✅ 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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[Bigcypresshunter]

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

No, I doubt this thing would last 2 days counting rods on an assembly line. Keep looking.

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

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.

Good point it is relatively corrosion free (some yellow staining and scratches)and was possibly never buried.

 

[Michelle]

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

IM HEARING ECHOES

 

[boogeyman]

Is there such a thing as a 15 Minute Egg ?

Yeah! We used to bounce em off the chow hall wall & try to hit the cook in the head on the return bounce.

 

[Goodyguy]

I appreciate all responses. I had no idea this would draw so much attention. I will try and describe it again.In 1996 I found it on an old homestead (circa 1950's) in a treed area by the river, in Soldotna, Alaska. It was about 2 inches deep.

It is all aluminum, weighs .4 oz, and measures 2 5/8" square.
It is not very durable for full time use.
Numbers are 1-15, with 15 at the stop.
It spins freely, with no detents between numbers.
No markings other than the numbers.
The back has two folded-over tabs, mounting maybe?
The teeth are the same thickness.
The only wear spot is where the tips of the teeth have worn slightly into the base.
HH
MC

Just to refresh the details submitted by Musclecar back in 2007.

*added. Since it is made from aluminum and up until 1859 aluminum was more valuable than gold. I'm guessing it probably wasn't even manufactured until after 1915 or so when the price of aluminum came down to $40.00 a Kilo

 

[Skrimpy]

...an old homestead (circa 1950's) in a treed area by the river...
...Soldotna, Alaska...
...It is all aluminum, weighs .4 oz, and measures 2 5/8" square.

Ok. I didn't remember seeing this one. Either I was too lazy to read the whole thing or just plain forgot, but thanks!
1. Just because there was a house there in 1950 doesn't mean there wasn't one there between 1867 and 1950 (ie need the property records)
2. Need ALL tax records pertinent to this property (1867-1997).
3. Need any map you can get your hands on, property or Beers would be best for late 1800s. Tax and Sanborns for 1900s on.
4. Census records may help for occupation of the landowner if you can get names from the property records. 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. If your still looking the 1940 comes out next year.

The reason for all this would be if this house were a place of business, possibly a farm, you would want to know what kind of business or farm it was. It might help narrow the search (although not necessarily) of what exactly this thing is. Being it is Alaska, and possibly rural, my money is on either some kind of appliance control, or the chicken/egg counter, neither of which I know anything about.

 

[Copperhead]

I'm stumped...Maybe you could donate it to Octo-mom to use as a kid counter....

 

[Michelle]

I'm stumped...Maybe you could donate it to Octo-mom to use as a kid counter....

 

[Michelle]

...an old homestead (circa 1950's) in a treed area by the river...
...Soldotna, Alaska...
...It is all aluminum, weighs .4 oz, and measures 2 5/8" square.

Ok. I didn't remember seeing this one. Either I was too lazy to read the whole thing or just plain forgot, but thanks!
1. Just because there was a house there in 1950 doesn't mean there wasn't one there between 1867 and 1950 (ie need the property records)
2. Need ALL tax records pertinent to this property (1867-1997).
3. Need any map you can get your hands on, property or Beers would be best for late 1800s. Tax and Sanborns for 1900s on.
4. Census records may help for occupation of the landowner if you can get names from the property records. 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. If your still looking the 1940 comes out next year.

The reason for all this would be if this house were a place of business, possibly a farm, you would want to know what kind of business or farm it was. It might help narrow the search (although not necessarily) of what exactly this thing is. Being it is Alaska, and possibly rural, my money is on either some kind of appliance control, or the chicken/egg counter, neither of which I know anything about.

Soldotna, Alaska was or is a fishing town....isnt most of alaska? (Someone may have mentioned this already)

In 1947, after World War II, United States government allowed settling of land on parts of the Kenai Peninsula under the Homestead Act. Veterans of the United States armed services were given a 90-day preference over non-veterans in selecting land and filing for property. Also in that year, the Sterling Highway right-of-way was cleared of trees from Cooper Landing to Kenai. The location of present-day Soldotna was selected as the site for the highway's bridge crossing the Kenai River.

 

[Marbleguy]

It's from a post office scale..

I found it's twin buried in the Mojave Desert,Ca near the ghost town I live in

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: It's from a post office scale..

I found it's twin buried in the Mojave Desert,Ca near the ghost town I live in

can u post a pic?

 

[fmerg]

the only things i can say is the two vee shaped knock outs look like they belong on a thin rod
the 15 half round sections look like a dowel would move the "count" one space at a time stopping the dowel after 15 moves
i have seen the v shape knock outs used to hang items befor and some of my older toys use the same setup
to lock the axels in place

now to figure out what uses a 15 cycle count

 

[montepollock]

An Indiana YankeeID,Ed this as being used on poultry crates with 15 being maximum safe amount per crate.with multiple crates on truck made it easier to keep track of those sold,maybe with different types in each crate IE Hens roosters roasters layers,ETC

 

[trikikiwi]

An Indiana YankeeID,Ed this as being used on poultry crates with 15 being maximum safe amount per crate.with multiple crates on truck made it easier to keep track of those sold,maybe with different types in each crate IE Hens roosters roasters layers,ETC

That sounds believable, but we need to see at least, hard evidence of another one.
(Before the Wine flows )
If they were on poultry crates there should be many around, I think.
But .....

Mike

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

An Indiana YankeeID,Ed this as being used on poultry crates with 15 being maximum safe amount per crate.with multiple crates on truck made it easier to keep track of those sold,maybe with different types in each crate IE Hens roosters roasters layers,ETC

I doubt it. For one reason the dial will not stay on a given number. With any motion at all of the truck, or the crates, and this cheap dial will move off the set number and be useless as a counter. It can only be a counter if it stays completely motionless... and even then the dial might move. Goody says the dial spins freely and there are no indents to hold it on a set number.

 

[Michelle]

An Indiana YankeeID,Ed this as being used on poultry crates with 15 being maximum safe amount per crate.with multiple crates on truck made it easier to keep track of those sold,maybe with different types in each crate IE Hens roosters roasters layers,ETC

I doubt it. For one reason the dial will not stay on a given number. With any motion at all of the truck, or the crates, and this cheap dial will move off the set number and be useless as a counter. It can only be a counter if it stays completely motionless... and even then the dial might move. Goody says the dial spins freely and there are no indents to hold it on a set number.

hmmmm.... back to the 's

Cy....Get that huge gray book ...the one with the 1,000,000,000 pages "All about these kinda things" down and find this thing Will Ya?!!!!! lol

 

[savant365]

I still say it an old rain guage. (And no I can't prove it, I'm just stubborn and always think I'm right)

 

[dozer dan]

I'm sure this has already been asked....... but,
are the measurements between the tines the same or
do they gradually get a tiny bit wider?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I still say it an old rain guage. (And no I can't prove it, I'm just stubborn and always think I'm right)

Rain guage with a dial? http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/mechanics/Engineer-Mechanic-Encyclopedia-Vol1/Rain-Gauge.html

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

The Alaskan version: