The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/



Rob

R.H. wrote:
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/

Item 780 is for splicing audio magnetic tapes (reel to reel tapes).

Brian Gladman

R.H. wrote:
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/

780 reminds me of what I used to use to splice film frames together.

781 looks like it could be used for getting items out of a deep-fryer.
mmmmmmmmm... deep-fried...

782 has great potential for airline security.

I'm recusing myself on #783, as I submitted the item and know not only
what it is, but why it wasn't of any use to me. (oddly, I managed to
resell it on eBay for MORE than I paid for it).

784 I'm guessing it's not an early spigrograph.

785 This reminds me of those arcade games where you attempt (and fail)
to grab the stuffed toy (or whatever).

----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://juliewaters.com/

We've heard that a million monkeys at a million
keyboards could produce the Complete Works of
Shakespeare; now, thanks to the Internet, we know
this is not true.

--Robert Wilensky, University of California

R.H. wrote:
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/



Rob


#780 With a 1/4 groove, this is a reel to reel tape splicer.

"R.H." wrote in message
...
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


780 1/4" magnetic tape splicer

781 cheese curd cutter

783 tripod telescope mounting adapter

R.H. wrote:

The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/

#780 Recording tape splicer

#781 Fish (?) fryer

#782 Bale or sack wrap tightener (I've forgotten what it's used on,
but these things aren't rare on old farms) You jab the "rake" into the
canvas band around the bale, jab the spike on the handled lever into
something solid, then use the handle to lever the band tight before
sewingg or knotting it.

#783 Camera lens mount. The ring clamp goes round the lens and the
square plate has a tripod mounting bush in it.

# 784 Adding machine?

# 785 Crane hook for logs or (more likely) telegraph poles.

R.H. wrote:
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/



Rob

780 tool for cutting/splicing 8mm film.

781 That's fer fishin' the crawdads from the fryer.

782 arggg- you stab the one end into something, then pull the lever
down and it forces chunks of whatever-its-stabbed-into apart...

783 telescope holder that mounts on a camera tripod

784

785 For grabbing logs or poles, probably under water. You set the
cross-piece to hold the tongs open, and when you lower it over the
item, the cross-piece is knocked out of the way, allowing the tongs to
close when the unit is hauled up by the ring.


Dave

R.H. wrote:
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/



Rob




781 coal or gravel shovel?
Randy

"R.H." wrote in message
...
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/

784. Is an adding machine patented by Charles Henry Webb of New York, NY.

Took me fecking ages to find it but if you go to the US Patent Office
website and type PN/414959 into the advanced search

http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-adv.htm

you'll see it. Select years '1790 to date' first.
--
Dave Baker
www.pumaracing.co.uk
"Why," said Ford squatting down beside him and shivering, "are you lying
face down in the dust?"
"It's a very effective way of being wretched," said Marvin.

In article ,
"R.H." wrote:

The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/



Rob

780. Makes the "scoops" at the end of slurpee straws.
781. Lion's litterbox scoop.
782. For getting socks out of gym lockers.
783. Camera-mounted cupholder
784. Bowling scorecard.
785. Removes stuck toupees.

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail dot net

Randy Replogle wrote:

781 coal or gravel shovel?
Randy

Or maybe for potatoes?

R.H. wrote:

The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


#784
Adding Machine, Patent No. 414335,

http://www.americanartifacts.com/smma/webb/414335.htm


--

TomH [ antonomasia at gmail dot com ]

"R.H." writes:
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/


#780. 8mm film splicing tool
#781. For extracting hot coals?
#784. Arithometer?
#785. Ice or Hayloft hook?

"R.H." writes:
http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/

783. Fire extinguisher mount.

785. Crane hook for grappling small logs.

--
Mark Brader "The great strength of the totalitarian state
Toronto is that it will force those who fear it
to imitate it." -- Hitler (alleged)

According to R.H. :
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/

As usual -- posting from rec.crafts.metalworking.

