What is it? CCXXIII

[R.H.]

Just posted set number 223:

[RicodJour]

1245. Rope measuring and cutting. 1246. Pressing something into something. 1247. Levering something into alignment. 1248. Hanging clamp for blueprints/drawings. 1249. For picking up something slippery or soft/messy - hunting or fishing? 1250. Animal trap.

[Alexander Thesoso]

1245 Hardware store rope measure and cut gadget. Measures in feet.

1247 Lifting device for object with a hole in its top. With handles 180 degrees apart, put hooks in opening.

1249, 1250 Mouse trap, better mouse trap.

[Dave Balderstone]

1245: For measuring rope length, likely in a hardware store.

1250: An animal trap of some kind. Mouse or rat?

[John Martin]

1246: For holding an assembled stack of something. I'd say gauge blocks, although it could also be letterpress type. Depends on the size.

John Martin

[William Wixon]

1246: For holding an assembled stack of something. I'd say gauge blocks, although it could also be letterpress type. Depends on the size.

John Martin

that was my first thought as well, but i did a little letterpress work in college and that's not what i remember them looking like. i found this.

a "composing stick".

b.w.

[William Wixon]

1245. as others have said, for measuring rope 1246, looks like for composing letterpress type, but i don't think that's what it is. maybe possibly for stamping wood items with words/letters w/ removable steel letters/numbers? 1247. kinda reminds me of my nail puller, i mean, kinda the same era, same construction material. i'd guess for prying open wooden boxes so they could be re-used. 1248. it's like i'm losing my eyesight, i can't make out any detail on that thing. extruded aluminum with die cast knobs, wtf?! 1249. this one is why i'm participating this week. for picking up crabs. for a fish monger. so he doesn't get pinched. 1250. as others have guessed, some kind of critter trap. early version of havahart. (though, it reminds me of a gag a guy played on me years ago. he came to work with a cage and told me (and the other guys, got us all one at a time) 'LOOK INSIDE!" "i caught a (whatever)(wombat or a rat or something)! "have a look at him!" "it's dark in there so you gotta get in there close to see him!" and then he had a release at the back of the cage and he tripped it and the spring loaded cage door FLEW open and there was like a toupee on a hook on the door and when the door flew open the toupee would fly out and hit you in the face. etc. much hilarity ensued.)

[Scott Lurndal]

probably could also be used for narrow gauge wire.

#1250 A live trap?

[Andrew Erickson]

store or supply depot. The handle at the bottom of the unit looks to be a cutter for the rope. The gear wheel counts revolutions of the pulley on the side; guessing from the rough size of things, I bet this ends up being feet. The sprung lid over the pulley wheel keeps the end from slipping away during non-dispensing times.

1246 -- holder for assembling moveable type (before the linotype machines) while compositing? 1247 -- Tongs for picking up something wound around a core, presumably operated by two people. One possibility that comes to mind is rolls of barbed wire, which could be rather tricky to pick up in the direct manner. 1248 -- A holder for a flip chart book to mount upon an easel? 1249 -- Tongs/grippers to move coals around, say in a forge or barbecue? 1250 -- a (better?) mousetrap; the sloped side is a door, and the staple at the end of the stick attached to it is cocked under the hook that protrudes at the far end, which presumably is linked to a bait tray inside. Mickey runs in, nibbles the cheese, and is caught when the door swings down. I presume the other wire sticking up that's half visible is a catch of some sort to keep the door shut once triggered.

Now to see other guesses...

[DoN. Nichols]

1245) Device for measuring lengths of rope -- so a customer can purchase less than a full roll and know what he is getting.

Looks as though it is set up to read out in feet with two rotations of the wheel per foot based on counting the teeth. So that would be about 1.9 inches diameter on the drum. Double that drum diameter if the worm gear is double lead so it moves the count wheel two teeth per revolution. That would make the size fit better with the stated dimensions.

1246) Something for arranging type -- perhaps wood block type? 1247) This looks like a tool for picking up something like a manhole cover. Point the two arms 180 degrees away from each other and the two hooks will be aligned. Poke them through a hole, and lift on the handles, which causes the hooks to separate and grip the underside of the hole.

Given the length, it is probably designed for use by two people standing on either side of the manhole cover.

1248) Not sure about this one -- but it might be part of a stand for displaying drawings and such. 1249) I think that I need to see the back end of this to see whether there are provisions for hooking a rope onto it.

It looks as though it might be good for scooping up loose straw or something similar.

1250) I think that it is either a trap for a small critter (mouse or rat), or something to release one which is already caught by pulling on a rope.

Now to see what others have guessed.

Enjoy, DoN.

[Matthew T. Russotto]

1245: Measures rope 1246: Grips the end of a piece of wood for no good reason 1247: Possibly spreads chain links 1248: Looks like the top of an aluminum window 1249: Picker-upper attachment for the end of a crane. 1250: Ye Olde Ratte Trappe