Weeden No. 106 Toy Electric Motor

Weeden No. 106 Toy Electric Motor

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Description (Brief)
The Weeden no. 102 electric generator was produced by the Weeden Manufacturing Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts from 1913 until 1918. This was an earlier version of the model No. 102, as evidenced by the wooden base plate attached to the cast iron base. It is an electromagnetic generator, producing a direct electric current through the rotation of a wire coil in a magnetic field. The generator could be connected to the flywheel of a Weeden steam engine, rotating the center coil, turning mechanical power into electricity.
The Weeden Manufacturing Company was founded in New Bedford, Massachusetts by William M. Weeden in the early 1880s, originally producing a variety of tinplate household items. In 1884 it introduced the Weeden No. 1 Steam engine as “a new and great premium for boys” who were subscribers to the Youth’s Companion magazine. Weeden made over a hundred different models of toy steam engines until the company ceased operations in 1952.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
toy, electric motor
date made
ca 1900
Physical Description
tinplate (overall material)
cast iron (overall material)
nickel plate (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 6 1/4 in x 6 in x 4 1/4 in; 15.875 cm x 15.24 cm x 10.795 cm
flywheel - from catalog card: 2 1/2 in; x 6.35 cm
tinplate base - from catalog card: 4 in x 6 in; x 10.16 cm x 15.24 cm
ID Number
MC.322914
catalog number
322914
accession number
220719
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. August Mencken
See more items in
Work and Industry: Mechanical and Civil Engineering
Family & Social Life
Engineering, Building, and Architecture
Engineering Steam Toys and Models
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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