Test your skills on this one! Spent years trying to ID this.

Over 16,629 posts and STILL we don't know.

B

   Well, 308 posts... Over 16,629 views... but it is frustrating that none of us know for sure, with our diverse backgrounds.      Update: MrsO, I didn't mean to be nit-picky on the numbers... I'm re-trying to quit smoking, and things aren't coming out of my "mouth" quite right. Sorry.

I would have to agree along the lines of some sort of spring timer counter deal.  Think of 15 hour clocks (rewind every 15 hours).  My grandmother had one and it had a similar dial to that one, not exact, but similar.  You would wind it and it would allow you to see how many hours you had left until it needed to be rewound again.

That's just my thought, though.  All these guesses and no one knows yet.  Wow.

Aeryck

I still hate this thing... I hate it... 


I freakin' hate it.

I don't know which is worse,

This thing or the pig nuts

OD

As the original poster of this abomination, I appologize for causing so much grief.  If 10 fine treasure hunters say "delete",, I will!  But, someday, someone will recognize it and solve the mystery item.  I would like to know, and I am sure all of you who have posted here would like to know as well.  I spent hours trying to find something out about this thing, and I know a lot of you have too.  THANK you to all who have spent time researching, and posting ideas:)

MC

Hi MC,
If I'm allowed to vote, I say it's got to stay. Someone will ID it for us all, one day.
 
I can imagine a lot of people have put in quite a bit of research on the little 'bleep' bleep bleep' bleep'

Personally, when someone previously suggested it clipped to an animal cage, I tracked down a veterinarian clinic in Soldotna, and e-mailed them the pics. The lovely people there replied, they had shown the pics all round, but only had all the usual 'counter' type answers.

Also, I'm still waiting on a friend to show the 'bleep bleep' to someone he knows, who flew as a pilot for 5 years in Alaska.

Plus, there's always my promise of a bottle of NZ wine to the 'answer provider with proof'.

Let's keep it alive.

Cheers, Mike

Keep it here... someday - God willing... someone will KNOW what it is... and not just what it is not. 

This is an awesome whatsit MC...

maybe it adjusts drag,tension like on a fishinng reel

I submitted a pic of it to a show that supposedly thrives on identifying oddities. Hopefully they will be able to identify this thorn in my side, lol...

                                   DANGLANGLEY

 my vote is it stays -- one day some great person will find it out and be properly rewarded by of all of us who have seen the "beast" that refuses to be IDed and spent countless hours trying to kill it -- Ivan

Heck yes !
Keep it on here.

Just because it has become an albatross,
doesn't mean there isn't someone who will see and ID it.

Let er ride.

LOL
The more the merrier

OD

beowolf --- thats it ---- its  the "monster"

I submitted a pic of it to a show that supposedly thrives on identifying oddities. Hopefully they will be able to identify this thorn in my side, lol...

                                   DANGLANGLEY

Was it this site ?

Very cool learning site ,but they don't have the answer

http://pzphotosan168-zx.blogspot.com/

Cheers, Mike

Okay, here's my take on the thing.

It's part of an automatic preset counter. Say you want to count out 9 items. You'd turn the numbered index dial to '9', then snap in the end of a control arm into that rounded slot. (Or maybe a gear-type wheel that fits into the slot opposite the arrow.)  When the machinery advances the index dial 9 places, the upraised tab stops against the arrow, causing another mechanism to reverse the dial, which starts the cycle all over again, counting out another 9 items, etc.

Probably the only way to figure out exactly what it is is to do a patent search (maybe freepatentsonline, or something.)

It's a sex timer!!!


14 minute limit,when it hits 15..you're done, even if you weren't!!  ;)

I have just discovered that I have absolutely NO IDEA what this thing is!!!! Since there's no patent numbers or anything on it that I can see, then it's a part of something bigger.  This thing drives me batty too.

But leave the thing on here........someone has to ID it sooner or later!!!

-SgtSki

heres my guess maybe it went to a toy for a child??

I have a question.Are all the teeth the same size,and are all the curves the same size? I was wondering if its some sort of gage?

