Can any of you tell me what this thing is?

[scoobis]

Today i started my first real dig...i found alot of broken glass, some chips of brick, a horse shoe, a marble and this... i dont know what it is, i found a gross black thing inside that i immediatley disposed of. There was a screw on top that fell apart when i opened it. it's about one inch tall and in pretty good condition.

The bottom has the following on it: PYREX ZELL U.S.A. 125V

Any help would be greatly appreciated..

 

[kentster]

what that picture is, is of a screw in fuse, ( i still use them in my house!)

 

[Sam_MaineBottles]

Hi Scoobis

Your find is a glass electrical fuse. These were commonly used in household fuse boxes before the advent of the more modern circuit breaker. There would be a thin metal strip that would melt and break the circuit if the circuit was overloaded. I'm no electrician but that is the basic idea of how they operated.

Sam

 

[woody]

Yes, it looks like a Buss glass fuse for your fuse box.

 

[scoobis]

thank you guys, i'm sorry i posted an old fuse...i was hoping it was a pricless mini shot glass or somthing.. maybe i'll find somthing better tomorrow.

Thank you

 

[Bluebelle]

No apologies necessary! One either has to be an old person or have lived in an old house to recognize a glass fuse on sight. Hope your horseshoe turns out to be lucky for you!

 

[bne74honda]

Hey Bluebelle!

You calling me old?!!!?!!

B

 

[Bluebelle]

oooopppps! should have said either old person, old house or extremely knowledgeable and sophisticated - how's that, bne74honda?

 

[bne74honda]

Well....that's better Bluebelle......maybe a little over the top, but better.

Brian