can you help us identify this object?


Do you know what this object is and what it was used for? Do you have any information on the manufacturer and a date of creation?


Thank you,

Aisling O’Malley
Archivist

attachments.zip
  • 0

    Interesting object. I have not seen one of these before. It has quite a high power rating for its size, of about 1.7kW, and assuming a resistive load of some sort such as a heating element, I would have thought it may be liquid (oil?) filled. For its calculated volume of about 55cu in or approx 900cc, and the weight being 1200kg, it may well be filled with light oil?
    In which case it has the appearance of some sort of early oil convector heater? I cant make out the object sticking out of the right hand side of device or see clearly the ornate bird figure. Is it a handle of some sort or has it holes in it for mounting to a wall or something?
     

  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member

    Dear Ian,

    Thank you for your reply and help. Unfortunately, the enquirer only provided the images and information provided in the original post, so we do not know if it has holes for wall mounting. I will pass your comment onto the enquirer.

    We also posted this query onto Twitter and someone noted that Prometheus was a 1900s' brand of electric heater.

    Thank you for your help.

    Best wishes,

    Aisling O’Malley

    Archivist

  • 0 in reply to Ian Terrell

    It is not the clearest from the photos, but my bet would be an instant water heater or geyser for use in a bathroom or kitchen - British Prometheus made kettles and cooking gear from the late 1800s into the 1920s.

    It is hard to search Victorian and Edwardian patents without a year, as the numbers restarted from to 1 every year,

    ( we should be grateful it is not earlier  asbefore 1852 English patents were not even numbered ! The numbers now associated with those patents were assigned to them retrospectively after this date. Espacenet has a good list of most patents from the 1840s onwards but I cannot see anything that looks relevant - but the patent may relate to the switch or thermostat mechanism if any.

    If there is any chance of more pix I may be able to do better.

    Mike

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