✅ SOLVED An item that has stumped all to date

[Jeff95531]

Back in the 70's my Dad bought an old bar in Warren Idaho...an old gold mining town. Under the bar on a shelf was this...



And although it wasn't found with a metal detector, I know at least some of you are up for a challenge.

 

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[Anduril]

then there's this...

Small Vintage Manual Fruit Lime Lemon Citrus Juicer Squeezer Extractor | eBay

I really don't think this is a press of any kind.

Reasons:
1) MUCH simpler ways to make a press. (This product would be at a distinct commercial disadvantage to its competitors.)
2) Too much stress on the hinge and closure tab (device would quickly break).
3) The internal screw thread allows only about three rotations of whatever piece is missing.*

* assuming there is a missing piece.
Maybe the item to be worked on is match-threaded to fit (but I seriously doubt this). Still, it's a possibility until we know for sure what this thing is.
It's a mystery to me !!

Also, this device is marked as being manufactured FOR Arcade, not BY Arcade.
Maybe it was something they used in the factory, or National was just a contract manufacturer for Arcade?
The latter might make sense as someone previously posted the Arcade factory suffered a fire or some other calamity in the early 1900's.
Perhaps they used contract manufacturers while they were re-building? Total guess, by the way.

 

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[Jeff95531]

Well we're closer than we ever were me thinks. There were a lot of old brown long neck cork type beer bottles in the same area. The other old item found nearby was a glass ball filled with fire ******ant...a precursor to a modern day sprinkler system. The bar was called The Last Chance Saloon and was the site of the last town hanging. There was a huge picture mirror behind the bar that came in by wagon. Late 1800's to early 1900's

Cork shaver/remover? I'll check for images.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Go to Google and put arcade cork puller then click on Arcade Manufacturing Co.-assigned patents then click on
( patents 72) I looked at all the cork pullers and the last patent design might work, also they had a lemon juicer but no pics or design patent shown.

 

[Anduril]

It's not clear that this item was in fact patented?
It is not marked with a patent #, "Patent pending", or "Patent applied for" - as is typical of such situations.
Doesn't mean it wasn't - just slightly less likely.
Without the scanned USPTO documents, it'll be hard to tell.

Also, this item seems to me that it would be a utility patent (if patented at all), and not a design patent.
That's just a hunch.

But, while we're on the subject of hunches:
I would just about bet that "NATIONAL" (as machined on the device) means "National Die-Casting Company" out of Chicago, IL.
This is also the outfit that manufactuered the Juice King juicer.

 

[SkaBa]

It is a unique paper weight/door stop. Manufactured by those madcaps at National.

 

[Bramblefind]

I cannot believe how many keyword searches I tried before I found this! But when I googled "National Lemon Squeezer" - this came up:

c. 1903

https://books.google.com/books?id=M...v=onepage&q="national lemon squeezer"&f=false

 

[ARC]

Well I tell ya... when I first looked at it...just by the design... I thought it was a bar mounted "lemon/lime" "screw"... or Juicer.
The side half opens to discard peel etc...
Drink would be held under and screw is tightened from time to time as drinks were made etc.

Obviously in this scenario the "screw" part is missing...

Cork puller is the "closest fit"... IF this is in fact NOT missing a part/screw etc.

heh

 

[Ant]

In fact I couldn't make sense for a configuration for a cork puller. I notice that when mounted the cone that I made out to be a splash guard was facing the wrong way to prevent a bottle gusher, then I noticed this drain. I'm going with Bramblefind's lemon squeezer, nice going Bramblefind.

 

[Jeff95531]

I cannot believe how many keyword searches I tried before I found this! But when I googled "National Lemon Squeezer" - this came up:

c. 1903

https://books.google.com/books?id=M...v=onepage&q="national lemon squeezer"&f=false

OMG! Thank you!!! 45 year old mystery...SOLVED! Must have been an upscale bar to offer lemon juice! THANK YOU to all for the significant time invested on this!!!

 

[stillwater]

Seriously, that's a pencil sharpener!

 

[Ant]

AARC and Bramblefind you guys could be cold case detectives, WTG ):.

 

[cw0909]

wow Bramblefind, i used National cork puller,grinder, juicer
the shape of the item should of told us, just couldnt get the
egg shape our of my head LOL

 

[Jeff95531]

TYVM Bramblefind. After all these years, 24 hours, 600+ views and you did it. Wow! I'm printing off a copy for my 89 yo mom to see. She'll be thrilled! TYVM Bramblefind!

 

[ARC]

AARC and Bramblefind you guys could be cold case detectives, WTG ):.

ID give it a shot... heh
I watch forensic files...

And I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night :P

PS > BOTB is the only one who "liked" my original "guess" heh...
I thought it was a juicer from rip.

 

[Jeff95531]

yes you did!

 

[Mud Hut]

I cannot believe how many keyword searches I tried before I found this! But when I googled "National Lemon Squeezer" - this came up:

c. 1903

https://books.google.com/books?id=M...v=onepage&q="national lemon squeezer"&f=false

ahh .. Lemon squeezer .. coffee beans .. What's the difference among friends. ... GREAT ID BRAMBLEFIND .. WELL DONE!

 

[Jeff95531]

It's some type of fruit press. I don't believe it is complete...

Spot on. Thank you!

 

[war-digs-it]

Spot on. Thank you!

Thank you! A long time and higher end type establishment bartender (met many shipwreck professionals and high end designers in my work) turned amateur treasure hunter. Great piece!

 

[Anduril]

I cannot believe how many keyword searches I tried before I found this! But when I googled "National Lemon Squeezer" - this came up:

c. 1903

https://books.google.com/books?id=M...v=onepage&q="national lemon squeezer"&f=false

Great research!
Now that we see what the missing parts look like, I'm going to out on a limb (somewhat) and suggest that this product was not a commercial success - possibly for many of the reasons I mentioned previously in the research. (And that might also explain why it was so difficult to track down -- if it were more successful, presumably the research would have been easier?)

Anyway - the missing rod (held by small thumbscrew) looks like it's there to help position the glass or cup, so juice doesn't go on the counter.
Still not clear on whether the handle is forced upwards to squeeze the lemon, or pulled downward towards the operator.
My guess is it's pushed upwards (as shown), but that might be incorrect.
Would be interesting to see it in action. I'm still not convined it's a "press", per se. Maybe a rotational "grinder"? At least that way, it would not put undo force on the latch (which I believe would break quickly.)

Finally, once you've squeezed the lemon and removed the glass, I think this thing would still drip all over the place and make a mess.
Even if you removed the lemon carcass.

For that reason, and others, I would be a little surprised to hear if very many of these were sold.
The other fruit juicers on the market at the time would not have suffered any of these deficiencies and "should" have captured the bulk of the market share.

Jeff might well have one of only a very few proof-of-concept units ever constructed??

 

[Jeff95531]

Great. I have the Edsel of lemon squeezers.