I belive what you have is a internal part of a gas vapor meter

I go with the golf stroke counter...It looks like it was meant to be finger turned, and with the stop on ity, the only other thing it could be would be some kind of indicator dial for something like volume control, ect.
The tabs look like they would hold to a canvas golf bag nicely.
Also, seeing nothing on the bottom of the thing, it did not control any other device...It WAS a simple 1-15 counter.
If I ever got 15 strokes on ANY golf hole, I would give up golf...lol
My final guess....GOLF STROKE COUNTER...
Perhaps geo was right...It does look a lot like the insides of an old Zebco fishing real...the drag wheel...

LandStar

Roll it down a machine gun's ammo belt and stick in a tracer every 15th round, and/ or then the 5th and 10th.

Add me to list of people that are tormented by this thing.  I'm truly astonished that nobody has been able to ID it yet!

I think it was designed to be disposable because it is punched out of light material and dosn't look like it would take much abuse before it was bent or broken IMHO.

I can't recall if someone else mentioned this or not, but it looks like it might be something used to set equipment on a weather balloon or a similar type of disposable equipment... ?

Just another idea to add to the pile...

I am new here so I will take a stab at guessing. I will say it's part of an old parking meter. But I am sure someone already said that.

I am new here so I will take a stab at guessing. I will say it's part of an old parking meter. But I am sure someone already said that.

Welcome to Treasure Net!!!  I think it was very brave of you to jump in here and guess... especially on your first post!     


Anyone here have parking meter experience?
   

Anyone here have parking meter experience?
   

Remarkably, I do have some parking meter experience.  Years ago, engineers in our firm helped develop a modern electronic parking meter like you would expect to see on the street today. (we designed the mechanics, another firm developed the electronics)

At the time I handled  traditional mechanical meters that were common prior to the 1980's and I also got to play with modern electronic meters... I don't recall any parts like the one in question.

BUT there are many differnet designs and manufactuers of parking meters, plus some have accused me of having a failing memory... so I don't want to discount the idea totally...  :-)

Frogwizard, wlcome to TNet!  It is very good that you are jumping into the fray and putting for good ideas and comments.  Welcome and I look forward to reading your posts.  Cheeers!  CC

Could it be a counter to count down the days of Horse Quarantines (mares 15 days)

A counter to be attached to the stall.

Quarantine Fees

    * $1,955 = Mares (15 days)
    * $2,120 = Mares with foals (15 days)
    * $4,950 = Stallions (30 days)

From what I understood in the article is that horses imported to the U.S.A. are required to be quarantined for the above required days.

Tony

Personally,
I think Frogwizard has a big future on TNet
Welcome from me Fw

Is there anybody out there? 
who agrees with me, that

"it" only counts to 14

15 is blocked

Cheers, Mike

Traditional pinwheel calculators.
 Facit "Standard"
Digits: 9 keyboard, 10 counter, 15 accumulator
Dimensions: 170W x 170D x 140H, overall width 310mm
Weight: 6.8 kg
Manufactured: Sweden, 1924-1931

The "Standard" was the second machine to carry the Facit brand, and the first to be built under Atvidaberg Industries.

This is an early machine from the 1920s, on an original wooden base. The base has been shortened on the right-hand side at some stage in its 80-year history, and the cover has been lost. The mounting for the the lock can be seen towards the right-hand front, at what would once have been the centre.

The rotor has 9 places, with a quick-clearing lever at the left-hand side. The 10-digit counter register is fixed in the body of the machine above the setting levers, with a 15-digit accumulator mounted in the moving carriage. The tens-carry on the accumulator extends to 13 places, with an overflow bell mounted externally on the left-hand end of the carriage. The counter and accumulator are cleared with just half a turn of the large wing nuts.

The counter register on this machine uses complementary red and white figures. Later versions (1928-31) provided a full tens-carry mechanism.

