General Tools
Carbine Inspection Lamp
An improvement over the kerosene/paraffin bull鈥檚-eye lantern, and before the general use of battery-operated flashlights, the carbide lamp or acetylene gas lamp was used by inspectors as a portable light source. It uses calcium carbide (CaC2) and water as its fuel. By blending the two, acetylene gas is generated and the flame produces a bright, white light. The first such lantern was patented in 1900 and subsequent lanterns were significantly improved over the next 20 years of production.
The lantern pictured here was designed for inspection use (circa1915). It is small (7 in.), portable, and features a blackout lens cover in order to let the inspector cut off the light without extinguishing the burning gas.
The term "lamp" is somewhat of a misnomer in describing these lanterns and has since became part of our idiomatic language. Lamps are generally stationary, whereas lanterns are portable and designed with hooks or hoops on top to allow them to be carried or hung.
Inspector Lantern
Known as the 鈥淏ull鈥檚-Eye Police Lantern,鈥� this lantern served as an inspection tool until it was replaced by carbide lanterns and subsequent battery flashlights. The lantern pictured above was manufactured by the R.E. Dietz Company in New York sometime between 1888 and 1918. It is a dead flame, brown japanned finish (i.e., finish that originated as a European imitation of Asian lacquerwork) lantern painted black with wire carrying handles on the back side. The 3-in. convex lens focuses the light for closer inspection.
The inspector lantern was designed to use paraffin (i.e., a cleaner burning lamp fuel), as well as kerosene. When used, the wick needed to be periodically trimmed. The flame is regulated by manually raising or lowering the wick.
Inspection Mirror
Before the development of the ball hinge, lever hinge mirrors were the available inspection tool. It is a two-handed operation whereby the mirror is articulated using the looped lever-type hinge mounted on the back of the beveled mirror.
The meticulously crafted inspection mirror pictured above is made of brass (manufacturer unknown) and has a brass sliding cover to protect the mirror. It is probably from the post-World War I era.
The mirror is an absolute essential in the inspection toolkit. While it takes a bit of practice to master the mirror and flashlight to inspect areas that are not readily visible, once the skill is mastered, no inspection will be conducted without one. The inspection mirror is most useful as it enables the inspector to see things such as the biofilm and mold in ice machines; the backs and bottoms of deep fryers, scrapping sinks, ware washers, floor mixers, and grills. Inspection of clean-in-place (CIP) equipment in a food plant cannot be done without a mirror. Other uses include peering into ventilation ducts for dust, lint, blockages, and delaminated fusible links. The list of uses is nearly limitless.
This mirror was salvaged from equipment discarded by the Detroit Health Department.
Triple Range Light Meter
A standard for most sanitarians, the GE triple range light meter model 217 replaced the 1960s model 214. Basically, they are the same instrument with slight improvements in durability and accuracy. The light meter is selenium cell-based with no batteries are required. It came with a metal diffuser for measuring very bright light and a carry case.
The light meter is color and cosine corrected and is capable of reading illumination from 10 ft-c to 1,000 ft-c on three scales. Its accuracy is between 10% and 15%, depending on the part-of-scale. It is an ideal instrument for measuring Iluminating Engineering Society, Food and Drug Administration model Food Code, Americans With Disabilities Act, and Affordable Care Act illumination standards.
Vest Pocket Flashlight
While batteries have been around since the 1880s and the flashlight since the 1890s, flashlights became popular after World War I with the mass production of the small Mazda tungsten bulb.
Originally known as the Vest Pocket Mazda, or as the Folding Case Flash Light, they gained favor with sanitary inspectors because of their size and utility. The ones pictured above were patented in 1914. The smaller of the two (on the left) was manufactured by Franco USA and sold by the Interstate Electric Novelty Company in Brooklyn, New York.
These flashlights used radio batteries or B cells. They are made of nickel-plated brass and have a folding case design.
The larger of the two (on the right) was possibly made by the American Ever Ready Works and belonged to Raymond J. Chapman, principal sanitarian for the Metro District of the New Jersey State Department of Health.