CROUSE-HINDS "MPERIA LUMINOUS ARC HEADLIGHT"

As I understand the history of this piece, it might have once been a headlight fixture for an early Chicago (IL, U.S.A.) "EL train". That it appears to have been made as a 'portable' sorta device with hooks, handles and a cord (w/really heavy duty plug on it, made of wood with long brass prongs, no maker's info on that part) sorta makes sense, as EL trains were (and are to this day) kinda designed to be "reversible" in their operation, such that headlamps might need to be used on either end of any odd string of passenger cars, depending on which direction the train is gonna go next.

Cast into its front door are the words "MPERIA LUMINOUS ARC HEADLIGHT" with "PAT'S PENDING" underneath at its top, "CROUSE-HINDS CO. SYRACUSE N. Y. U.S.A." at its bottom. The whole thing is made of cast iron, *quite* heavy, measuring about 10" deep by 15" across overall. Inside it is an aluminum reflector that fits around a porcelain light bulb socket, behind those (not shown here because of 4 pic limit) are several most unusual electrical kind of looking things and further wiring/etc, which I haven't yet had the time to look closer at to maybe discern what they are/what they did.

Any further info anybody could provide about this thing would be MOST WELCOMED!!!!! :-) :-) :-)