Old Eveready Switch Question

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Yesterday I bought an old nickel plated bullseye lens 3 D Eveready flashlight.
Brought it home, cleaned it up, put in fresh batteries - it works.

I spent a few minutes walking around the dark house imagining myself in 1915, after which I discovered that the light works a little too well:

The copper reflector lip makes continuous contact with the body, which of course is in contact with the battery - spring, consequently turning the switch off has no effect.

Does anyone know how the reflector was originally insulated from the body?
A fiber washer? Non-conductive paint?

Thanks,
John

 

[LukeA]

A fiber washer sounds right, not ever having seen the light but having experience with lots of old things.

If there was paint, then there probably be at least a few chips left as evidence. But there's nothing left, so that also leads me to believe that there was a washer.

 

[Jeritall]

On one of my early "Eveready Daylo" bullseye flashlights, the switch extension contacts a quarter sized metal plate that holds the bulb. The contact plate is backed by a fiber disk, (washer?) that is 1/8th inch larger in diameter than of the plate, which insulates the bulb from the body. The rim of the reflector is also painted white as is the reflector itself.

 

[Mr_Light]

I have seen fiber washers used to insulate the bulb holder from the reflector, and also have one light which has a fiber gasket around the edge of the reflector where it meets the lens and flashlight body. You should run a continuity test between the metal strip that touches the reflector/bulb holder and the body. If the switch doesn't interrupt the continuity then the switch is always on and broken.

 

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I have seen fiber washers used to insulate the bulb holder from the reflector, and You should run a continuity test between the metal strip that touches the reflector/bulb holder and the body. If the switch doesn't interrupt the continuity then the switch is always on and broken.

I appreciate the responses. Wish I had a way to take a picture, but I don't, so I'll describe: The reflector is a single piece of copper. The bulb screws directly into it - there's no bulb holder. The switch definitely works. If I loosen the lens holder to break the contact between relector and body, the light turns on and off normally.

I think it must have originally had this:

also have one light which has a fiber gasket around the edge of the reflector where it meets the lens and flashlight body.

After reading the response, I Google searched and saw a picture of a light with such a gasket that looked like it was cut from a strip - it had a slight gap between the ends. If I knew where to find a suitably thin C-cross section gasket, that's what I would use. I suppose I could buy small diameter heat shrink tubing,cut a lengthwise slit in it and wrap it around the reflector lip.

Thanks,

John

 

[Jeritall]

Why not use a thin strip of electricians tape?

 

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Why not use a thin strip of electricians tape?

Great idea. I'll try it. Should work just fine.

Thanks,

John

 

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Great idea. I'll try it. Should work just fine.

Thanks,

John

I cut a piece of scotch tape in half lengthwise and wrapped and folded it around the reflector. Works great.

John

 

[Howecollc]

Thought I'd help any late arrivals with a picture. This is out of a Kwik-Lite 2D from the 1940s. The material around the rim of the reflector feels and looks like hard, thin foam. It's glued down, and extends from the edge to the reflective surface on the front side.

 

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Thanks for the picture - that's exactly what I recreated with Scotch tape.