Majestic generator output control

Now this is interesting! We now can adjust the carburetor and timing from the drivers seat. Now the generator also? No more fiddling with the third brush.
What will they think of next?
Will take someone smarter than me to make this thing work.
 
There was a similar gizmo on John Deere tractors in the '40s. The generator had the third brush wire routed through the switch for the headlights. The switch had 3 positions: low output and lights off, high output and lights on, and then between those there was a position that gave you high output and lights off (if you needed to recharge the battery quickly for some reason). That device used a single resistor instead of a rheostat.
 
The “Tinkerin’ Tips” in the Vintage Ford magazine had a description of a generator regulating system like this for the T. Didn’t look it back up, but If I remember correctly you pull the third brush wire out and extend it up to the dash, through a suitable rheostat, then out to the terminal block? I feel like I read about using just a switch to send the gen output straight to ground as well, to prevent overcharging if the cutout went bad. Seems like with a working cutout the rheostat system would be unnecessary, or maybe redundant, or even detrimental?
 
There were likely more than a few gizmos that were made to "make life easier" when dealing with the automobile 3-brush type charging system. Folks with above average mechanical ability and knowledge of how the 3-brush charging system worked, would take the time to adjust the 3rd brush. I would say that average operators never messed with one in their life. They just wondered why the battery was low on charge after a night on the town.

In the mid 30s Ford started offering a two stage regulator of sorts that replaced the normal single pole cut out. These two stage units were oval shaped and fit in the same location on the generator. The generators were made with wires extending out of the case so that these could be installed instead of a single terminal. The two stage units had a cut out pole and a two stage current pole that was connected to a dropping resistor. When the system sensed an increased amperage draw such as headlights on, it would kick the resistor out of the circuit and supply full amperage output according to however the 3rd brush was set. All it took was an extra pole relay to do the switching. The problem with this system is that the generator was basically on high amp output all the time so the life of the generator components were decreased a good bit. These units weren't popular when folks found out that it caused premature failures of their generators. Folks could have the same benefit if they just ran with the headlights on all the time.

I imagine that the little jewel in the OP's post would get pretty hot when dropping unused amperage since the only way to control the 3-brush generator is by adjusting the 3rd brush. The brush would be set to high output all the time and the rheostat would burn the excess amperage. It wouldn't work real well in a car that had a gas tank in front of the dash so it was likely a product of the later 30s cars before the industry went to the 2-brush generator with the 3-pole control unit. Ford started changing in 1938 for radio equipped cars only and then standard equipment in the 1939 Deluxe vehicles. In 1940, it became standard equipment in all Ford vehicles.
 
Headlight dimmer is another accessory that used a rheostat
When I bought it I was hoping for something to make into a turn signal switch that would look ok on early vehicle.
 

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