The carriage can be moved one step in either direction by pressing the two keys at the left front of the machine, or it can be moved continuously by turning the large knob on the left-hand side. One of the ten keys along the front is pressed down to raise an internal stop, and the knob is turned to bring the carriage rapidly to the required position. The stop keys are numbered on the metal escutcheon plate, and the active position is clearly shown through a peep-hole above the centre of the carriage. The positioning mechanism operates through a lead-screw, so that the carriage remains firmly in place with no ratchets or detents.


May be just maybe

Thank you all for the welcome. I don't own a detector but I want to. So, until then, I want to learn all I can about it. You people are so great to help others like you do. I haven't read all posts yet, but the ones I have read, you all are a great help and sooooooo good at id'ing the weirdest looking things. I am getting such a kick out of this site!  Again, thank you all for welcoming me to your site.

I keep running into this post. My brain hurts. Now I won’t sleep AGAIN tonight

If you don't sleep, you can't have nightmares about this wicked thing.

Daryl

early birth control guage.

Here's my observations and suggestions:

It doesn't appear to have any electrical contact points that distinguish number 1 from 2 from 3, etc.

It appears that the wheel can be easily moved from number 1 through number 15, probably by a right-handed person using their thumb.

There is a "stop" at number 15.  It appears to be easy to reset back to number 1.

My guess would be that it is a 15 step manual production counter.

Perhaps it was used by employees (trained monkeys) in an early production line: 
set-up step 1, do step 1, eat a banana / set-up step 2, do step 2, eat a banana, etc.

Perhaps it was used by farm workers to keep track of planting or watering cycles.

Perhaps it was used by gun/ammo reloaders in a 15 step reloading process.

/.02

Okay, I gotta take my shot at this.

It's part of a baseball counter, the old ones the umpires had, similar to this:

I hope I get this photo stuff right.
As for what this thing was----THE HELL IF I KNOW!!!!   

Shortstack, you are onto it with your analysis I think, and I think the 15 is the key.  Who the hell would have a counter that goes to 15 and not some other higher, more round number, if it's not counting a unit of time?  It's a quarter of a minute, or quarter of an hour, or could be half a month.  Angelo has a great idea with the horse quarentine thing.

Could it be off of an old gas pump?

It's a sex timer!!!


14 minute limit,when it hits 15..you're done, even if you weren't!!  ;)

Now all I have to do is figure out what to do with the rest of the fourteen minutes on the timer.  LMAO!!

I can't believe this thing is still going.  It's gotta be a record!!

I submitted a pic of it to a show that supposedly thrives on identifying oddities. Hopefully they will be able to identify this thorn in my side, lol...

                                   DANGLANGLEY

Was it this site ?

Very cool learning site ,but they don't have the answer

http://pzphotosan168-zx.blogspot.com/

Cheers, Mike

Wow, sorry about not answering this question. Yes,  it is the same site. I thought they would have e-mailed me with an answer or at least tell me if they had no idea. Have a great night.

                                          DANGLANGLEY

Don't mean to get you guys going again but I have been silently watching this for awhile now (months and months and months) I can't find any thing to support my theory .....but, could it be the dispenser wheel from a vintage gumball or peanut machine??? JM2....................awright then......ummm...hmmm

Just had to bring it up again didn't you.     Just had to make us think about it again didn't you.       May a 1000 pull tabs & 1000 pop tops be in your future.     

Daryl

You guys cracked me up.
Thanks for the giggles.

WE HAVE SIMALAR STUFF IN OUR PARKS THEY ARE ON SPRINKLER TIMERS
THIS MIGHT BE A PLACE WORTH LOOKING.

AND I COULD BE THE MAN.
WHO ID IT

LOL

Sneak in and take a PICTURE. 

Daryl

I'm sure this has been tossed out already but...

Depth or line counter for a downrigger or trolling reel. Each mark would be 10 ft.

A worm gear or a nob would engage the star wheel moving once for each rotation of the gear.

