OK--I found a Third one of these today--What Are They?

[BuckleBoy]

Hello All,


I found the third one for the year of these mystery items. Rodeo Recon found one at a CW picket post last year that was the same size and shape as these three of mine for 2008 (which came from three different housesites). I think I have a few more in addition to these three laying around here somewhere... Each of these is the diamteter of a half dollar, and they are all made of brass.

When I begin finding the same whatzits over and over, I realize that their use must be pretty widespread--and I start to really wonder what they were used for.

Any ideas as to what these things are?









Regards,



Buckleboy

 

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[bradgny]

Could they be some sort of sliding weight

 

[trikikiwi]

WAG - Light switch fittings

Mike

 

[Diggerbarns]

Look like electrical fuse end caps

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

large tool ferrule?

 

[BuckleBoy]

Let me clarify that these were found at housesites that were all gone before 1910 or so. I believe that will rule out anything electrical.

They Could be a ferrule off a tool.


I was also wondering if anything like this existed that was horse-related. Thinking that that the CW picket post dug one might have something like that in common with the others...


These seem to only turn up at c1840-1880 sites, for some reason.

 

[trikikiwi]

In the first pic, do I see a slight indent at right angles to the slot? If so, maybe they are one part of twist type catches



Mike

 

[DD-777]

Buck - could they have been press-fit into something? Possibly artillery related?

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

may i suggest they look like spring retainers?
spring over a flat bar, cotter key across the top?

 

[BuckleBoy]

may i suggest they look like spring retainers?
spring over a flat bar, cotter key across the top?

Thanks for your reply! Is there any way you could find a photo?



DDD--My hunch is that it is not artillery related. I wanted to post the information about the picket post to support my hunch that this item saw widespread use.


Can anyone think of any horse-related item or saddle adornment that might look like that? I'm at a loss on this one.



Regards,



Buckles

 

[deepskyal]

may i suggest they look like spring retainers?
spring over a flat bar, cotter key across the top?

I've seen what you're talking about on some old engines. They connect the throttle rod to the carb. You push it down the rod, compress the spring and give it a twist to stay in place.

This would be an example;http://www.thefordsonhouse.com/parts/break.htm

Not the exact pic I was hoping for, but close. Old brakes were another place for them. Maybe the similarities are from older farm tractors or such.

Al

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

may i suggest they look like spring retainers?
spring over a flat bar, cotter key across the top?

I've seen what you're talking about on some old engines. They connect the throttle rod to the carb. You push it down the rod, compress the spring and give it a twist to stay in place.

This would be an example;http://www.thefordsonhouse.com/parts/break.htm

Not the exact pic I was hoping for, but close. Old brakes were another place for them. Maybe the similarities are from older farm tractors or such.

Al

S-363 must be what you are referring to.
Can we see a side view Buckles? Is there an indentation to hold the cotter pin?

 

[nova treasure]

I was thinking internal part of a kerosene lantern burner .

Nova Treasure

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I was thinking internal part of a kerosene lantern burner .

Nova Treasure

yea, maybe where the wick comes up?

 

[Monty]

They are electrical box discs, forgot what you call them. Stick the end of a serewdriver in the slot and twist them out. Unlike the newer ones they are not solid and not stamped, rather sweat fit into the holes. That's what an electrician friend told me. He said they are found in older houses where the old cotton covered wiring was used. He didn't see the pics, I just desribed them to him. So, maybe, maybe not? Monty

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

They are electrical box discs, forgot what you call them. Stick the end of a serewdriver in the slot and twist them out. Unlike the newer ones they are not solid and not stamped, rather sweat fit into the holes. That's what an electrician friend told me. He said they are found in older houses where the old cotton covered wiring was used. He didn't see the pics, I just desribed them to him. So, maybe, maybe not? Monty

brass electrical boxes?

 

[BuckleBoy]

I was thinking internal part of a kerosene lantern burner .

Nova Treasure

yea, maybe where the wick comes up?

I have found those before--and this ain't one. Those are usually thin stamped brass--and these items in my post above are cast brass. I can't tell you what they are, but I can tell you what they aint.

In terms of the cotter pin...lemme see if I can get a side photo.


As I said, pre-Electricity, Rural KY mid 1800s sites--and probably not even the types of farmsteads where there was anything steam powered in terms of harvesting equipment. I have found but one piece from a steam powered engine in all of 50 such sites. Most likely, crops were harvested by horse powered and manpowered equipment. (And perhaps even on into the Victorian Era, since this was such a rural area...)


The tops of these pieces also all have a groove in them, as can be seen in the photo--as if something could fit snug against them on the "top" side of them (first photo). But it it has a very gradual slope to it--not quite as deep as the grooves in the machine part listed above.

I'll take a photo of the side view of them and post it shortly--and I'll make sure it shows this groove...


Regards,



Buckles

 

[Montana Jim]

No idea...

Good luck.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Here's a view of the top of one. The skewer is laying IN the slight "groove" that is on each one of these pieces.




And the view from the side of all three of them (stacked up). This view shows this slight groove which runs perpendicular to the "slot" in each one...





And another view of the side of these three things, rotated 90 degrees. The only one that the "slot" is cut down into is the top one on the stack--but it is obvious that these all had the same sort of function...

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

IMO the groove could be from a cotter pin. The spring tension should hold it in place. The recess could hold the spring. But from what?