Posted 12 years ago
superharley
(3 items)
I have had this for many years but can not find out much about it. It is oak and very heavy. My parents found this on a farm in Iowa back in the 60's when they did antiques shopping. It looks like a pulley of some sort.
I believe it is a split line shaft pulley.
They were made in two parts so they could be placed onto an existing line shaft in a plant.
Link & image
http://awwm.wordpress.com/hanging-a-line-shaft/
Well, walksoftly pegs another one. This first caught my attention because of the construction. Lots of the old & newer homemade banjo "pots" are made this way including both of mine. Even down to the wood dowels thru the felloes. Certainly not banjo quality but I love old wood construction like this. Leather belts probably ran on this.
Thanks B'buss, I love wood as well.
Lots of wood working equipment ran on this type of line shaft pulley & it would have used a leather or fabric belt.
There are shops that still use the line shaft arrangement, but are rare.
They were used in all types of manufacturing & repair facilities.
Yeah, I've been around them & they are really noisy.
The only working one that I've seen was in a blacksmith shop in the late 70's.