Posted 9 years ago
DonnieB
(1 item)
Length 3", width 2" thickness of rings 1/4", thickness of "legs" 1/2"
Hinged leg is free moving. Looks like something has broken off of the top of ring that is opposite the moving leg.
Unknown farm tool | ||
| Tools and Hardware5782 of 10103 |  |  |
We like on a 100+yr old farm. Tool was found here.
Looks like something you would use to unlock chickens so they can start laying eggs . . . OK, just kidding. No idea what it is but I can tell you that nothing has broken off. That "broken" spot is the remains of the "gate" from the casting process when it was made. The mold to make that half of the tool had many identical cavities, each making that part, lined up along a channel with a small opening called a"gate" into each cavity. Molten iron was poured into the channel and it flowed into all the cavities. When it cooled the parts were simply broken off. If finish quality was not important the gate mark was simply left unfinished.
Thanks UncleRon, that makes perfect sense. the gate comment, not the chicken one. ;-) Wish we knew what it was built for..... I'm sure there is an interesting story behind it.