Don't look beyond the facts.  A dial,  with teeth, indicative of a TV tuner control.
In the VHF tuner 10, the channels are arranged in a low frequency band (channels 2-6) and a high frequency band (channels 7-13). The VHF tuner incorporates a resonant circuit having parallel inductances arranged so that a permanent inductance is operative to determine the low frequency band. A shunt high frequency inductance is switched into operation to act in conjunction with the permanent inductance in determining the high frequency band. In the UHF tuner 15, the channels are arranged in an ultra high frequency band .

Simply a tuner from a tv, or even a CB radio.  No biggie.  Case closed. 

Well.....  The TV channel selector on my old set used to go all the way around and keep going.  This thing won't.  And who would be seeing the number in the window?

Logical yeah.  Case closed.  Not so sure.

Daryl

ummm...hmmmm, Daryl, your just down right mean aren't cha I already have my 1000 of each, but i'll gladly share them with everybody..... ....their free.......awright then....ummmm....hmmmm

Just take a picture.  It's worth a 1000 something I heard.  ;)

Daryl

470–512 MHz: TV channels 14–20, public safety

It is possible that the dial didn't turn around completely.  It is also possible that the tab has been bent upward.  Regardless,  the fact remains that Televisions were made with this channel dial pattern and is consistent with older sets. 

We are on the same team.  No worries. 

My first degree was in electronics in the late sixties and I have seen the inside of my share of old TVs.  I've never seen one that had channel numbers you viewed through a window inside the TV.  If they made them that way, I'm just saying take a photo of one and we can start looking in that direction.

Daryl

It's an external dial .  It's not inside the tv.   The part even reflects that the dial was made to "highlight" the channel selection.
Think past the prior listings.  Logic dictates that it is a dial that is tuned by the hand. (All older sets.)  Right?
Therefore, this set was the same.  What's the hold up. 

There is nothing extrodianary about the part.  It is a dial to 15. 

Just never seen one.  I assume this is only the indicator as there is no place to attach a knob or shaft to drive a set of contacts.  If we can find a diagram or photo of one, it would help.  The only external ones I have seen were plastic (bakelite) and the channel number was on the knob with a line indicating the channel.  Some older radio sets I've had (CB, Ham) had external dials and some had an internal dial with a window and a light shinning through but nothing like this.

If you can share a photo, please do.


Daryl

I'll look for a photo Darryl.

I remember a set that I had growing up where the knob pulled off and it was very similar to this, if not the same.  I think the set was made by Fisher, but unsure currently.
 
The original listing says that it is a 10 year find too.  It affirms the part is consistent with later technology.

Regards,

Fellow Metal detector





 

I know what you mean but this thing would be driven by something connected to the knob.  Never seen that - old or new.  Everything I have ever seen has had the channel indicator on the knob that turned - either outside engraved on the knob or inside through an illuminated window - never something driven by the knob.  That's where I have the problem with it being from an analog TV.  I'll look at old Fisher stuff just to check.

Here's the oldest images of a tuner I can find and the channel indicator is on the knob.  This is what I remember and yes they pulled off.

Daryl

I see why you are frustrated. 
You are looking too far out. 
I am speaking of a unit used in the late 70's or early 80's.  God,  do I still have it in my mom's garage? 

Jeez, I may still be watching one. 

I have looked at sites that have collections of vintage to modern TVs.  I couldn't find any analog tuners that didn't have the channel selector either on the dial or, as most of the ones in the 80' had, an illuminated window with the channel number.  Nothing even remotely like this aluminum cog-driven indicator driven by the channel changing knob.  Just not there.

Daryl

I'll find the photos..  It may be a while,  but I will. 

Process of elimination.  It's over 10 years old.  It has 15 channel dials.  It changes channels.

It's a channel tv dial or a CB dial.  I have seen this type of dial, where the cap is not the same as the dial.

John

And this from a person who spends thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours looking for "crape" in the ground.  Spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours and gets excited about a merc.  Spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours  and get excited about a wheatie.  Spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours and think $20 in clad was a great day 

That's what we do, right?

Daryl

You?   ;)

Daryl

Sorry.  My mistake.  I just thought you were pretty much like most of us with this disease.   

