Anyone date these items?

[60 oldjohn]

A Toaster difficult to read but may be a MAGNET makers name ends in CO LTD Lots of chrome make photographing difficult.

URANUS mouse trap, by the Robert Joliffe Trust. 200-250v AC or DC. The hole in the centre it to drop the bait in, The wires are attached to two short strips of angle Aluminium. I wont be using it, its not earthed!!

Alba Bridge set (Playing cards) one pack unopened. Packers slip under all the cards.

Anyone know when these items were made?


TIA, John.

[Station X]

Any patent numbers on the toaster and mouse trap? These will enable an earliest date to be determined.

[60 oldjohn]

No, just says Pat applied for.


John.

[Paul_RK]

Magnet would mean the toaster was made by GEC. I would think http://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/r...tep=1&itemx=25 is earlier and https://uk.picclickimg.com/d/w1600/p...er-general.jpg later, so perhaps 1925-30?

Paul

EDIT: But a bit later if http://www.lookbackandhanker.com/dow...s-toaster.html is correct. http://www.modip.ac.uk/artefact/aibdc-02405 says 1932.

[Nickthedentist]

See here re. the mouse trap:

http://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=89370

and

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/.../4217/data.pdf

[emeritus]

Before around 1960, packs of playing cards were taxed, and the ace of spades was sometimes marked accordingly. After the tax was abolished, Waddingtons cards had a wrapper sealing the pack that referred to the removal of the tax and saying that their cards were still made to the official specification. They still do, but contrary to what the present labels say, the present-day cards are not made to the original specification, which used laminated card having an intermediate black layer to prevent the cards being seen through in bright light. This layer was eliminated some time in the 1970's but I don't know when.

[60 oldjohn]

Paul, Interesting the Downton link. It would be nice to see it in a Catalogue. I don't doubt they were on sale for the Downton era but hope they first came on the market in the late 20s.

Nick, So trap made before end of 1952.

Emeritus, There is a Reg no but nothing about Taxes as far as I can see.

Thank you for your help, John.

A non electrically savant friend of mine has one of those toasters and uses it most mornings. I did point out it was a trifle hazardous, the reply was "I would never touch the glowing bits, they are hot", it's earthed too. Makes lovely toast in seconds, one side at a time.

[emeritus]

There used to be a similar toaster that I saw (in the flesh) in the GEC section of the Marconi Museum when it was at the MRC site at Great Baddow, but I can't remember if it had provision for being used as a hotplate as yours seems to have. I feel sure it used to be visible on the virtual tour of the museum that was available on-line before the collection was moved to Oxford, but I lost all my shortcuts when my hard drive had to be replaced, and the only thing I can find now is the "Marconi Calling" pages that do not include GEC stuff.

No toasters are listed in the GEC catalogue of 1893, and the single example that is shown in the 1911 catalogue has solid side covers, so it does probably date from the inter-war period. I don't think that earthing was provided for domestic appliances until after the first world war.

[60 oldjohn]

Thank you for looking, My toaster is earthed. I had not noticed about the top hotplate, there are 4 raised dimples at the corners so heat can travel all over the pan base evenly. Element is ok so might replace the lead and give it a try, half a slice at a time! loaves must have been a lot smaller then, max size is 4.5" square. It will be interesting to compare it with our new toaster which is pathetic, could it be energy saving? takes 3 times as long as our old one. We have 250v here, just hope it is not too severe after all this time, although it is rated to 250v. My variac is only a two amp job or I would use it.


John.

I suppose the toaster is safer than modern ones, no need to poke a knife in to remove stuck toast. I feel like getting one.

[McMurdo]

I have a magnet toaster like that in a 1930's catalogue but it's shown fitted with 2-core cable and bayonet lamp connector.

[60 oldjohn]

I hate to see those dangerous 2 pin bayonet plugs trailing from the light fitting, they were a real trip hazard!


John.

[Kentode]

Imagine waking up to the smell of fried mouse!

I wonder if anyone tried to poke out a dead mouse from the trap with a fork, holding the edge of a stainless steel sink?

[mark_in_manc]

In a small twist to this thread, our toaster has been known to act as an electric mouse trap.

I'm not entirely sure how long it took to discover that fact, post mortem as it were.

[Brigham]

Originally Posted by 60 oldjohn

I hate to see those dangerous 2 pin bayonet plugs trailing from the light fitting, they were a real trip hazard!

...to anyone walking on the ceiling!

[Station X]

Why would they present any more of a trip hazard than a mains flex connected to a wall socket? A mains flex coming from a ceiling socket could be made short enough so as to remove any trip hazard altogether.

[60 oldjohn]

Those comments were meant tongue in cheek, I think running a toaster from a none earthed lighting supply and possible overloading are the main issues. Sorry should have put a in my other post.


John.


Ps I have 1920s meter wired with a wooden BC plug and chrome BC socket for testing loads from light fittings.

A bit OT, when I built our kitchen I put a floor box in the middle (mains, ethernet and radio aerials) no trailing wires.

[Dave757]

Hi Old John,

I remember back in the 1940s my gran had a batten type light socket
fitted under a shelf above the kitchen sink. This had a double bayonet adaptor
plugged in with a bulb fitted to the one socket, and the other was used for
her electric iron.
I can still see that adaptor swinging on its pins as she did the ironing.
Happy days!

Kind regards
Dave