What is this garage wall fixture? (see photo)

[Jim]

Can someone help identify this old device? It's mounted almost 9 feet up
the wall of a garage in an early 1950's California house, and the other
side of the wall is the kitchen. No obvious signs of what it might connect
to inside.

This is what's stamped on the body: RITTENHOUSE 5 V.A. no. 180

Photo: www.badongo.com/pic/9826616 (black corners are from image-rotation)



Thanks for any details. Jim

 

[Dave Platt]

In article <K7GdnSFWHfeE_rPRnZ2dnUVZ_hmdnZ2d@wavecable.com>,
Jim <jim857676@jim.com> wrote:

Can someone help identify this old device? It's mounted almost 9 feet up
the wall of a garage in an early 1950's California house, and the other
side of the wall is the kitchen. No obvious signs of what it might connect
to inside.

This is what's stamped on the body: RITTENHOUSE 5 V.A. no. 180

Probably the door-bell transformer. If so, you'd probably find a few
volts of AC on those two screw terminals... and disconnecting either
wire would leave your doorbell inoperable.

--
Dave Platt <dplatt@radagast.org> AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

 

[Franc Zabkar]

On Fri, 2 Jul 2010 15:18:05 -0700 (PDT), nesesu
<neil_sutcliffe@telus.net> put finger to keyboard and composed:

On Jul 2, 3:07 pm, Jim <jim857...@jim.com> wrote:
Can someone help identify this old device? It's mounted almost 9 feet up
the wall of a garage in an early 1950's California house, and the other
side of the wall is the kitchen. No obvious signs of what it might connect
to inside.

This is what's stamped on the body: RITTENHOUSE   5 V.A.   no. 180

Photo:www.badongo.com/pic/9826616(black corners are from image-rotation)

Thanks for any details. Jim

Looks like the door bell transformer to me.

Neil S.

I think I can see Bugle and Bell terminals, so I guess it may be a
novelty door bell.

- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.

 

[Jim]

nesesu <neil_sutcliffe@telus.net> wrote in
news:7639d8f9-4f29-4e02-8893-86fad7177eed@b4g2000pra.googlegroups.com:

On Jul 2, 3:07 pm, Jim <jim857...@jim.com> wrote:
Can someone help identify this old device? It's mounted almost 9 feet
up the wall of a garage in an early 1950's California house, and the
other side of the wall is the kitchen. No obvious signs of what it
might connec
t
to inside.

This is what's stamped on the body: RITTENHOUSE   5 V.A.   no. 180

Photo:www.badongo.com/pic/9826616(black corners are from
image-rotation)

Thanks for any details. Jim

Looks like the door bell transformer to me.

That rings true, since searching for that brand name brought up links for
old doorbells. Not sure why it's so far from the doorbell itself - at the
kitchen entrance.

Thanks. Jim

 

[Jim]

Franc Zabkar <fzabkar@iinternode.on.net> wrote in
news:hgps265t8msn4tacjo622uk5cba5urj2f3@4ax.com:

On Fri, 2 Jul 2010 15:18:05 -0700 (PDT), nesesu
neil_sutcliffe@telus.net> put finger to keyboard and composed:

On Jul 2, 3:07 pm, Jim <jim857...@jim.com> wrote:
Can someone help identify this old device? It's mounted almost 9
feet up the wall of a garage in an early 1950's California house,
and the other side of the wall is the kitchen. No obvious signs of
what it might connect to inside.

This is what's stamped on the body: RITTENHOUSE   5 V.A.   no. 180

Photo:www.badongo.com/pic/9826616(black corners are from
image-rotation)

Thanks for any details. Jim

Looks like the door bell transformer to me.

Neil S.

I think I can see Bugle and Bell terminals, so I guess it may be a
novelty door bell.

The doorbell itself is just a simple two-tone plunger type.

Jim

 

[Jeffrey D Angus]

Jim wrote:

Can someone help identify this old device? It's mounted almost 9 feet up
the wall of a garage in an early 1950's California house, and the other
side of the wall is the kitchen. No obvious signs of what it might connect
to inside.

This is what's stamped on the body: RITTENHOUSE 5 V.A. no. 180

Photo: www.badongo.com/pic/9826616 (black corners are from image-rotation)



Thanks for any details. Jim

That's definately a door bell transformer. the 5VA refers to
the output capacity (roughly 5 watt). that wire you see is
the old "push back" bell wire. waxed cotton, you just "push
back" to expose the copper.

Jeff



--
“Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.”
Frank Leahy, Head coach, Notre Dame 1941-1954

http://www.stay-connect.com

 

[nesesu]

On Jul 2, 3:07 pm, Jim <jim857...@jim.com> wrote:

Can someone help identify this old device? It's mounted almost 9 feet up
the wall of a garage in an early 1950's California house, and the other
side of the wall is the kitchen. No obvious signs of what it might connect
to inside.

This is what's stamped on the body: RITTENHOUSE   5 V.A.   no. 180

Photo:www.badongo.com/pic/9826616(black corners are from image-rotation)

Thanks for any details. Jim

Looks like the door bell transformer to me.

Neil S.

 

[Robert Macy]

On Jul 2, 3:07 pm, Jim <jim857...@jim.com> wrote:

Can someone help identify this old device? It's mounted almost 9 feet up
the wall of a garage in an early 1950's California house, and the other
side of the wall is the kitchen. No obvious signs of what it might connect
to inside.

This is what's stamped on the body: RITTENHOUSE   5 V.A.   no. 180

Photo:www.badongo.com/pic/9826616(black corners are from image-rotation)

Thanks for any details. Jim

In the Dining Room, also look for a push button in the floor [may be
covered over now] near where the master would sit. That transformer
may have been the power to ring the maid's bell.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Robert Macy wrote:

That transformer may have been the power to ring the maid's bell.

That would require Viagra. ;-)


--
Anyone wanting to run for any political office in the US should have to
have a DD214, and a honorable discharge.