Daryl

Great scott, It's our flux capacitor , needed to get back to the future!

it looks like a chain barrell roller wear gauge. each # on the tool indicates more or less wear on the rollers between chain links (like motorcycle chains) that way you could replace them before the broke

Think it might be off an old woodworking tool (like a planer) where to adjust it you move the wheel with the points?

I think whomever suggested it mounts on a cage and is a hand operated
counter for whatever,  quarantine days, vaccination, gestation  on something
is right.  It appears to hang on a wire from the two V prongs and the two
tabs on the bottom are bent upward around the wire to secure it.  Looks like
it was used a little by the wear under the outside edge of the teeth but the tabs
to secure it were never bent up or were bent back so that you can't see they
were once bent up.

 If the distance between the two wires I photoshopped into the pic below
is close to two inches, seems like it would mount on standard cage wire
or dog fence material. 

Just a thought,  how long do you have to quarantine an animal if you
suspect it has been infected with rabies

Just a thought,  how long do you have to quarantine an animal if you
suspect it has been infected with rabies

10 days.

15 days --humm fits onto an animal cage -- what animal ? and why 15 days ? think brain , think  !!

aha!!!!  accord to data for testing purposes rat fetus up to 15 days can be removed for "testing"with "no pain" shown due to lack of development nerve wize but after the 15* day peroid a differant method is to be used --
also golden hamster have a 15 day to birth cycle -- so a rat / hamster -- cycle counter -- if it was found in alaska maybea part of a old lab rats cage from the near by military out post bases out there in the 50's as part of the early warning radar system ---

I don't think that it is a counter.  A mechanical counter has a 'carry' tab to increment the next digit by 1 after it makes 1 full rotation.  Each digit wheel in a counter is free to rotate 360 degrees and each rotation increments the next digit.  This thing just stops at 15 and you would have to rotate it all the way back to reset it to 1.  I don't see how it could be used as a counter if you have to turn it backwards to reset it.

I used to work for NCR in the 70s and while I mostly worked on electronic machines, I did some work on the old mechanical cash registers, bank machines and hotel machines.  These machines were full of complicated mechanical counters that would save totals for various departments.

I think that this thing is used to indicate the position or setting that something is adjusted to.  Full scale is '15' and minimum is '1'. 

For example, maybe it indicates how far open a valve is.  When you crank the valve wide open, the indicator and the valve wheel stops at 15.  When you close the valve all the way, the indicator would rotate until the arrow was below 1.  If you wanted to open the valve to '4', you could very accurately set it to 4 by watching the indicator wheel.  The teeth on the wheel would be mechanically coupled to the valve adjustment through a gear reduction.

Could it be off an old steam-powered machine for mining or farming?

its a manual (hand operated ) counter -- it goes on the lab rats cage -- it counts 15 days gestion time for rats -- then its "harvest time " -- so then its its manually reset to zero for the next use --- Ivan

I still don't know what it is and I've suggested many guesses before,

does anyone else here agree with me?
it counts to 14, then it stops, so how can it count to 15?

I see the number 15
(in my nightmares, eh BioP?) but the 15 is small
as in, insignificant

so the important period is 14 days

I'm for a Lab Rat type timing thingy

I reiterate my promise of a fine New Zealand wine

if you can convince me  

Cheers, Mike

look at the post a couple of post above above the tab spacing is two inches -- inch size type spacing is normal wire spacing for a cage ----- nice and neat - the top prongs fit and sllide on the bottom tabs bend outward to hold it in place -- 15 days is the gestion time  for "lab rats" 14 days from mating to birth on day 15!! thus on day 15 they are moved to birthing bins and the counter reset manually --to start all over again --it easily movible from cage to cage -- not subject to heavy duty wear so it can be made of soft metals -- and with modern el cheapo digital type counters and such --no longer made most likely for many years now --- their were old early warning radar stations in the 50's up in alaska --they might have been doing some "medical" research to see what the effect of radar radation had on humans via lab rats ---those old radar sites were fairly nasty emitters of radio waves type stuff -- it might be a counter from their cages --- just a though-- I can taste the wine now -- just trying to find one -- old out of date medical lab gear --- hummm -- oh I hope and pray that I have found the key to killing the beast

From an automated pill counter bin.
That's still my guess.
DG

15 days is the gestion time  for "lab rats" 14 days from mating to birth on day 15!! thus on day 15 they are moved to birthing bins and the counter reset manually --to start all over again

Rat gestation: 20-22 days - even for "lab rats".

