# Frank adam



## RICK BOYD (Mar 10, 2008)

I SAW A FRANK ADAM PANEL THAT HAD SCREW FUSES BUILT IN


https://vintagetheatrecatalogs.blogspot.com/2016/02/frank-adam-stage-lighting-control-1952.html


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

How's Frank doing these days?


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## Switched (Dec 23, 2012)

macmikeman said:


> How's Frank doing these days?


He's quarantined.


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## Superman (Mar 19, 2019)

wow-THANKS.


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## stiffneck (Nov 8, 2015)

This building had F/A switch boards when I worked there back in 1994-95.


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## RICK BOYD (Mar 10, 2008)

RICK BOYD said:


> I SAW A FRANK ADAM PANEL THAT HAD SCREW FUSES BUILT IN
> 
> 
> https://vintagetheatrecatalogs.blogspot.com/2016/02/frank-adam-stage-lighting-control-1952.html





Frank Adam Electric (formed 1891 in St, Louis, Missouri) came out of Blacker and Adam Watch Co. In addition to watches, Blacker and Adam sold surveying equipment. Frank Adam hired only people they knew and Emile Zinsmeyer (my great-grandfather) was a sharp young salesman working at the store. They offered him a job as sales manager. In 1904 The World’s Fair put Frank Adam Electric on the map.
The family moved to Santa Monica, California in the late 1920’s so that Emile could run the Frank Adam west coast operation. After the Stock Market Crash, Emile negotiated with Frank Adam to buy the west coast stock (rather than ship back to St. Louis) and started Zinsmeyer Co. with his son Bill and six others.
They started with an 8,000 sq. ft. garage and a station wagon. They would get an order in the morning, build in the afternoon and get to the job site by night. The distributors would not deal with them, so they got to know the contractors, which eventually really helped them after World War II.
Martin Zinsmeyer (my grandfather) started working at Zinsmeyer Co. with his father and Bill, after graduating from USC. He bought the company from his father in 1943 and renamed it Zinsco.
In 1973 Zinsco was sold to GTE Sylvania.


I found this on a google search


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## Norcal (Mar 22, 2007)

RICK BOYD said:


> Frank Adam Electric (formed 1891 in St, Louis, Missouri) came out of Blacker and Adam Watch Co. In addition to watches, Blacker and Adam sold surveying equipment. Frank Adam hired only people they knew and Emile Zinsmeyer (my great-grandfather) was a sharp young salesman working at the store. They offered him a job as sales manager. In 1904 The World’s Fair put Frank Adam Electric on the map.
> The family moved to Santa Monica, California in the late 1920’s so that Emile could run the Frank Adam west coast operation. After the Stock Market Crash, Emile negotiated with Frank Adam to buy the west coast stock (rather than ship back to St. Louis) and started Zinsmeyer Co. with his son Bill and six others.
> They started with an 8,000 sq. ft. garage and a station wagon. They would get an order in the morning, build in the afternoon and get to the job site by night. The distributors would not deal with them, so they got to know the contractors, which eventually really helped them after World War II.
> Martin Zinsmeyer (my grandfather) started working at Zinsmeyer Co. with his father and Bill, after graduating from USC. He bought the company from his father in 1943 and renamed it Zinsco.
> ...





That was in a Mike Holt newsletter. 



Zinsco used FPE breakers in applications above 225 amperes, and everything above 240V, the two most reviled electrical brands in one.


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## Forge Boyz (Nov 7, 2014)

Norcal said:


> That was in a Mike Holt newsletter.
> 
> 
> 
> Zinsco used FPE breakers in applications above 225 amperes, and everything above 240V, the two most reviled electrical brands in one.


I don't think the big molded case FPE breakers were a problem at all. They were pretty much the same as the Westinghouse of the time and they do work. We hooked up a 20HP air compressor at 240V 3ph on a 125A FPE breaker of that style and it wouldn't hold to get it started.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## Norcal (Mar 22, 2007)

Forge Boyz said:


> I don't think the big molded case FPE breakers were a problem at all. They were pretty much the same as the Westinghouse of the time and they do work. We hooked up a 20HP air compressor at 240V 3ph on a 125A FPE breaker of that style and it wouldn't hold to get it started.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk



To my knowledge, only the Stab-Lok panels & breakers were problematic, the Zinsco plug in breakers were most of Zinsco's issues, but they both are not well thought of because of problems with one of their product lines.


Zinsco safety switches were Westinghouse & the hubs were 2 bolt Zinsco not the hubs common across the ITE, Cutler-Hammer, & Westinghouse, raintight products.


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