[MikeK]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

. . .BTW, the battery jar reads "DELCO LIGHT" and "EXIDE".
Does anyone know if these two companies are connected?

Charles Kettering owned the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (Delco) when the 32V farm generator system was first marketed.

"Exide" is a trade moniker that stood for 'excellent oxide' and was used by the Electric Storage Battery Company for their improved battery technology.

Kettering's (Delco's) first dealing with the Electric Storage Battery Company was some time in 1909-1910 when he was developing the electric starter for the 1911 Cadillac. He needed a strong battery that didn't weigh hundreds of pounds and the EXIDE battery connection began.

I can only speculate from here, but, among Kettering's many talents, projects, and limited time, chemical engineering was not one of his strong suits. He likely subcontracted with the Electric Storage Battery Company for design and supply of cells for the farm system just as he did for the Cadillac battery. Thus the "DELCO LIGHT" and "EXIDE" on the glass jars.