✅ 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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[kyphote]

Dear True Grit ~

I like your suggestion about where to find old, printed advertising articles, and have actually looked into this. The truth is -- there are lots of them! Bummer is, most if not all of them charge a fee to view/copy from their "massive" inventories. This is especially true with the old newspaper websites ... lots of everyday old newspapers all the way back to ... ? A long ways! But they charge pretty hefty fees to examine the goods!

So if anybody knows of a free site with images of old newspabers, magazines, etc., please post a link to it for those of us who would like to check it out.

Thanks a mil'

SBB

I get the feeling Big Cy has quite the collection of old sales catalogs. It's either him or the Library of Congress.

 

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[SODABOTTLEBOB]

I'm not sure if this will help, but it can't hurt!

My brother pointed out to me that there has to be a specific reason why the numbers are intended to be read "sideways." Surely if it were intended to be read with the prongs/tabs on the bottom and top, the manufacturer would have positioned the numbers accordingly. But they didn't! For some reason (as yet unknown) the numbers are sideways as in BigCy's photo below. Of course, the questions still remain ... "Why?" and "For Counting What?" I can't answer these right at the moment, but ...

"I believe this is a strong, bonified clue worth serious consideration!"

You just never know where the next clue will pop up next.



SBB

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Yes I also believe it was meant to read sideways (reply #1002) and it was meant to be turned by a finger, one increment at a time.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

One picture is worth a thousand words!

Rather than trying to explain where I'm going with this sideways counting IDea, I have attached the photo of a vintage card game (cribbage) score keeper. (Probably not the best example, but the only one I could currently find). Maybe, just maybe the item was partially enclosed inside of something as shown here, which may in part explain the possible missing part(s). Or ... perhaps it was attached to a box or similar container with only a portion of the finger dial and the numbers being exposed. No doubt this has already been discussed, (remember my poor memory?), but possibly still worthy of re-researching ...

RE-BOB

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

One picture is worth a thousand words!

Rather than trying to explain where I'm going with this sideways counting IDea, I have attached the photo of a vintage card game (cribbage) score keeper. Maybe, just maybe the item was partially enclosed inside of something as shown here, which may in part explain the possible missing part(s). Or ... perhaps it was attached to a box or similar container with only a portion of the finger dial and the numbers being exposed. No doubt this has already been discussed, (remember my poor memory), but possibly still worthy of re-researching ...

RE-BOB

I dont know if its been mentioned, but a card game scorekeeper is a possibility because using it inside, where it wont be moved much, it could stay on the number.

As far as it being enclosed, I wonder why it has a pointer? Dont forget the stop tab sticking up would scrape, so maybe it was open? Im thinking the only pieces missing are on the backside. I found it odd that there are no marks to show how it was mounted. The tiny holes in each corner show no screw marks.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Someone mentioned a pool ball counter. The diameter at the tip of a pool stick is most commonly 12.75 - 14 millimeters (half an inch or a little more).
The sprocket teeth openings are smaller than 1/2" so a pool stick tip would not fit.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

HELP!

I'm off on another wild-goose chase and need some help!

I found the following text on one of those "Patient Sites" which describes what they call a "wrist dial" worn by tennis players years ago. But I can't find an image of one and was hoping someone could help so as to put me out of my misery.

Thanks in advance ...

SBB

~ * ~

Prior to better inventions, a number of dial-type tennis score keepers have been used. For the most part these dial type tennis score keeping devices are adapted to be worn on the player's wrist. These dial-type score keepers are alike in the number of significant disadvantages and drawbacks they share.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

OK Bob. Although this has been mentioned before, I dont think it was actually ever tried, so I cut out a crude cardboard box in an attempt to duplicate a casing.

​

The finger actuated part worked fine but I cant see the purpose of the pointer in this scenario. Here it is on number 12 and 14.


It seems a problem arises when I try to turn to number 15. The pointer, tab stop, and half of number 15 all appear in the window. It just doesnt look right.


I also couldnt see the purpose of the tabs. I bent the cardboard every which way trying to attach it. Maybe the tabs are so it could be attached inside and removed for repair and/or replacement but the real problem here was trying to reset back to zero, one number at a time just didnt seem right either.


All in all, I could see this attached to a belt. The belt clip would be where the part has broken off. To read it you would remove it from the belt and hold it sideways. Or if its a 15 count, it would stop and no need to look down and read it.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

BigCy ~

Good job!

I like the (1 pic vs 1000 word) approach.

And I agree with you that it doesn't make sense to be enclosed.

"Exterior Mounted" is the road I'm heading down next!


SBB

 

[kyphote]

My apologies if this has been answered, but in what sort of area was this found (residential? industrial? a field in the middle of nowhere?). Also, what kind of items were dug nearby? Was it a junky location? Finally, were there any utilities in the area such a power station, water treatment, etc? Thanks.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

My apologies if this has been answered, but in what sort of area was this found (residential? industrial? a field in the middle of nowhere?). Also, what kind of items were dug nearby? Was it a junky location? Finally, were there any utilities in the area such a power station, water treatment, etc? Thanks.

