What is it? Set 440

[Rob H.]

I know the answer for just one of the items this week, hopefully we'll get at least a couple of them figured out:

[Alexander Thesoso]

2552 I assume lots of people will recognize the spark-coil (Model T vintage) in the base in the second picture. It produces a high voltage. This leads me to fantasies about this being some form of decorative light fixture, missing a gas-discharge globe/lamp on top.

[Kenefick]

2551: homemade dust pan? 2552: 2553: upholstery tacks? 2554: fish hook remover? 2555: hole maker of some sort? 2556:

[Lloyd E. Sponenburgh]

Alexander Thesoso fired this volley in news:jog474$pbc$ [e-mail]:

Actually, that's a "Fordson" coil. The original model T had a magneto for normal running, but used the Fordson continuous spark coil for starting up or slow idling.

But that aside, I think this is a ceremonial torch that can be lit remotely and on cue. The small vessel on top is just about the right size for some flammable oil and a wick. The spark coil would be used to generate the ignition spark. There's even a ceramic spark gap visible on top.

The fact that it was all soldered up from copper makes one think it might have been part of a trade union fraternal group's induction ceremonies -- like "Plumbers and fitters Union #305 social club."

In fact, I remember that the Lion's Club of America has an induction ceremony where several "lights" are illuminated in succession as a liturgy is read.

LLoyd

[Joe]

------- All of mine are SWAGs. :)

2551 - Forge/fireplace shovel/scoop. Used with pliers, tongs, or handle. 2552 - Butt can. Conveniently large receptacle at top, butt falls down narrow tube and is collected at bottom. Self extinguishing, smoke is minimized. See coil serves as a stop-smoking aid. 2553 - Reamer, countersink. 2554 - Linkage joint 2555 - Drill Press 2556 - Waterproof storage for breaker reset tool or documents showing line routing / distribution. J

[Stormin Mormon]

2551, looks like the tray to put under the down spout / gutters. Reduces erosion. 2552. I went through a couple ideas, but none of them made much sense. 2553, my guess is it's some kind of spike, or nail. Used for what, I'm not sure. 2554, maybe part of the brakes of a big truck. 2555, some kind of table top device. Maybe egg beater, for bowls of eggs. 2556, no clue.

[J Burns]

2551 could be a sled to drag the foot of a heavy item on a wooden floor or outdoors. I could use 4 to drag a wood stove across my lawn. I'd lever it up to put one under each foot, then adjust four chains to attach them to a tow bar. 2556 might hold repellent and a wick, to keep insects or woodpeckers away, for example.

[Ralph]

2553 Is a spindle from a cotton picking machine. There are rows of them that spin and pull the cotton off the plant.

[tiredofspam]

2551 A foundry shovel. A wooden handle can be inserted behind the shovel into the loop and pick up the hot molten material or hot coals.

2555 A small hand cranked drill press, or press. The wheel at the top pushes the shaft down, which is rotated by the crank.

2556 A bat house.. for attract> I know the answer for just one of the items this week, hopefully we'll

[Rob H.]

I think this is probably correct, I found a Goodell Brothers patent for a hand drill that looks similar.

There are at least a dozen of these canisters on telephone poles within 2 miles of my house, I like the theory that there are documents inside of them since most linemen bring their own tools.

[Rob H.]

I would bet that this is correct, thanks.

[Rob H.]

Sounds like a good use for it, I'll pass this on to the owner. Another good diatribe Lloyd, you're on a roll!

My newsreader is only showing seven replies to my post today, but Google groups has 14 replies to it. Usually they are pretty much in sync so I'm not sure if it's just my news server or if it's wider spread.

Rob

[Rob H.]

Based on the number of people who say this spike is part of a cotton picker, I would say it's likely to be correct though I couldn't find one on the web to prove it.

[Scott Lurndal]

It appears to be missing the chuck, however.

scott

[Steve W.]

Usually they are either filters or card drops for connection to the main cable in locations where the cables are not underground.

[Edward Erbeck]

Rob, Google Cotton Gin Spike and you'll have all the conformation you'll ever need ;-)

Crazy Ed

[DoN. Nichols]

2551) At a guess -- a scoop for coal which can be attached to or detached from a handle (which is swapped among scoops). Likely for either a railroad engine, or perhaps for a home furnace. 2552) Hmm ... what is in the base (I think) looks like an old Fordson tractor ignition coil. At a guess, I would say that there should be mounting at the top for neon tubes -- perhaps for outdoor advertising lighting -- powered by an automotive batttery. I can't really see much about those fittings or terminals at about 10:00 O'Clock as shown in the third and forth views. 2553) Perhaps designed to be driven into a wooden object to allow it to be rotated (perhaps for advertising purposes).

Or perhaps it was a left-over bevel gear (looks rather beat up, but the image is rather unsharp so it is difficult to tell) which someone ground to a point as a spike to drive into wood without actually needing the bevel gear teeth.

2554) Perhaps part of the mechanism of a reclining chair or other furniture? 2555) Looks like another variant of a Cole brothers drill. Clamps on a workbench top. Drill chuck threads on the bottom of the central shaft. The handwheel at the top applies downward force to the drill bit, while the long crank turns the chuck and bit. Good for drilling through tough steel without power tools.

It looks like a No. 8 or a No 9 Bench drill, found on catalog pages 204 and 205 (both show up as page 96 in the PDF of the catalog.

O.K. Probably the No. 9, based on the overall length vs the height above the bench specified in the catalog (18" for the No. 9 and 13" for the No 8.

2556) Hmm ... on a power pole, but no wiring going to it. All I see is what looks like a captive chain to keep from losing the lid.

At a guess -- it is used to store documentation about what the wiring at that pole feeds.

Or -- perhaps a recorder to detect and record corona from the high voltage nearby.

Well ... those are my guesses. Now to post and see what others have suggested.

Enjoy, DoN.

[Lloyd E. Sponenburgh]

Just yesterday, I was in the local privately-owned auto parts store. There, loose on the counter with other "things to touch" was a virgin Fordson coil with "$3.95" penciled on the bottom of the case.

I asked the owner Joe about it, and he said, "I bought that when it was new". Well... that's not as exotic a statement as it might sound; they made Fordson coils or replacements for them into at least the early 1960s. I think I remember seeing them in some mail-order catalogs up through the late 1970s.

Lloyd

[Rob H.]

Thanks, I found some good information, also thanks to Sonny who posted some good links but the posts didn't make it to my news reader though I did see them in Google groups.

[Rob H.]

Thanks, sounds like a good answer though I looked at the Hubbell Power web site and didn't find any filters or canisters, do you know if they go by other names or where I can find the filters or card drops online?

-----

Still not sure about 2554 but I think the rest of them have been identified, thanks again to everyone who helped answer them.