Macalaster & Wiggin “Transformer” Tube

21” (53cms) long. 7” (17,5cms) bulb.

Dating to the mid or late second decade, or early twenties of last century, this tube was built by the Macalaster and Wiggin Company, Chicago, under a “Queen” patent No. 594036 (1898-1899) and intended for use with a high tension transformer.

The Tungsten target is embedded in a heavy copper anti-cathode.

The ring type attachment to the anti-cathode is inspired from an old tube design “The Penetrator Tube” illustrated in Practical Radiography, 1898, (A.W. Isenthal and H. Snowden Ward, p.63, Fig.32). Ring type attachments to the anti-cathode are equally seen in a catalog of early tubes by C.H.F.Müller (tubes No. 8, 9 and 14 in the illustration below from Medica Mundi, p.18, vol 35, 1990). Presumably this attachment improves the efficiency of the electron beam hitting the target.

The regeneration device is compactly stuffed with fiber-like material, probably asbestos.

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