780) An inexpensive splicer for standard 1/4" magnetic recording
tape. There are much better splicing blocks (or used to be),
but this is what you would probably get the first time around.

This one was intended to be used with the 1/2" wide splicing
tape, at right angles to the recording tape.

The "Cut" position of the sliding head put a cut like this '\'
through both layers of the overlapping tape ends, after which
you lifted off the top stub, and applied the splicing tape
(opalescent white and thin) at right angles to the length of the
tape.

Then, you slid the head to the "trim" position, where it applied
two curved blades to trim the edges of the tape like this:

| |
) (
| |

to trim off the splicing tape which hangs over the sides and a
little of the edges of the tape itself. This makes sure that
the splice is not too wide to go through the guides on the tape
recorder/player.

The good splicing blocks have no side trimming, the cuts are
done with a hand-held single-edge razor blade, and the splicing
tape applied is either slightly less than 1/4" wide, applied
along the length, or has a backing which peels off after the
splice is made to assure that the spliced tape is not too wide.

781) I can only guess here -- perhaps used for sifting clams out of
bottom muck?

782) Again, I've never seen anything like this, so I am limited to
guesses. Perhaps to pull two board ends tight together prior to
nailing down?

783) This looks like a tripod mount for a telephoto lens for a
serious camera. Some telephotos have a built-in tripod
mount, others have removable ones -- or even after-market ones
from other makers.

The knob also allows it to be loosened so you can rotate the
camera body for either portrait or landscape mode at need.

784) Hmm ... part of an early combination lock? Normally, the
rotating discs with the holes would be behind knobs (which could
be fitted with pins in any of the holes to offset the actual
combination from the visible one on the knob, unless the numbers
visible through the aperture were not covered by the knobs.

785) Some form of grappling hook. I think for picking up groups
of sticks. The horizontal curved bar at the bottom holds the
jaws open until it is dropped onto the potential load, at which
point it is kicked out.

Once that happens, the load itself (and the weight of the hook)
closes the jaws.

I'm not sure what the notches just above the pivots (on the
"ears" engage -- though there might be a pin on the back of the
center upright, which would require the jaws to be fully opened
to nearly horizontal.

Now to see what others have said.

Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

I think it was "R.H." who stated:

The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/

Number 780 is an audio tape splicer for 1/4" tape. The "CUT" position
makes a diagonal cut on the tape, and after the cut ends are spliced
together with splicing tape, the "TRIM" position cuts the edges of the
tape with a slight inward taper from both edges so that the splice
will slide easily through the player when it's played.
--
Pooder approved this post . . . .

"R.H." wrote in news:LJLSg.5354$pq4.1522
@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/

780. Magnetic recording tape splicer (tape was used in a reel-to-reel
recorder)
781. Pooper-picker-upper. A manure shovel. The manure stays in the
shovel, the bedding falls through the gaps in the wires.
782. Toenail clipper. Have you seen my toenails? Nuf said.
783. Camera or binocular adapter, so it can be held on a tripod.
784. Early mechanical calculator.
785. Either an ice or hey bale grapple.

#780 is some sort of splicing machine
#783 looks like a tripod mount for a large telephoto lense. I'd guess
a 500-800 mm lense.
#785 looks like a log skid or some sort of grappel hook. When you pull
up on the lifting ring with a crane or hoist, it clamps down. Or at
least that's what it looks like

WW88

785: Godzilla's staple remover

--julie

R.H. wrote:
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/



Rob

784. This is obviously a ball/strike counter, or "clicker", for
umpires in cricket games. They get 100 balls and 10 strikes - that's
why the games take so long.

John Martin

R.H. wrote:
The latest set has just been posted:

http://puzzlephotos.blogspot.com/



Rob
My guesses:
#781 looks like the thing my Grandad used to move hot coals around in
his forge.
#782 I have no idea
#783 looks a lot like the thing I have to hold my Dremel Mototool
stationary.
#784 No Idea
#785 Looks like the big ice tongs we used to move ice around in the
Cold Storage plant I worked at during my College years.

