My dad worked in a substation, where they would switch which power line was connected to the outgoing lines, in the 50s and 60s that had a room full of these backup batteries on racks so they always had power for the lights and business band radio.
Battery jar. A family friend had a small room full of them in their cabin (bult in the 20s IIRC). Charged with a 32 volt DC Delco Light Plant.
As others have said, it is a battery jar from a home lighting plant probably from the 1930s or earlier. They had a top made of hard rubber and lead acid battery plates inside. When they got worn out they could be rebuilt with new plates by a battery shop. Each cell was good for 2 volts and most power plants were 24 volts or 36 volts so you would have a set of 12 or 18 cells. They would be located in a shed near the house with a gas engine driven generator to charge them up. You might also have a windmill charger with the gas powered generator as a backup.
By the mid 50’s power plant batteries had gone to a clear plastic; we had one plant built in the 20’s that had the glass containers. We maintained a 120 VDC system for emergency lighting, 480 and 4160 volt circuit breaker controls, and turbine controls.
Many, many moons ago my local junk yard had a pile of them. I was told they came in from the phone company. Not sure what they have to do with phones, but my junk yard guy was pretty sharp, said they were 2 volt, from the phone company, and I bet there was a dump truck load
My parents had similar glass jar batteries in their sod house in western Kansas. Still there in the ruins of the old place; when we visited in '60s.
If you've got a landline, it's run from a big room full of these (or,a slightly newer version). The phone system works at -48V DC, backed up by a huge bank of batteries at each office. Phil
I saved 4 out of my great-grandmother's cellar. The one lung power plant was still there, with a long exhaust pipe going out through the foundation. Two are upside down on short stone towers in front of my house. There is a flat stone over it supported by a metal cage to protect it from hail. That wavy old glass looks neat at night with a solar light in it
Mine isn't a jar really , but it was originally for a battery, now it's a "crash site" container simulating two ol boys that crashed their 32 ford roadster into a pond. Also found in and around the car were several guns , a case of moonshine , and a broken up still for cooking the shine. And the remains of the two bodies.
The Jalopy Journal
