REPLACEMENT/REPRODUCTION 2ND W. E. #6 BLUE BELL DRY CELL EPOXY SEAL POST 1909

Description

The units for sale are reproductions of
probably the second
Western Electric (WE)
Blue Bell
label series #6 dry cell battery initially produced by the National Carbon Company (NCC).
NCC introduced the first commercially produced #6 dry cells around 1896, and was the sole source of dry cells for farm and home uses, the auto industry, and telephone companies in the early 1900s.
In the early years of production of the #6 dry cells, the negative terminals were screw binding post type and the center terminals were on extended carbon slab post.  The 1908 WE Catalog has an image of the
first version of Blue Bell
dry cell with a very similar label and screw terminal hardware.  The 1916 WE Catalog states that the screw terminal version was still being offered as an alternative ordering option to the Fahnestock Clip version.
I believe WE introduced this
"IMPROVED"
version of its Blue Bell label batteries around 1909 or 1910, because this label with the extended carbon slab center terminal is depicted in the Wiring Diagram in WE 317 Picture Frame Front (early N,P,R,S) wall phones produced prior to 1911.  The 317 Plain Front produced between 1911 and 1915 depicted the next iteration of Blue Bell dry cells in the Wiring Diagram.
So
i
f you have a WE Picture Frame Front (N,P,R,or S) wall phone (1910-1911) this reproduction dry cell would certainly be historically correct for display inside.  Original manufacture of these phones included spaded battery leads.  The WE 1911
version Blue Bell #6 reproduction is also listed on my site.
These dry cell reproductions are configured to produce 1.5V each with two D-Cell battery holders (wired in parallel), and feature
top access
to allow easy replacement of the batteries (not included) when necessary.
Dry cell d
imensions (7-1/2”H X 2-5/8” Dia.), weight (2 lbs.), label graphics and colors are nominally consistent with the original battery of this era equipped with the carbon slab center terminal.
The top is potted with
epoxy
which is similar in appearance to Pitch which was used in the original production
.