Posted 11 years ago
syekey1
(7 items)
I posted this about two weeks ago, but in order to add more photos, I am posting again.
We saw this at our favorite junk/antique/vintage store and I am SO curious as to what it is. The owner has never seen one and doesn’t know what it is. He took it to a clockmaker who said it isn’t a clock, but he also doesn’t know what it is. Has anyone ever seen one, or know what this is??
The two larger faces start at 100 at the top and go in increments of 5. The hand on the left moves clockwise and the one on the right moves counterclockwise. The small middle face has 50 at the top and also goes clockwise in increments of 5. On that smaller face is an even smaller gauge (?) that measures (?) in thousandths. There are 16 (finger tabs?) at the bottom that when pushed move the hands on the faces. Each finger tab has a place where a small metal flag with a number on it hangs. Most of them were missing, but I think they ran 1 through 8 on one side and 8 down to 1 on the other side. The tabs on the left are zinc colored, and the ones on the right are brass. Above the finger tabs is a wheel that turns. It has numbers from 1 to 24, and each time it turns it displays one number counting up to 24. There is a re-set button to make all the hands point straight up, and the 1 through 24 wheel go to the number 1. Because it has a wheel with the numbers 1 through 24, that makes me think of the hours in a day, but I have no idea if that’s correct. On the back there is a place to fit a key to wind this thing. It is missing the two panels that folded up to enclose it, but originally it had two wooden sides that came up to surround it so that it could be protected and carried; so whatever it was once used for, it was portable, and about the size of a briefcase. There’s a small handle on the top. There is a small angel on one side, and a place where another one sat on the other side, but it’s no longer there. Anyone have any idea what it is? It was found in a horse barn, although we have no idea if that has any bearing on where it was originally used. There are no maker's marks, or dates.
Help me! My curiosity is burning!!
stunning and I still say very very late 18 th century.
Hi, the fingertabs do have numbers as I can partially see in one of the pictures. Could you tell what the numbers are? Do the fingertabs control the dials on the side the fingertabs are located at?
If so, what makes the wheel with numbers up to 24 move?
No serial number, patent dates or any other info on the machine?
You are stating that it had two wooden sides which are missing now; are the wooden sides the ones which are still pictured but then were removed and lost?
Please provide answers and I may be able to figure it out...