Musclecar was the finder. If he sees this maybe he can help. It was sold on eBay. Goodyguy bought it later sending it to me. All I remember is an abandoned 50's homestead in an area with trees by a river in Alaska 2" deep.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

This is a quote from GoodGuy's post # 1046

( I guess I'm not the only one with a poor memory! LOL )

"According to Musclecar It was found In 1996 on an old homestead (circa 1950's) in a treed area by the river, in Soldotna, Alaska. It was about 2 inches deep."

SBB

 

[mojjax]

Dear True Grit ~

I like your suggestion about where to find old, printed advertising articles, and have actually looked into this. The truth is -- there are lots of places! Bummer is, most if not all of them charge a fee to view/copy from their "massive" inventories. This is especially true with the old newspaper websites ... lots of everyday old newspapers all the way back to ... ? A long ways! But they charge pretty hefty fees to examine the goods!

So if anybody knows of a free site with images of old newspabers, magazines, etc., please post a link to it for those of us who would like to check it out.

Thanks a mil'

SBB

I dug out my only poultry catalog , It has a lot of interesting thermostatically controlled equipment . No counters .
I wonder if the 1-15 on the mystery item could stand for Weeks

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

If its a control thermostat, we will probably never find what it came from.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Okay ... So here I go again out on another limb. (Actually, I'm on three limbs at once).

But this time it comes from my dad who will soon be 88 years old, and grew up on a combination chicken/turkey ranch. (Although, he still calls it the "farm.") Anyway, it was a fairly small farm and they didn't have all the modern advances that the larger commercial farms had. But he does recall that part of his daily chores involved keeping track of how many eggs individual chickens laid. And when a particular chicken began decreasing their expected output, well ... that chicken became dinner.

But in dad's case, he had to keep track of all this on index cards. Plus each and every chicken was banded with an individual number. I'm still not clear as to how all of this was accomplished with there being so many chickens, but dad said it was extremely important to keep track of production.

So "maybe" the item is some kind of egg counter ... and it's even possible the item was fastened sideways with the two bendable tabs to secure it, and the other "flat" tabs were designed to slip an index card underneath so as to make notes.

I know this is far fetched ... but hey, like father like son!

Signed ... "The Chicken Pluckers!"

 

[Tigerbuilder]

Believe me, definitely Not an aircraft part. My guess is attached to a piece of cloth or leather and hung around the neck of some young lady and used to count dances used or owed (USO) in the 40s..

 

[mojjax]

Okay ... So here I go again out on another limb. (Actually, I'm on three limbs at once).

But this time it comes from my dad who will soon be 88 years old, and grew up on a combination chicken/turkey ranch. (Although, he still calls it the "farm.") Anyway, it was a fairly small farm and they didn't have all the modern advances that the larger commercial farms had. But he does recall that part of his daily chores involved keeping track of how many eggs individual chickens laid. And when a particular chicken began decreasing their expected output, well ... that chicken became dinner.

But in dad's case, he had to keep track of all this on index cards. Plus each and every chicken was banded with an individual number. I'm still not clear as to how all of this was accomplished with there being so many chickens, but dad said it was extremely important to keep track of production.

So "maybe" the item is some kind of egg counter ... and it's even possible the item was fastened sideways with the two bendable tabs to secure it, and the other "flat" tabs were designed to slip an index card underneath so as to make notes.

I know this is far fetched ... but hey, like father like son!

Signed ... "The Chicken Pluckers!"

Hey Bob , sounds like you could of used one of these Removes 8.000 feathers in 15 seconds !

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

mojjax ~

Thanks a lot ... but you failed to mention how many feathers the average chicken has. So I will be expecting you to research this soon. LoL Maybe the item is a feather counter, and GoodGuy will loan it to you for this feather counting task. ?

Bob

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

I had the day off today and spent so much time on the computer researching this darn thing, I didn't think anyone would mind my posting the following link. It pretty much tells you everything you could possibly want to know about the number 15 ...

I'm blurry eyed and haven't looked at all of it yet, but thought someone else might benifit and find something of interest. And in closing, how is it possible to Google something like ... "Aluminum Device With 15 Numbered Dial" and get 36,000 results, but still not find a single clue? (Not necessary to respond ... I already know the answer).

BOGGLEDBOB

http://www.answers.com/topic/15-number#In_other_fields

 

[trikikiwi]

Bob, great to see the huge effort you are putting in to help solve this mystery, but a couple of points;
I had commented very early in the piece that I believe the device counts only to 14 - not 15. I am pleased to note BCH is also agreeing on this factor.
Also, forget it being a tennis scoring device, tennis is scored 15 then 30 then 40.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis_score

In one of my earlier posts (#164) I suggested, the following, after someone else mentioned a measurement device for seeds or grain.
I wouldn't mind betting there's a connection to a bushel = 56 pounds of Alaskan corn at 15.5% moisture content - according to a mixture of searches I did today. 56 quartered = 14 which is all the wheel counts up to - the 15 is The Stop

Keep up the good work

Cheers, Mike