Wanted: Knife Switch Parts (or HUW Switch Box)

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

I need the interior switch box (as shown below) for a Chev HUW wireless van. Who knows, there may be one out there for sale...

Realistically, I will have to make one and have the dimensions to do so. What I need to find is the knife switch or even the parts (contacts) to remake one. I expect these are standard commercial items from the 1940's used in many things.

Any idea for sources? New parts or parts stripped from other electrical components would be fine.

[Rob Fast]

several old posts on the subject, my HUW looks bare without it and the blackdoor switches.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Rob Fast

several old posts on the subject, my HUW looks bare without it and the blackdoor switches.

Do you have the box? If not I have some pretty accurate drawings to make one up. The way it seems to work, based on the wiring diagram, is that if the knife switch is to the left, the wireless set and interior lights work off the right pair of batteries and the left pair charge if the chorehorse is running. Move the switch to the right and the left pair of batteries runs things while the right pair charges. The C5 Charging Panel under the table was only used when operating the set away from the vehicle. The 6V vehicle system and the 12V body system were independent of each other other than both being grounded to the vehicle itself.

Note also the door 'kill' switches were in series so opening any door blacked out the lights, and that there was a fourth switch in series with the rest on the sliding roof hatch.

[Rob Fast]

here are the only pics I have courtesay a gentleman out of Southhampton many years ago, Black out switch and switch throw.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Taking my first pic and using photo editing software I stretched the wiring diagram on the lid to be a rectangle and scaled it to a known size (based on the lid dimensions), then cleaned it up to come up with this. I may re-draft a new one or clean this up some more and glue a print of it in my new box.

[David Dunlop]

I think the same door/hatch blackout switches were used on the 2K1/2K2 15-cwt Wireless Boxes. One on the upper left corner of the rear door coming into the vehicle and the other on the upper latch side of the Generator Compartment door.

Bruce. Do you have any commercial electrical contractors in your area that have been around since the 1950's or so? Would not hurt to pop into them one day with the photos of that knife switch setup. They just might know what other uses it had and where to source bits.

David

[Colin Alford]

Bruce,

I had a look on ebay to see if there were any switches that seemed to have the correct characteristics (shape of contacts, location of screw terminals, etc) and I came across this box of old Leviton model 9915 switches.

ebay item number: 332206864707

I certainly don't know if the scale is correct and the price is not very attractive but they do seem to be a very close match to the details I can make out in your image.

Having had a quick look at other vintage Leviton models it appears that the contacts are held in place by screws coming up from under the base so they should be easily transferrable to a new base plate.

Colin