Topic: UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT - WHAT IS IT? ID = Geissler Tube, unknown origin

[KrazeyLady]

Another of my recent novelty buys.
No-body seems to know exactly what it is. Do any of you have any ideas?
It is about 12ins long. Silver metal on each end. One end has a short tube leading into a bulbous area. The other is more elongated. These end pieces have a wire running through which stops at the necks. The necks appear to be sealed. Inside the centre tube is some fancy glass work.
I am assuming this centre piece contains a lighting gas, but, again, this is only an assumption.

https://picasaweb.google.com/theoddcouple/UNKNOWNGLASSOBJECT

cheers
K/L

[Frank]

It is a Geissler tube. Nice one too.

[KrazeyLady]

Thank you.
No idea what a Geissler tube is, but at least I've got a point to start looking.

K/L

[rosieposie]

As my Dad would have said....."if you wanted one of those, that would be just the thing"!!

Needless to say, with an engineer for a husband, he knew exactly what it is, and even has a book on the subject, dated 1900!!
He says it looks as though there is a glass coil and some uranium glass in yours, and if the seal hasn't failed, it would glow if a very high voltage / low current is passed through it.....but you would need special equipment to do this!!
Just as a point of interest, the vacuum would have been achieved with the use of a Sprengler Pump, and the high voltage would have been generated with a Ruhnkorff Coil.......so there you have it!!
John also says that if you had a number of these and you wanted to try and operate them to see them glow, you might be able to do this using a car ignition coil!!!

[KrazeyLady]

Thanks again.

This Forum is a mine of Useful Info.

I bought this tube at a Vide Grenier (French car boot sale) because 1) It appealed to me, 2) It was dirt cheap (only 5€), 3) I intended selling it on.
Now I'm not sure about re-selling it. I've really taken a loving to it. Not sure about testing it but I might find some way of displaying it, once the renovations have progressed a bit more and I've got my own office/work room.

Thanks a bunch
K/L

[KrazeyLady]

Rosie
Would you mind if I copied your info onto another Forum where I've also posed this question?
I'd like to pass this info onto others, but wouldn't do so without your permission.

Cheers
K/L

[rosieposie]

Of course I don't mind at al K/L, do please pass on any info I give......anytime.....and if you would like a copy of the pages of the book and a reference to the name of the book and author, please do ask.

[KrazeyLady]

Rosie
Thank you.
Yes, please

K/L

[Frank]

Don't assume yours is as old as Rosie's book. Uranium glass makes later than 1940 unlikely but not impossible. These are usually made, still are made, by scientific glassblowers and of course they could have held supplies of uranium glas tubing for long after the 1940s. Metal work does imple no later than 50s but again for same reason could be later. It could also date to the end of the 19th century. No way to tell really but probably safest to say 1930s/40s - which would be my educated guess as the most likely date on yours.

[Wuff]

Whilst the short text is in German - you'll enjoy the images:
http://www.infogr.ch/roehren/roehren.htm

And in case you visit Thüringen - this is a must:
http://www.infogr.ch/museum/default.htm

Finally some images with explanations in English:
http://www.sparkmuseum.com/GLASS.HTM
http://www.electricstuff.co.uk/geissler.html

Have fun !