Willis Lamm's
Traffic Signal Collection

(And Street Lights Too)

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  General Electric (GE)
Form 46 Ceramic Body
High Voltage Series Circuit
Domed Radial Wave Street Light

In addition to GE's metal clad "Form 6" street light that often contained an autotransformer, GE also manufactured a ceramic body luminaire for high voltage series circuits that could also be used for low voltage (110 - 220 volt) line current. It could be used on series circuits when equipped with a Jones socket, or at conventional voltage when equipped with a standard mogul socket or a Jones socket having a permanent insulator placed between the bayonet blades. This particular luminaire most commonly came with a domed type radial wave reflector although flat radial waves and Form SO "crescent moon" reflectors also could be found over city streets.

  Components of the Luminaire

GE's ceramic body had no discernible markings however its design is distinctive. The design of the head and brown fired enamel was typically associated with GE, this luminaire's design matches the Form 46 in GE's catalog, plus the reflector bears GE's logo.

Ceramic body, Jones socket, cast iron head with insulator
arms, insulators, mounting hardware and 20 inch reflector.
(The reflector collar is masked for painting.)
GE logo on the reflector.
Reflector mounting screws have winged heads held by
cotter pins. If the screws rust, the pins can be pulled to
remove the reflector.
Wooden plugs for the low voltage conductor entrance.

Note the combination wire lugs on either side of the Jones blades.
High voltage series conductors enter from the sides and are secured with double screws. Low voltage (110 - 220 volt) service could be supplied through the mounting arm, would feed down through the holes in the top and be secured by the single offset screws. For low voltage, blades would be used that would not close and complete the circuit if the socket was removed. For low voltage applications the side conductor holes would be plugged.

GE also used the Form 46 as mounting hardware for the Form 6 in mast arm and scroll arm installations.

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GE Form 45-H4 Street Light with Aluminum Reflector


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