Signedetched and white filled on front panel, top center: POWER SUPPLY / FOR / CATHODE RAY OSCILLOGRAPH / TYPE 496-A SERIAL NO. 32 / GENERAL RADIO CO. / CAMBRIDGE, MASS
on face of meter: WESTON ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENT CO., NEWARK, N.J., U.S.A. / AMPERES A.C. / WESTON / MODEL 517 NO. 4449 / PAT. 1,579,849 1,597,256
FunctionPower supply for a cathode ray tube oscilloscope.
Cathode Ray Tubes oscilloscopes are a Labratory tool for the observation and recording of oscillations, specifically when high frequencies and a short interval of time are involved.
Historical AttributesThis power supply and the cathode ray tube oscillograph that it is part of. were one of the first oscilloscopes in the market. The General Radio Company was a pioneer in the development oscilloscopes in the early 1930s, based on a 1929 patent.
The company was aiming at a market of radio product testing, but the oscilloscopes were not very successful, being too sophisticated and expensive for that market, but not precise enough for laboratory work. The development of oscilloscopes remained very slow through the 1930s and it only took off due to radar research during World War II.
ProvenanceTriangle indicates that it was used at the Physics Department, Harvard University for instruction.