✅ SOLVED Test your skills on this one! Spent years trying to ID this.

[musclecar]

I found this in Alaska about 10 years ago, and have never been able to ID it. It is an aluminum piece, about 3 inches square. It has 15 teeth and is numbered 1-15. There is a stop preventing it from spinning freely. The back has two tabs that may have been used to mount it. ANY GUESSES?

Thanks,

MC

PS The quarter used for size was found yesterday! 1935S Yeah!

 

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[cwdigger]

OMG not this thing again why dont we just bring back the pig nuts to lol

relax....

Did you say Pig Nuts

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,91892.1200.html

Please dont hate me guys and gals

 

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[NGE]

Has anyone ever sent a pic of this &%$#(*&_$## thang to Alaska?

 

[Jimmy@romega]

It looks like a old timey shoe sizer used in shoe stores to determine shoe size. It's just the counter without the rest of the mechanism. Sizes 1-15. Well that's my best guess.

 

[MEinWV]

I showed the pic to several people, and an engineer looked at it and thought that because it is so simple and doesn't look like it was made for extended use, that maybe it is part of a centrifugal fuse in an artillery shell. It could be manually set before use to detonate at a pre determined altitude, and of course, it would only be used once.

I told him I would pass it on.

I think that by showing it to folks who repair appliances or recycle things we might get lucky and finally put this to rest.

Good Luck!

 

[Chagy]

Did I see right? Is there 2 of this things now? is the one on post #711 the same one as post #712

 

[jeff of pa]

that maybe it is part of a centrifugal fuse in an artillery shell. It could be manually set before use to detonate at a pre determined altitude, and of course, it would only be used once.

This could explain why there are no more

 

[Goodyguy]

I'm not sure how this will work out but I have sent pictures of the mystery wheel to several so called experts in the field of identifying what is it's. And see if they have any ideas or clues to it's purpose.

Two of the three experts I sent pictures to are stumped. However the third, an expert in antique and vintage appliances has not responded as yet.

 

[NGE]

They are one and the same, it was sold on ebay and goodyguy is the new suc.......ah....owner ......NGE

 

[Goodyguy]

that maybe it is part of a centrifugal fuse in an artillery shell. It could be manually set before use to detonate at a pre determined altitude, and of course, it would only be used once.

This could explain why there are no more

I wish it could explain why it was found on a homestead in Alaska.

 

[Dirt Fishin Dale]

Oh God will this ever end?
Well I guess I'm not helping.
Its a sprocket looking thing with numbers on it.
There, now go away.

 

[White Feather]

It is part of an old Child's toy decoder that was planted by the Russians during the cold war to drive American scientists crazy and cause failure of our national defense system. We have been working on this as they planned and they have changed the leadership in the White House while we pondered this children's toy decoder part. Bummer!
Where's Me Grog?

 

[Michelle]

It is part of an old Child's toy decoder that was planted by the Russians during the cold war to drive American scientists crazy and cause failure of our national defense system. We have been working on this as they planned and they have changed the leadership in the White House while we pondered this children's toy decoder part. Bummer!
Where's Me Grog?

http://gasolinealleyantiques.com/images/Premiums/roa-36decoder.JPG

 

[Michelle]

that maybe it is part of a centrifugal fuse in an artillery shell. It could be manually set before use to detonate at a pre determined altitude, and of course, it would only be used once.

This could explain why there are no more

You are a big GLIMMER OF HOPEFULLNESS JEFF OF PA.....lol.... :P

 

[NGE]

Why do the numbers have to designate in 10's, why not 100's, or even 1,000's? Also, why do the pointy things have to turn something, maybe they actually allowed light to pass between them? Why is it made of aluminum, if it would have been made of steel, maybe it would have disappeared long ago and saved our sanity ........NGE

 

[Michelle]

Why do the numbers have to designate in 10's, why not 100's, or even 1,000's? Also, why do the pointy things have to turn something, maybe they actually allowed light to pass between them? Why is it made of aluminum, if it would have been made of steel, maybe it would have disappeared long ago and saved our sanity ........NGE

Very interesting synopsis....

 

[ivan salis]

it is for counting the end of days -- when 15 pigg nuts are found they each go in a slot on the item completing the dreaded item and the cycle -- then when placed close to the the brass acorn -- it causes it to open to revel the end of time as we know it --- the spikes in the acorn are to prevent its trying to be opened sooner. the unholy trinity -- 15 counter , pigg nuts and brass acorn

 

[Angelo]

Could it be a Rod Counter?

Look at Sheet 6 of 7 Figure 6

http://www.google.com/patents?id=i5...a=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA7,M1

Tony

 

[Michelle]

it is for counting the end of days -- when 15 pigg nuts are found they each go in a slot on the item completing the dreaded item and the cycle -- then when placed close to the the brass acorn -- it causes it to open to revel the end of time as we know it --- the spikes in the acorn are to prevent its trying to be opened sooner. the unholy trinity -- 15 counter , pigg nuts and brass acorn

I remember that.......

dont forget the doorknocker and the bar shot/bells........

this is going to be an unseen internal piece...the only part external are the lil finger sprockets for turning...this is what I think! In other words your not gonna just ask to see an aluminum sprocket dial because you cant see it without looking at it as a PART of something else!!!
does that make sense?

 

[Michelle]

I dont think its as old as we are all thinking it is

 

[Skrimpy]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately (maybe because somebody keeps knocking it to the top...). I've never bothered to read the whole thread but have read some spots around where I have posted. Being the non-expert that I am may I make some suggestions....?

I gather it was found on a "homestead", although I haven't read enough of the post to see that musclecar said that it was in fact a "homestead". Homestead implies old although it doesn't necessarily mean such. We need to know the municipality the homestead was in and the address. Then we need to find someone near that municipality willing to search the property and tax records of said homestead. Then we find out, who was living there and what their profession was. Although chances are it was a farm, there is no documentation of it. This would lend support to those saying they have seen livestock counters that looked just like it. In addition we might be able to find out the time frame the thing was dropped. Since we know that there was very little settling there of advanced civilization until after the property was purchased from Russia we can safely assume that this is no indian artifact and it was more than likely dropped AFTER 1867. Also, what kind of corrosion appears on aluminum? This item looks relatively corrosion free (although I don't think aluminum corrodes all that quickly if at all) it appears to me that this could be a recent drop. These are the places to start.