What is it? CLXXVI

[R.H.]

The latest set has just been posted:

[Jerry Foster]

1024 appears to be some sort of laboratory standard resistor.

As for the rest, ????

Jerry

[Robby Goetschalckx]

1020 seems to be a sundial, which fires the small canon at noon, by focusing the sunlight through the lens. The cannon should be loaded with a small amount of gunpowder. Would be useful for me as an alarm clock if the firing time would be adjustible :-)

robby

[Christian Stü]

and again...

1019 some kind ov valve mechanism? 1020 as robby already said, a sundial, to wake you for lunch time 1021 a knife sharpener? for saw blades? 1022 obviosly an axe, but for which special use? 1023 mouse trap? 1024 no idea, jerry´s guess sounds good

greetings from germany chris

"R.H." schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:4683727c$0$24695$ [e-mail]...

[Alexander Thesoso]

1020 Noon Gun Sundial. The adjustments on the lens frame are for latitude, not time setting.

1022 Fireman's axe, hydrant valve wrench.

1024 Current measuring shunt (ammeter shunt). Probably 1-ohm. The current to be measured goes through the large terminals. A voltage measuring meter is connected to the small terminals that are attached to the wire taps inside of the large terminals. This takes the contact resistance for the large terminals out of the measuring loop.

[Carl Byrns]

1021 is a saw sharpening jig.

[Brian Lawson]

1019...Not a clue 1020...Don't know why, but it fires the little cannon when the sun is "just right" 1021...Handsaw sharpener, including a vise. 1022...Adze to make square ends on furniture pieces, complete with a gauge. 1023...String line tightener 1024...Medium current resistor grid

Brian Lawson, Bothwell, Ontario.

[Leo Lichtman]

1022 Fireman's axe, hydrant valve wrench. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This could be right, but a couple of things make me wonder: 1.) The valve stems on all the fire hydrants I have ever seen have five sides, to keep people from opening them with ordinary wrenches. 2.) Firemen's axes always have a demolition spike on the head--not a hammer head. 3.) Since a firemen's axe is used to break into burning buildings, it is much more aggressive looking: longer handle, handle has non-slip shape at the free end. This one appears to be wedge-shaped at the end, which is really puzzling.

Could this be for the kind of fireman who stokes a steam engine firebox? The square hole might then be for a steam valve.

[DoN. Nichols]

According to R.H. :

from rec.crafts.metalworking as usual.

1019) Not really sure -- but they sort of look like adjustable length legs for something like a transit or other surveying instrument.

But the slots look strange. If the ends slide in fairly easily, they might be for a retaining string or wire threaded through the slots on both ends to hold the end-caps in place. You would screw the outer cap down on the wire or string going through the slot on each end.

Perhaps it could even be a form for winding insulated wire to form an electromagnet -- as the material (brass or bronze) would not interfere with that.

1020) A noontime salute. The magnifying glass on the sundial will focus the sun on a small pile of gunpowder, or a fuse in the salute cannon, thus automatically firing the cannon (at least on sunshiny days). Presumably, if the sun is not out, whatever it is an activity signal for is not desirable. :-) 1021) For filing the teeth in a saw blade -- probably a carpenter's ripsaw or crosscut saw since there is no clearance for a stiffening back rib for a miter saw.

The black object hanging on the hook is either a tooth offset gauge, or a tool to set the offset.

1022) Looks like a wedge for splitting logs, with perhaps the square hole serving to allow prying it out when it gets stuck.

Or -- it is for cutting square tennions on the ends of something (perhaps wagon wheel spokes), and the square hole is a gauge. But the sharpening of the edge does not look good enough for that use. (Perhaps it has suffered over the years.

The handle does not have the bulge near the handgrip end to keep it from slipping out when swung, so I presume that it was to be held in place and struck on the back rather than swung.

1023) Looks like a device to wind up a narrow strap or a string t bind something together. Pull out on the "crown" to disengage the ratchet to release it. The hooks either hold a loop of the string, or spike into the material of the strap (or perhaps engage a hole in a leather belts.

Hmm ... an adjustable buckle for a leather belt on a person?

1024) A high-current shunt for an ammeter. The current to be measured is fed through the large binding posts, and the voltage developed across the shunt is fed to the smaller binding posts through the fine wires attached near the ends of the long folded resistance element.

At a guess, I would say that it is for a minimum of 50 Amps (with a fairly sensitive meter) up to perhaps 200 Amps (with a less sensitive meter movement). Of course, the material of the resistance element could affect that, with silver being for higher currents or more sensitive meter movements. Now to see what others have guessed.

Enjoy, DoN.

[whit3rd]

1021: saw sharpening jig; the acute angle is about right for logger's 'misery whip" saws used on green wood

1022: firemans's axe sounds right. Don't know why the end of the handle has a wedge, though.

1023: given the date, I'm guessing a corset cinch.

1024: four-terminal resistor, used probably as a current meter shunt

[Carl Byrns]

1019- Some kind of really nice go/no go guage set?

-Carl

[R.H.]

This tool isn't a fireman's axe, note the blade is not sharp but is actually blunt, I read somewhere that it was manufactured that way. I know who would use this hatchet, but I'm still researching to find out exactly what the wrench was for and why the blade is dull.

Correct answers so far:

1020. Sundial that fires the cannon at noon

1021. Saw file guide

1024. Precision laboratory resistor or shunt

I've had a lot of guesses on the brass cylinders, most popular are:

-for holding small parts

-a wire or string goes through the slots and the end is screwed down, but for what exact purpose...

-used as legs for surveyors equipment or something similar

A few comments on them: There is not really any visible wear and the numbers on the ends are hard to read without a magnifying glass. Someone found them in a machinist's toolbox. The ends that slide into the cylinders are all a good tight fit.

I have feeling that this one might be unsolved for a while.

Rob

[bob kater]

1019- relinkable fuses 1020-range or elevation finder?? 1021- sharpener of some kind 1022-???? 1023-????

[Dave Baker]

Look at page 104 of this pdf file of modern firefighting equipment. Combination tool with axe head and hydrant wrench socket available with square or hexagonal sockets to suit local hydrant designs.

is an early version of what is still a modern tool.

[Dave Baker]

Your post came through while I was typing this elsewhere.

"Look at page 104 of this pdf file of modern firefighting equipment. Combination tool with axe head and hydrant wrench socket available with square or hexagonal sockets to suit local hydrant designs.

is an early version of what is still a modern tool."

[Scott Lurndal]

I suppose they could be machinist try-pieces.

scott

[DoN. Nichols]

According to bob kater :

I don't think so. If the cylinders were an insulating material, I might accept your suggestion, but with a conductive (brass or bronze) cylinder between two conductive ends -- that pretty much shorts out any fuse function. :-)

As for the rest (already snipped) there have been good answers to these which contradict your suggestions/guesses, except that 1021

*is* a sharpener (for saw blades).

As for 1024 -- it may heat somewhat in use, but that is not its intended function. It, too, has already been officially answered.

Enjoy, DoN.

[beecrofter]

noon cannon, no drinks served before it goes boom!

[Patrick Hamlyn]

It could be the 'Come in out of the hot sun before you get burned' warning. Not really required on rainy days!

[JohnM]

Go no-go testing tools.

Original bench-rest shooting weapon.

Saw sharpening fixture.

See-through hatchet.

Patent belt buckle.

Shunt.