GE Electric motor Identification

[Fyrme]

I know most of you guys are just thinking, "who cares? Does it run? Will it work for what it's needed for? If so, plug it in and run it, and quit asking stupid questions" Well I can't do that. I like to gather as much info on tools and motors I have acquired. Why you ask? It's simple. History. Plus When I do a resto on something that is motor driven, I like to run it with a period correct motor. A 1944 Mandrel grinder just doesn't have that flare with a 1995 squirrel cage motor spinning it right?

Anyway, I picked up a motor I've never seen before, and neither has the internet apparently. I've found ZERO on this thing. It got my attention because of it's physical size compared to the 1/4HP rating and it is a 3450RPM which was not so common back in the day.

If anyone here has any intel on how to cross the numbers on GE motors, I'm all ears. I have searched GE before and every time have been unsuccessful. I have even gone as far as contacting GE directly to get historical info from archives. Their response was "we don't retain info that far back. Try contacting the Hall of Electrical History Museum" Which I did and never got a response. It appears GE has kept their information so proprietary over the past century, that this information has never made it to the internet.

Here are a couple of pics of the motor I'm talking about. One thing that caught my eye is the anchor symbol stamped in the name plate. This is something I've never seen before. US Navy Mil Spec? Any ideas? Also, any ideas on the circa of the motor?

 

[nehog]

I'd venture it is Coast Guard. But yes, the symbol does indicate military sourced.

 

[G_P]

The anchor on the data plate and the part numbers starting with "CG" definitely make me think it was used by the coast guard.

 

[rippered]

I have several 1/4 hp that size. Some were appliance motors.

 

[Fyrme]

Well now that makes sense. I didn't put those two things together. The biggest problem I've run into with GE is manufacturing dates. Companies like Craftsman and Delta like to stamp dates on their equipment, but GE I guess never felt the need to. Does anyone have the knowledge on how to determine the dates on these motors? The best I've been able to do in the past is spend hours looking for publications of products that shows what looks like the motor I have and hope the publication has a date. But that only gets you close, since motor manufactures likely made the same motor style for many years.