I do think you're on to something with the device attaching to a wire cage.

Mike

sorry my goof --I shold have said * under "medical" guide lines the rat fetus's can be removed from the mother at up to 15 days without "pain" to the unborn* rat fetus according to medical stuff I read -- after 15 days a differant method is used  for rat fetus's used for test reasons -- thus the need for tracking the 15 day time frame -- full "lab rat gestion to birth is as you stated 20 to 22 days --sorry for the mix up -  (hamsters are 15 to 17 days however ) ---- hummm might be used as a "breeding timer" -- ie put say 2 "minks" in a breeding cage for 2 weeks /15 days to ensure "mating"--- it was found in alaska so I trying to think along the lines of what animals cages it might have been "attached" to and why --- running with the cage counter idea for now--- Ivan

could this be close?  was it found near a farm?  this one counted to 1000 but a 15 count wheel could be used on the left to make the unit go to 1500.  im sure there were many variations of this.......i hope i didnt spoil a great mystery item lol

yes in alaska close to a farm !! what is that thing your showing? --looks like a hay bale counter!!!-- see if you can find the photo of the 15 counter wheel that made it count to 1500  ---lets see a hay bale counter on a farm --- oh lord let it be --die you foul monster !!! robber of sleep and racker of brains !!-- Ivan

It's a golf score counter. It counts up to 15 for people like me who might take 15 shots to sink the little white ball. The tabs on the back enable it slide onto your cardboard scorecard.

There, it's done, all you good people can sleep tonight!

I guess since Alaska is know for its many golf courses, these things would be all over.   ;)

Daryl

You ever seen snow skis in Florida Daryl?  ;)

things travel from place to place quite true (snow ski's in florida)  but taking in account the location alaska / farm is not a bad thing as far as  best bet probilty goes .  -- a farming type item would be very commonly found a farm -- where the odds of a golf counter being there would be less -- thus its more likely to be farm related than goldfrelated on a % of chance basis --not saying it can't be a golf counter --just that the odds are better for a farming item. in my veiw.

LooseMoose

Snow skis being used?

Ahhhh......no. 

Daryl

now wouldn't water skis be a better bet to be found in fla than snow skis ? -- ( P.S.) I live in florida

Yeah, you must be right, after all, you'd never find a coin from another country while you're mding, would you now? 

Check out number 1!  ;)

Heres the link, http://www.golflink.com/top-golf-courses/state.asp?state=AK


Best Alaska Golf Courses
Rank    Golf Course    Location
1    Moose Run Golf Course - Creek Course    Fort Richardson, AK
2    Eagleglen Golf Course - Eagleglen Course    Elmendorf Afb, AK
3    Anchorage Golf Course - Anchorage Course    Anchorage, AK
4    Tanglewood Lakes Golf Club - Tanglewood Lakes Course    Anchorage, AK
5    Russian Jack Golf Course - Russian Jack Springs Course    Anchorage, AK
6    Chena Bend Golf Course - Chena Bend Course    Fort Wainwright, AK
7    Moose Run Golf Course - Hill Course    Fort Richardson, AK
8    Settlers Bay Golf Course - Settlers Bay Course    Wasilla, AK
9    North Star Golf Course - North Star Course    Fairbanks, AK
10    Palmer Golf Course - Palmer Course    Palmer, AK
11    Mendenhall Golf Course - Mendenhall Course    Juneau, AK
12    Fireweed Meadows Golf Course - Fireweed Course    Anchor Point, AK
13    Fairbanks Golf Course - Fairbanks 1 Course    Fairbanks, AK
14    Kenai Golf Course - Kenai Course    Kenai, AK
15    Birch Ridge Golf Course, Inc. - Birch Ridge Course    Soldotna, AK
16    Cottonwood Country Club - Cottonwood Course    Nikiski, AK
17    Black Diamond Golf Course - Black Diamond Course    Healy, AK
18    Bear Valley Golf Course - Bear Valley Course    Kodiak, AK
19    Sleepy Hollow Golf Course - Sleepy Hollow Course    Wasilla, AK
20    Valley of the Eagles Golf Links and Driving Range - Valley Course    Haines, AK
21    Mount Fairweather Golf Course - Mount Fairweather Course    Gustavus, AK
22    Bird Homestead Golf Course - Bird 1 Course    Soldotna, AK
23    Kachemak Bay Lynx Par 3 Golf - Kachemak Bay Links Par 3 Course    Homer, AK
24    Muskeg Meadows Golf Course - Musking Meadows Course    Wrangell, AK

