I never stopped to think about the shape of power transformers until I saw this one today on a GE F-96 at Ebay.
Wonder why there aren't others in this shape?
Anyone know?

Peter:

This is a COOL PIC. In all the radios and TVs I have EVER seen I have NEVER seen an oval power transformer. Now I have to keep a watch!!

Lou

:I never stopped to think about the shape of power transformers until I saw this one today on a GE F-96 at Ebay.
:Wonder why there aren't others in this shape?
:Anyone know?
:
:

:I never stopped to think about the shape of power transformers until I saw this one today on a GE F-96 at Ebay.
:Wonder why there aren't others in this shape?
:Anyone know?

As far as I know only GE used the oval (sometimes called bathtub) shaped transformers. I've seen them in several 37-39 vintage GE Radio's (dates are from memory might be give or take a few years in reality).

Richard

My guess is that GE thought that the oval shape was slightly cheaper to manufacture (only two c-rods were needed to both clamp the laminate stack together and mount the assembly to a chassis). Possibly there was some thought that the magnetic flux would have a more "natural" flow with rounded core corners, so that the core could be made slightly smaller (again, less expensive) than an equivalent square-cornered unit. Looks like the cost savings were insufficient to warrant keeping this unusual configuration- especially if GE discovered it could save even more money by purchasing its power transformers from 3rd party suppliers, who were likely quite disinterested in tooling up to make the peculiar bathtub transformers.

Another dead end in the evolutionary process of a mass-market electronic product.