c. 1920's Westinghouse "Rectigon" Battery Charger

Private Lugnutz · Oct 28, 2017

I picked up a c.1920’s Westinghouse “Rectigon” Battery Charger at the flea market this morning. It was part of an old garage/shop estate sale lot that yielded a few other interesting prizes.

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Looks a little better after a light cleaning.

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Leads and power cord terminate in the back. That baling wire hanging down is the carry handle. Check out the hinges for the lid - split pins!

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You can see the specifications on the brass data plate.

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As an antique collectible from the early days of automotive history, I have no plans to use it, obviously, but I checked all the wiring, took all the necessary precautions and plugged it in, and it still works! Tube technology, as you might have expected.

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In the midst of my research I found one in NOS condition that sold for $187 in a Bonham’s “Preserving the Automobile” Auction, conducted at the Simeone Foundation in Philadelphia. You can see it here.

Mine has a different carry handle, and, based on the more ornate brass data plate, I would estimate that mine may be older.

I haven’t decided whether to leave the exterior as is, or try to restore it.

ndnchf · Oct 28, 2017

Wow - that is cool! I love that kind of stuff.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 28, 2017

Thanks. It would look cool in a 20s era garage or Living History display, or sitting next to a 20s era car at a classic car show. For now, it will be sitting with all my other prewar automotive stuff.

ndnchf · Oct 28, 2017

That would look great next to my 100+ year old compressor!

lakeroadster · Oct 28, 2017

Rectigon.... cool how things had these types of names, back in the day.

Thanks for sharing this piece of history with us lugnut.

thehorse13 · Oct 28, 2017

That is a great find. The internals are incredibly simple and I would actually trust that thing more than a modern Chinese junker.

Given what the specs say on the plate, you could still use that charger. If this fell into my hands, a full resto would take place and I would use it on my antique tractors.

Sure beats my 1 dollar Blackhawk marked New Britain pliers that I found today.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 28, 2017

ndnchf said:
That would look great next to my 100+ year old compressor!

No doubt! I will PM you an address to ship that compressor to on Monday!

lakeroadster said:
Rectigon.... cool how things had these types of names, back in the day.

Agreed! It bespeaks of a pride and a passion for even the most practical things.

thehorse13 said:
Given what the specs say on the plate, you could still use that charger.

Absolutely! On a 6 or 12 volt battery!! Or on old single cell 2.2 volt "A" batteries in early radios. But I am going to retire it with some TLC. I am reluctant to touch the internals, precisely because it is operational. I am in a quandary on the case exterior. If it was just a little better I wouldn't give it a second thought, preferring preservation over restoration. And if it was just a little worse, the decision would also be easy to strip and repaint. I may see if I can do something in between to remove the corrosion stains without removing the paint. I have some tricks up my techniques sleeve for that.

tym · Oct 28, 2017

I'd keep it as is, clean up as much as possible, then perhaps a coat of BLO or paste wax.

Great find! Single vacuum diode?

Gmonkee · Oct 28, 2017

That is cool. I would have picked half s dozen wrenches from that lot too.

Private Lugnutz · Oct 28, 2017

tym said:
I'd keep it as is, clean up as much as possible, then perhaps a coat of BLO or paste wax.

Thanks for the input, tym.That's the way I'm leaning.

tym said:
Great find! Single vacuum diode?

Yes. That is helping me date it to 1922. They apparently added a grid later. Going back to the branding subject, even cooler that they incorporated the basic function - rectifying the current, into the name. EDIT: By the way, another early tube charger to look for is apparently GE's "Tungar."

Gmonkee said:
That is cool. I would have picked half s dozen wrenches from that lot too.

That lot is in my trunk, Gmonkee. All of that went home with me. The estate sale lot was everything hauled out of the garage/workshop. It took up 10 tables at the flea market, most of it prewar.

Private Lugnutz · Aug 20, 2020

Picked up another one this morning. Similar tubes etc. Much smaller in size, with a different "Style" (by which they mean Model) number, and different capacities (see Pic 3). Pic 4 with its big brother.

ndnchf · Aug 20, 2020

That's cool lugz!

pelletman · Jun 21, 2023

Deleting duplicate partial post

pelletman · Jun 21, 2023

Here you go @Private Lugnutz

Original box maybe? All this stuff was in the box with it, and it all seems to fit nicely

pelletman · Jun 21, 2023

$18 bucks in 1928, NOT cheap!

Rectigon Battery Charger 3 Ampere Power-S Westinghouse El. & | Radiomuseum

Rectigon Battery Charger 3 Ampere Power-S Westinghouse El. & Mfg. Co. - see also Canadian W., build 1924, 2 pictures, 1 tubes, United States of America

www.radiomuseum.org

Private Lugnutz · Jun 22, 2023

pelletman said:
Here you go @Private Lugnutz

Thanks! Love the literature that came with your find.

pelletman said:
Original box maybe? All this stuff was in the box with it, and it all seems to fit nicely

I'm inclined to agree with you. Or the PO was very organized and handy. Either way, I suspect the box had a role in keeping yours in such near mint-y condition (and the steel wool a role in keeping the guts in good working condition). Compare and contrast to mine!

Technically, yours is identical to my smaller unit. Even the markings on the data plate (specs, model number, date, and unknown numbers...) are identical. The data plates themselves are different though. Mine is brass with black background, brass "print". Yours is sheet metal with black "print".

pelletman · Jun 23, 2023

I'll take some better pics of the paperwork, if I develop some real motivation, maybe I'll even scan!

pelletman · Jun 23, 2023

Instruction manual, probably not in order

Private Lugnutz · Jun 24, 2023

Thanks, @pelletman!

c. 1920's Westinghouse "Rectigon" Battery Charger

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