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Question Regarding Old Drop Light


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I just picked up this old, very small, drop light. Uses an automotive type bulb with bayonet socket. Has a connector that I’ve seen used on tail light sockets. No bulb shield to protect yourself from being blinded. Wooden handle and old rubber coated copper wire. 
 

Anyone know anything about who might have made it and when? I don’t see any manufacturer marks. Just curious if it was made for a specific car or application. I know it’s probably very obscure, but it’s worth a shot. Thanks 

 

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These were aftermarket drop lights for use inside the car from in the twenties. The plug would go in any light socket in the case of trouble and you needed light, generally plugged into the courtesy light socket on the dash. I don't believe they came stock in any cars to my knowledge.

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The dual contacts says it's meant to be used with a headlight socket, or a later design dual-element taillight. Seems strange to have to pull apart a light bucket to use a work light, when many cars had cigar lighter sockets and there are trouble lights that work off the cigar lighter socket, or the reel type cigar lighters that had a light that attacked to the socket once it was reeled out of the dash board ?  

 

Makes me wonder if that was rewired and not originally sold that way ???

 

Paul

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Wish I had photos of what I'm going to try to describe - a garage trouble light that I saw in an old garage in Scotland - the building was absolutely ancient and it was one of those real treasure troves that I was able to get into and acquire a few artifacts from, but the trouble light they used intrigues me to this day. 

 

There were two parallel bare wires attached to the ceiling of the garage, mounted with ceramic insulators every yard or so.  The trouble light itself was a light fixture at the end of a long wooden pole that was moved around to wherever it was needed.  There were two brass "hooks" sticking out of the top that could be just placed over the two bare wires at any point making contact and providing the electrical power to the lamp.  At the tip of the wire cage holding the bulb was a small wooden handle so you could grab on and easily relocate the entire contraption to anywhere along the wire run.  No extension cord or plug needed.  Osha would have loved it!   Wish I had photos.  Anyone seen anything like it before?

Terry

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5 minutes ago, Terry Bond said:

Wish I had photos of what I'm going to try to describe - a garage trouble light that I saw in an old garage in Scotland - the building was absolutely ancient and it was one of those real treasure troves that I was able to get into and acquire a few artifacts from, but the trouble light they used intrigues me to this day. 

 

There were two parallel bare wires attached to the ceiling of the garage, mounted with ceramic insulators every yard or so.  The trouble light itself was a light fixture at the end of a long wooden pole that was moved around to wherever it was needed.  There were two brass "hooks" sticking out of the top that could be just placed over the two bare wires at any point making contact and providing the electrical power to the lamp.  At the tip of the wire cage holding the bulb was a small wooden handle so you could grab on and easily relocate the entire contraption to anywhere along the wire run.  No extension cord or plug needed.  Osha would have loved it!   Wish I had photos.  Anyone seen anything like it before?

Terry

I have seen those and they actually make some LED lamps for the ceiling that work that way.

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