What is this?

[Bill Carlin]

I have found these mounted under the dash of three late 30's Henney-Packard hearses. It appears to be an electrical outlet mounted in a chrome piece that mounts with two screws. A standard electrical plug does fit into it. What is it? I know that Henney did offer a built in battery charger on their hearses. Could this be part of that system? I have not been able to find any wires that still remain.

Please give me some ideas

 

[Rocky Pollard]

I have been told several times by some old timer funeral directors, and have no way of proving its existance, that in some of their Packards they had a phonograph turntable that was installed so that music could be played at graveside funerals. They could not remember if they were operated on the car's battery or had some type inverter to step up the voltage. Could this be a part of such a set-up?

 

[Jeremy D. Ledford]

I have been told several times by some old timer funeral directors, and have no way of proving its existance, that in some of their Packards they had a phonograph turntable that was installed so that music could be played at graveside funerals. They could not remember if they were operated on the car's battery or had some type inverter to step up the voltage. Could this be a part of such a set-up?

These were known as "Singing Chapels" and were an avalible option for may years from the various coach builders.