Dennis

784. Is an adding machine patented by Charles Henry Webb of New York, NY.

Took me fecking ages to find it but if you go to the US Patent Office
website and type PN/414959 into the advanced search

http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-adv.htm

you'll see it. Select years '1790 to date' first.


Thanks for taking the time to find that, I appreciate everyone's help in
researching the tools that I post each week.

Rob

R.H. wrote:
785 For grabbing logs or poles, probably under water. You set the
cross-piece to hold the tongs open, and when you lower it over the
item, the cross-piece is knocked out of the way, allowing the tongs to
close when the unit is hauled up by the ring.


Why do you say "probably under water"?

I found this article about logging forests that have been flooded for
reservoirs, but this tool is too old for that:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9325560/



Rob

I figured the 'hold-open' device would not be required if there could
be a helper where the pickup was to occur.

Dave

785 For grabbing logs or poles, probably under water. You set the
cross-piece to hold the tongs open, and when you lower it over the
item, the cross-piece is knocked out of the way, allowing the tongs to
close when the unit is hauled up by the ring.


Why do you say "probably under water"?

I found this article about logging forests that have been flooded for
reservoirs, but this tool is too old for that:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9325560/



Rob

785 - Really intrigued me with its diminutive size, so I
mucked around till I found the most likely patent number. I
think it is 435,590 "Grappling Hook". It was claimed to be
used for retrieving objects from water wells. i.e. dippers,
buckets, anything that had been dropped in that would stop
the well from functioning properly. See:

http://www.pat2pdf.org/patents/pat435590.pdf


It does work in a similar manner, maybe the same person got a couple of
patents on the same day for two different hooks or he got this patent and
then modified the tool and kept the same date. I'm guessing that the one on
my site isn't spring loaded, but I'll ask the owner of it, though he's out
of town for a couple of days so it will be a while until I get an answer.
Thanks for finding that.


Rob

Five of the six have been answered correctly this week, still not sure about
the last one:







780. Audio tape splicer

781. Coal shovel

782. Carpet stretcher

783. Camera lens tripod collar

784. Adding machine

785. I was all set to agree with those who say it's a log grabber, but I
also think that the well grappling hook idea has merit, considering the
small size of it.


Several new photos and links can be found on the answer page, along with one
additional link concerning my latest gadget purchase:

http://pzphotosan134-5.blogspot.com/


Rob

785 may be a grappling hook for logs, but I respectfully suggest it isn't
for use in inaccessible places... Suppose you drop it down a well, or into a
river or lake, and it grabs something you can't lift... then what?


"R.H." wrote in message
...
Five of the six have been answered correctly this week, still not sure
about
the last one:







780. Audio tape splicer

781. Coal shovel

782. Carpet stretcher

783. Camera lens tripod collar

784. Adding machine

785. I was all set to agree with those who say it's a log grabber, but I
also think that the well grappling hook idea has merit, considering the
small size of it.


Several new photos and links can be found on the answer page, along with
one
additional link concerning my latest gadget purchase:

http://pzphotosan134-5.blogspot.com/


Rob

Rob H.:
781. Coal shovel

Really! It doesn't look nearly strong enough to be used for that sort
of work. I'd expect those wiry bars to start bending apart the first
time it was thrust into a pile of coal.
--
Mark Brader "We can get ideas even from a clever man." ...
Toronto "Yes, I think you can. Even ideas you should
have had yourselves." -- John Dickson Carr

"Charlie Wine" wrote:

785 may be a grappling hook for logs, but I respectfully suggest it isn't
for use in inaccessible places... Suppose you drop it down a well, or into a
river or lake, and it grabs something you can't lift... then what?

Then you need part 'B' of the same patent. A grappling device which is used to
snag and unlock part 'A' grappling hooks.

"Mark Brader" wrote in message
...
Rob H.:
781. Coal shovel

Really! It doesn't look nearly strong enough to be used for that sort
of work. I'd expect those wiry bars to start bending apart the first
time it was thrust into a pile of coal.


