Name/Title
Exhibit Diagram of Defendant’s Magnetic Blow-Out Controller – U.S. Circuit Court Case, 1899Description
This is a technical drawing by Lewis H. Latimer of a Magnetic Blow-Out Controller, which was used in electrical circuits to manage current flow and prevent arc formation. The document appears to be an exhibit submitted in a legal case involving the U.S. Circuit Court, Eastern District of New York in 1899. The case involved Thomson-Houston Electric Co. versus Nassau Electric Railroad Company. The diagram is color-coded and labeled with key components, including the contact fingers, contact segments, magnetic blow-out coil, reversing drum, and operating drum.Context
This document (which is signed with Latimer’s initials, “L. H. L.”) is related to patent litigation concerning electrical switching technology in railway systems. The Thomson-Houston Electric Co. was a major player in the electrical industry. The Nassau Electric Railroad Company operated streetcar lines in New York. In 1892, Thomson-Houston had merged with the Edison General Electric Company in Schenectady, New York, to form the General Electric Company. As a technical specialist, draftsman, and patents expert for Edison, Latimer probably executed the drawing on General Electric’s behalf in this lawsuit.Collection
Latimer Family Papers (1870-1996 ) [QPL Full Collection]Inscription/Signature/Marks
Transcription
"U.S. Circuit Court, Eastern District New York.
Thomson-Houston Electric Co.
v.s.
Nassau Electric Railroad Company.
Complainant’s Exhibit Diagram of Defendant’s Magnetic Blow-Out Controller.
(B. & D. Spec. Exh., Feb. 20, 1899.)"