Posted 7 years ago
Jaduardo
(1 item)
I came across this tool labeled Beloit Iron Works.
The base is cast brass (presumably, it really has more of a copper color). There is a swiveling/sliding brass plate mounted with a spring loaded knurled nob and what looks like degrees of angle marked on it. Finally, there is sliding stainless steel arc that can be fixed in place with two knurled nobs.
Beloit Iron Works was a company from Wisconsin that made mostly paper making equipment.
Any ideas?
Gunner's quadrant for mortars. Should have a spirit level, so I may be wrong.
That's a tantalizing clue, blunderbuss2, but doesn't seem quite right. There is no apparent mounting site for the spirit level. The other thing that seems very different is the units on the main casting -- they're not linear.
It may be a clue to how it is used, though. Thanks.
I think the small scale on the brass piece is some kind of Vernier scale to give a more accurate reading than what can be read off the moveable scale alone. The little brass part screwed to the arc would be the indicator. It almost has to measure an angle. However, after careful study I can't begin to figure out how the various parts would work together in a fashion that would make some kind of measurement.
There seem to be "feet" on the edge where the name is cast. The moveable arc has a "tip" that can be adjusted until it is stopped by something.
Is there any way the moveable scale can be adjusted so that its zero line aligns with an edge of the brass frame?
MDR- I was thinking that too, although it does appear to be a self-contained tool. The company has a lot of patents but none that I found were remotely like this.
Thanks for your help UncleRon, MacDaddyRico and BlunderBuss2. Good observations. Here are a few more clues that you've helped me recognize.
* The moveable arc (brass plate) can be stopped by the stainless arc, but only if slid to "high". If at the low point in the slide, it can be spun 360%, however...
* At the high point in the slide, 0% the arc rotates exactly at the point of the lower foot (per Uncle Ron). This picture shows it: https://imgur.com/a/28hZB
* Notice also in the previous picture that after 0%, the edge of the arc turns flat. You can't rotate it any further.
* If you slide the arc (brass plate) to its lowest position, and the flat side of the plate is flush with the surface, the copper-like casting is indexed to zero as in this picture: https://imgur.com/yzWF0CB
* Also, when sitting on its feet, with the stainless arc is also nearly at its maximum retraction (for lack of a better term), the index pointer is at "0". (I have not moved the index pointer since acquiring the device.) This is in both the pictures above.
* Weirdly, the "0" indication on the index pointer is just beyond the 120 mark on the copper-like casting. So the scale goes from 10 to 120 and then to 0. My initial thought was this was a logarithmic scale. Could be the number of sheets on a roll of paper? Could we somehow be measuring something akin to sheets on a toilet paper roll?
* There doesn't seem to be any place to mount this on a larger machine. No obvious mounting points, no clamping marks. Also, the nature of the knurled nobs makes me thing it was meant to carry a measurement from one point to another.
* I think of stainless steel as a post-1960's "thing". My intuition is that this is from the 60's - 8o's.
Again, I appreciate your input and welcome any more ideas. I live in Milwaukee and Beloit is only about an hour away. There's a historical society there with a lot of background on Beloit Iron Works. I may contact them and see if there's anyone down there with history on the thing. I'll report back if/when I do.
- Jaduardo
One last thought. Since I found it not-so-far from Beloit, and it appears not to be pulled off a machine, could it be a technician's calibrating device?
I think that when you find out what this is it will be a proprietary tool for some kind of measurement/adjustment on a Beliot paper machine and it has no other use. That's why we can't figure it out.
BTW, unless it's marked, I wouldn't assume that the arc is stainless steel. Any quality steel that is highly polished will look like that. Stainless was invented in 1911 and by 1920 it was becoming popular in commercial applications.
I agree with Ron, in that this device was part of a larger assembly, as opposed to a stand alone pocket tool. One of the reasons is because the notch on the back side of it. I see no other purpose for it, other than a alignment mounting notch? During WWII Beloit made several types of machines for the war effort, including lathes, milling machines, etc., so the plot thickens.....If you really want to know, i think your best bet is to contact the link below first, as this device will surely be in one of their many machine manuals of the past. IMO
http://www.beloithistoricalsociety.com/ironworks.php
I see that too MacD and agree with you. As was said, this is why we are not finding it, IMO. I looked for it myself including a patent search, and found nothing on it, as a stand alone tool.
Thanks everyone. I've sent an email to the historical society. Hopefully I'll hear back.
Good luck! When you hear from them you may want to re-post the item.
Bingo!.... Your Tool is called a "BELOIT BLADE ANGLE TOOL". Open the link below, and go to page 16 to see it, and how it is used.
http://www.ppsa.org/assets/SafetyMaterialsandGuide/beloit_reel_maintenance_instructions.pdf
lzenglish, you are a magician! That is an amazing find. Thank you!
Your Very Welcome!
Great work, lzenglish!
Thanks Ron!
Let me know when the Cliff Notes come out. LOL ! Good solve.
Thanks BB2. I just hope that one day, we can find you a Gunners Mortar Quadrant here on CW! Lol PS, Who is this Mr. "Cliff Note", that you speak of? LMAO !!!!!!
Actually Izenglish, I gave one, with case & strap, away a few yrs back.