What is it? CCXXI

I wonder about 1237? What's the wand made of? What about the contact? How long is each wire? What sort of light bulb is in the barrel?

Abilities Inc. finds employment for disabled people, some of whom are in wheelchairs. A person in a wheelchair may be well insulated from the ground. This could be an advantage or a disadvantage.

Maybe the person avoids static shocks by clipping one lead to the chair and using the wand to touch a grounded object. The light might flash if there was a big charge.

Maybe the person in the chair works on electrical circuits, and he can reach out with the wand to see if a circuit is energized.

Then again -- it could be that they, like Lighthouse for the Blind -- make things for large purchasers. Lighthouse made the ball point pens issued in every government agency, even though the workers never would actually *use* the product. It was a form of employment. I suspect that Abilities Inc is a similar setup.

Enjoy, DoN.

I think you're right. LDC says Telcos used it, but they may not have been all. Abilities, Inc. had contracts with the Department of Defense and GE, among others.

It reminds me of a "dead man's stick," used to make sure equipment is discharged. The bulb could indicate if the equipment is live, but I don't understand the location. Unless there's a lot of resistance within the wand, the wire from the wand to the bulb could be a shock hazard. Besides, if you want the bulb visible to the user, shouldn't it be on the wand and not hanging three feet below the user's hand?

greetings from germany

i am sorry, this week only one silly guess

chris

There certianly could be users in addition to Telcos.

Of course there is a lot of resistance in the stick as it was intended to find stray voltage, including high voltages. You are supposed to hold the little round casing in your hand so you could orient for best visibility. As I recall (it's been many years since I used one!!) the light is recessed so it is shaded and easier to see faint illuminations of the bulb when the voltage is low..

When using it, you would often have to extend you arm it such a position so the you would not be able to see a light mounted in the rod. The purpose of the device is to keep the tester away from the item being tested. Putting the light in the end of the rod would be counter to that goal. (Picture this being used in a wide variety of conditions: in the rain, pushing through thick brush, clearance obstructed by fences, etc,)

--Larry

Here is a link to the BSP (Bell System Practice) detailing the device and its use.

Thanks!

Hi R.H. i just found this side concerning 1235:

greetings from germany chris

Thanks! I think this is the correct answer, I just sent the link to the owner and added it to the answer page.

Rob

Except that none of them have the rod with the sliding counterweight which (along with the pour hole in the side) make me think of a measuring bucket.

Enjoy, DoN.

Hey DoN and RH,

Sure looks like the photos at the site from Chris Stuben. One is identical.

I'd bet that it got turned into a table-lamp at some time after it's useful life in the pharmacy was over. That would account for both the hole in the "bell", and the rod. This sort of cannibalization was quite common in the 1930's to the 60's.

Take care.

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.