Set Of 4 Antique Full Thomas A Edison 4 " Battery Oil Bottles For Railroad NOS
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:4430655 | Modified Item: No |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: United States |
This is a set of 4 Antique Full Thomas A. Edison 4" Battery Oil Bottles.
The inscription on the bottles reads:
EdisonBattery OilMade in U.S.A.Thomas A EdisonIncorporated Bloomfield, N.J.U.S.A.
There is also a signature running along the side of the bottle, "Thomas A Edison".
In case you're wondering ... Edison & Others developed the Nickel/Iron storage battery in the 1880s. Edison, Exide, Willard, and others built & sold them for automotive use.... Edison stated that this battery would last your lifetime. He was promoting them for Early Electric auto use.
The Nickel-Iron (NiFe) battery was considered a Life-Long Battery that could last 30-50 years or more. It was not harmed by deep discharge or repeated cycling charges.
In many ways this battery was superior to the Lead/Acid storage battery we use today as it has a very long life; and could be restored by changing the electrolyte and cleaning the plates.
The battery was built with cells in a glass or ceramic jar with a lid that could be opened. This was an alkaline battery that used a Potassium Hydroxide caustic soda & distilled water electrolyte with Nickel & Iron (NiFe) plates contained in a glass cell with a rubber top supporting the plates & covering the cells. The cells were connected in series with a brass wing nut & wire or copper ribbon strip jumper connections. The cells were stacked in a wooden crate and hooked-up in series. Each cell was .8 volts with 1.2 volts in later production variants. Each of the cells could be refreshed or replaced.
Edison sold this battery to the telephone, telegraph and railroads and for early penny in the slot amusement listening tube phonograph use.
The telephone and telegraph companies had iron battery boxes on their poles with banks of the Edison Nickel/Iron battery in them. The railroads had iron signal boxes which also contained banks of Edison batteries.
The "Battery Oil" was poured on top of the fresh electrolyte in each cell to prevent evaporation and gassing while charging on these utility poles. The oil would float on top of the electrolyte to give a thick protective oil film. This would help the battery gases to re-combine instead of gassing-off while sitting long term, or re-charging. It also prevented evaporation.
You often find empty Edison Battery Oil bottles of 3-4 oz near old railroad iron signal & switch boxes in the woods near the switch & signal boxes today. The railroad workers would use the oil and then just toss the empty bottles in the woods along side the tracks.
The railroads and telephone/telegraph companies still used this type of battery well into the 60s-70s in some rural areas in the USA. Edison Electric Storage Battery Company built them until 1972. Exide built them until 1975.
I also understand farms used this Edison battery for farm & house lighting before general rural electrification. The battery banks were often connected to a wind mill "Aeromo" generator for re-charging. The wind mill usually used a Ford or other auto type generator. These electric set-ups were often sold thru the early Sears catalog.
Electric autos and very high-end, high priced gasoline autos often used the Nickel/Iron Edison , Exide, or Willard automotive battery. Many early electric auto builders like Detroit Electric, Baker, and others often offered a Nickel/Iron battery bank as a higher price option as it would last for decades, if not Life-Long.
Deep discharge did not harm this type of battery as it did severely harm a Lead-Acid battery and shortened it's useful life. This deep-discharge ability made it perfect for early electric auto carriages. High priced gasoline autos used them also.
The inscription on the bottles reads:
EdisonBattery OilMade in U.S.A.Thomas A EdisonIncorporated Bloomfield, N.J.U.S.A.
There is also a signature running along the side of the bottle, "Thomas A Edison".
In case you're wondering ... Edison & Others developed the Nickel/Iron storage battery in the 1880s. Edison, Exide, Willard, and others built & sold them for automotive use.... Edison stated that this battery would last your lifetime. He was promoting them for Early Electric auto use.
The Nickel-Iron (NiFe) battery was considered a Life-Long Battery that could last 30-50 years or more. It was not harmed by deep discharge or repeated cycling charges.
In many ways this battery was superior to the Lead/Acid storage battery we use today as it has a very long life; and could be restored by changing the electrolyte and cleaning the plates.
The battery was built with cells in a glass or ceramic jar with a lid that could be opened. This was an alkaline battery that used a Potassium Hydroxide caustic soda & distilled water electrolyte with Nickel & Iron (NiFe) plates contained in a glass cell with a rubber top supporting the plates & covering the cells. The cells were connected in series with a brass wing nut & wire or copper ribbon strip jumper connections. The cells were stacked in a wooden crate and hooked-up in series. Each cell was .8 volts with 1.2 volts in later production variants. Each of the cells could be refreshed or replaced.
Edison sold this battery to the telephone, telegraph and railroads and for early penny in the slot amusement listening tube phonograph use.
The telephone and telegraph companies had iron battery boxes on their poles with banks of the Edison Nickel/Iron battery in them. The railroads had iron signal boxes which also contained banks of Edison batteries.
The "Battery Oil" was poured on top of the fresh electrolyte in each cell to prevent evaporation and gassing while charging on these utility poles. The oil would float on top of the electrolyte to give a thick protective oil film. This would help the battery gases to re-combine instead of gassing-off while sitting long term, or re-charging. It also prevented evaporation.
You often find empty Edison Battery Oil bottles of 3-4 oz near old railroad iron signal & switch boxes in the woods near the switch & signal boxes today. The railroad workers would use the oil and then just toss the empty bottles in the woods along side the tracks.
The railroads and telephone/telegraph companies still used this type of battery well into the 60s-70s in some rural areas in the USA. Edison Electric Storage Battery Company built them until 1972. Exide built them until 1975.
I also understand farms used this Edison battery for farm & house lighting before general rural electrification. The battery banks were often connected to a wind mill "Aeromo" generator for re-charging. The wind mill usually used a Ford or other auto type generator. These electric set-ups were often sold thru the early Sears catalog.
Electric autos and very high-end, high priced gasoline autos often used the Nickel/Iron Edison , Exide, or Willard automotive battery. Many early electric auto builders like Detroit Electric, Baker, and others often offered a Nickel/Iron battery bank as a higher price option as it would last for decades, if not Life-Long.
Deep discharge did not harm this type of battery as it did severely harm a Lead-Acid battery and shortened it's useful life. This deep-discharge ability made it perfect for early electric auto carriages. High priced gasoline autos used them also.
