BURMEISTER model 15A Utility Burden Ammeter

This one was a freebie recently because -- hey, what's *not* to like about yet one more little boxful of pointers and knobs to sit on my shelf with the rest of the vintage electronic test equipment?? ;-) ;-) ;-)

Made by BURMEISTER Electric Company of Minneapolis MN, it is housed in a custom leather case with handle, having a fitted cover over the full front and a storage compartment on the back to hold a pair of test leads, both of which have snaps to hold themselves closed.

I believe it to be a device intended to measure the electrical current "amperes" flowing in an "under load" situation in some variety of circuitry, thus providing a more realistic measurement of the current flow in an actually operating condition -- the value of which can vary widely from the same circuit in its 'resting/idling' state -- a somewhat subtle but nonetheless sometimes very important consideration for those who truly need to measure those sorts of things in 'real life' environments.

I do not believe the word "utility" in its name refers to any particular purpose involving actual *utility/power lines*, (as in commercial electrical services) as much as just a descriptor meant to show the device could have a myriad of potential 'general uses' on an electronics technician's workbench. For its age I will guess 3rd quarter 1900's as it doesn't really seem much older than that, and if it was any newer it'd likely have a digital display instead of the analog meter movement.