guesses on what this thing is???

One of the regulars over on my trapping forum found this brass piece and is trying to figure out what it was used for. This gentleman lives in rural Alberta and is very mechanical, much more than I'll ever be. I told him that there was a lot of knowledge about machinery on this forum so please take a look if you want. He wondered why it would have been made from brass???



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Rog, not sure what it is as I've never seen one before but it's my guess that it's brass to either withstand the elements or was just a material that was around in plenty. I had a compass that was encased in brass once apon a time. Gave it to my father as a gift.

-Matt

For your viewing pleasure: (The images are linked from the original poster over in the Trapping forum so they may disappear at any time)







Maybe military?

Jon.

I hate stuff like this...now I'm going to think about it all night. LOL

Looks like the center out of some sort of small pulley or winch...something they wrapped cord on?

...something off of a boat...flagpole?

My guess and only guessing used in instrument of some type with the knurled knobs and numbing being maybe QA references. Brass is also used when the tools need to be "spark proof". Love these challenges!

Really looking forward to an answer

I was thinking some sort of belt went on it but brass wouldn't typically be tough enough to be long lasting as a pully/roller type of thing unless its turning was not very fast and/or forceful such as Big Burt suggested an instrument. I'll guess two things, 1) its probably older than me (52), and 2) it wasn't made in China

Dakota,

Is there any chance your contact could take a few more photos from more angles? For one, I'm curious to see if the grooves around the back of the two cup-like things are spiral, like screw threads, or just go straight around.

I'm kinda wondering if it was some sort of old-style electrical fuse clip, where one half of this doodad was connected to each end of a big round fuse and the bumps on the ends clipped into something else. So the 2 halves were only put together to keep the parts from getting lost.

It also looks like this device doesn't actually hold itself together any more than loosely... unless the grooves we cannot see are spiral.

Jon.

My guesses.
1. Scent Box that would be left with a trap. 2. Bait box for old crab traps.
3. Cricket box
4. Hand seed sower that would be rolled along the row?

The glare on the numbers and the makers mark are hard to see, maybe a video of how it goes together ,comes apart.

After looking at that thing for far too long I came up with a wire dispenser of some kind? Due to the smooth inside cups and the slot it looks like a spool of wire? Could spin inside of it freely. Then maybe a leather belt with button holes it it to snap on the brass buttons for a handle.
Oh well I guess I’m over tired. Good night!

Hmmmm, that one sounds good. If not wire how about some sort of heavy thread, like wool?? Maybe part of a loom then? I think they used to raise a good number of woolies in Alberta back in the day.

Here are some more pictures and trappintime's greater description down towards the current bottom of the thread (that forum doesn't number the individual posts) . He says he won't be taking the pixs down.

http://www.wild-about-trapping.com/f...192462#p192462

...some kind of line splice for tension?

I was thinking some sort of dispenser, too, but looking at the inside of the slot where the wire, string, whatever would be expected to come out--it isn't worn at all. The edges of the brass are still square and sharp, like it was never used....???

Jon.