Okay, guys...

Points made.

Let's get back to the gizmo itself or let it go.

 ;)

could this be close?  was it found near a farm?  this one counted to 1000 but a 15 count wheel could be used on the left to make the unit go to 1500.  im sure there were many variations of this.......i hope i didnt spoil a great mystery item lol

thepoolguy -

That was as good as any other guess here... and frankly, it was very brave of you to attempt an ID in this topic as your first post!   

Let me be the first to say "Welcome to TreasureNet" and keep on posting.   

I don't think it's part of a bail counter - the original whatsits size is too big in my opinon...

Jim

hey thanx for the welcome jim.....i have another pic of the unit showing it closed.  it even has the bigger window to show the "15" when it reaches it.  and yes it is a hay bale counter used to let the customer know that the thresher/baler was not cheating them.  this unit was made by j i case but im sure there were many other variations made by other thresher manufacturers such as rumely,hart parr,international harvester,nichols sheperd ect ect.  and im sure some made a 1099 count unit like the one in question and some may well have made 1599 count unit like the ji case model. as far as the size of the item goes i would say it falls right in the perimeter.   ill post the pic when i get in the shop as i dont have a scanner here.   

The problem I see with the bale counter and this thing is that a bale counter doesn't stop at a single revolution.  I am sure it will reset but I can't see anything that would stop a counter wheel at "15."

Daryl

[Goldfinger]

What?  No answer yet? 

Set the Way-Back Machine controls for six months from now Sherman, we'll check back in then.

It looks to me that the "teeth" of the sprocket are different thicknesses ie like a measuring tool for spark plug gapping.  The little tab at 15 is a handle so to speak that would be pushed down to unlock in order to turn the sprocket to whatever setting is needed!!!???

KH

So let's mike those teeth!!   

Daryl

Anything further??? Hangin' by a thread here...

You could be hung by THIS thread and think it was a good thing. 

Daryl

I think Daryl said it all  - re the Mic'ing of the teeth ( there's no way those teeth were made to measure spark plug or points' gaps )
- although not quite sure about the hanging by a thread bit,  this whole experience being painful enough ;)

Mike, I've given up the Cheers

Instead of rats, and since some of us are on the animal cage thing, what's the timeframe for chickens, eggs, etc for incubation. I wonder if it could be that route if we're going with farm type stuff............

just my 2 pennies....(again)

Hey Daryl, is that you calibrating your Heathkit color TV..

I would suggest that it is a portable calendar. Seeing as how most days have an average of 30 days and the accountants calendar always works off of 30 days, whether it is February (28 days or 29 on a leap year) or Jan, Mar, May, July, August, October, or December (31 days). I figure it is a way for a prospector to keep track of how many days he has been out in the field and therefore can keep track of the months he has been away. The reason it is hard to turn is so it won't turn voluntarily without force. Thereby ensuring that the proper day is kept and the count is correct.

My 2 cents.

We got COLOR TV?    When the heck did that happen and how come nobody told me? 

Holy crap!  I can get my monitor to show color.  Cool. 

Daryl

its a finger and toe counter for babys born in arkansas

its a finger and toe counter for babys born in arkansas