The Armature Insulation Story

                                                             The Armature Insulation Story

                                                                                  1943

                                          Written 09/2012 and rewritten 03/07/2016 unedited

                                                                           Howard Yasgar

This story was told to me by Barney Kaplan of Detroit Michigan, Barney passed away at 96 years of age in 2015. Barney was in the automotive electrical parts rebuilding business and this is a story that may not be understood by anyone not familiar with rebuilding or rewinding electrical parts.

     During WW2 many items were rationed, and some items were just not available, and innovation was required.

     One day in 1943 during the war, a household goods salesman came to Detroit. He knocked on every door selling whatever he could out of a catalog.

     At the end of the street, the only place left was an automotive electrical repair shop. The salesman went inside.

      The Electrical technician was working at a bench rewinding an armature for an automobile generator. The salesman sort of cornered the guy and showed him his catalog.

      The technician politely told him he didn’t need any household goods, but the salesman was persistent. So to get rid of the pesky salesman the electrical technician said. “Look I don’t need anything, but if you leave me your business cards I will make sure they circulate all over town.

      The salesman reached in his pocket and took out several business cards and placed them on the bench. They shook hands and the salesman left.

      As soon as he was gone the electrical technician took the business cards and with a scissors cut them up and used them as insulation in the generator armature he was rewinding.

      He didn’t feel guilty because he knew the generator he was repairing would be circulating all around town once he installed it on the car.