I agree that it isn't strong enough to shovel coal into a fire, I was
thinking that it was for removing clinkers, retreiving hot coals to be
placed in a foot warmer, or whatever other reason they would have to move
hot coal. The wiry bars being used to sift the ashes. One of my tool books
has three similar shovels, for coke, potatoes, and ice, but they're all
reinforced in the front and have a hand grip on the end of the handle.
Since it was marked as being a coal shovel, I'm going to go with that for
now; I've looked but haven't been able to find one on the web like it.

Rob

"R.H." wrote in news:iodTg.6380$OE1.5062
@tornado.ohiordc.rr.com:


Thanks for taking the time to find that, I appreciate everyone's help in
researching the tools that I post each week.


Rob,
I have to echo what's been said before -- thanks! I look forward to your
photos. I am usually in a fog about all of them, but it is a lot of fun.
You've posted a couple of things I have sent in. Wish I had more to add.

Thanks again an keep 'em coming!
Gary

According to Charlie Wine :
785 may be a grappling hook for logs, but I respectfully suggest it isn't
for use in inaccessible places... Suppose you drop it down a well, or into a
river or lake, and it grabs something you can't lift... then what?

That might be a use for the notches which I commented on. One
rope to pull up the weight, and then another to pull up on both notches
to open the jaws so you can pull it up.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

R.H. and I (Mark Brader) write:

781. Coal shovel

Really! It doesn't look nearly strong enough to be used for that sort
of work. I'd expect those wiry bars to start bending apart the first
time it was thrust into a pile of coal.

I agree that it isn't strong enough to shovel coal into a fire, I was
thinking that it was for removing clinkers, retreiving hot coals to be
placed in a foot warmer, or whatever other reason they would have to move
hot coal.

That's still thrusting it into a pile of coal, though.

Since it was marked as being a coal shovel, I'm going to go with that for
now; I've looked but haven't been able to find one on the web like it.

Fair enough. It's not like I've ever actually dealt with a coal fire.
--
Mark Brader, Toronto "Truth speak from any chair."
-- Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum

Just posted an image of the carpet stretcher from an old Sears catalog where
it sold for 37 cents:


http://pzphotosan134-5.blogspot.com/

wrote:

785 For grabbing logs or poles, probably under water. You set the
cross-piece to hold the tongs open, and when you lower it over the
item, the cross-piece is knocked out of the way, allowing the tongs to
close when the unit is hauled up by the ring.

Not necessarily under water. We had those things (phone company, early
'80s) just as "finger savers". Seems it was a significant source of
accidents, people having to manually open the grab jaws over a pole
beforehand.

On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 00:55:04 GMT, "R.H." wrote:


"Mark Brader" wrote in message
...
Rob H.:
781. Coal shovel

SNIP

I've looked but haven't been able to find one on the web like it.

Rob


Hey Rob,

Maybe not on the web, but I have one like it in my back-yard as a
decorative item.. Bought it for 2 bucks at an auction, so I've no idea
either.

Take care.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.

"R.H." wrote in message
...
Five of the six have been answered correctly this week, still not sure
about
the last one:







780. Audio tape splicer

781. Coal shovel

782. Carpet stretcher

783. Camera lens tripod collar

784. Adding machine

785. I was all set to agree with those who say it's a log grabber, but I
also think that the well grappling hook idea has merit, considering the
small size of it.


Several new photos and links can be found on the answer page, along with
one
additional link concerning my latest gadget purchase:

http://pzphotosan134-5.blogspot.com/


Rob



In todays' "Oil Patch" it'd be called a "Fishing Tool" for a Cable rig: if
the [as originally used] rope attached to the "bit" broke, this would allow
for recovery. If the "bit" were wedged, "B" in the patent would permit
retrieval ot "A".

The device would be lowered into the bore-hole until it reached bottom then,
hopefully, the "jaws" would clamp around the "bit".

FYI, a Cable-tool rig works by repetitively dropping a heavy iron weight to
"drive" a hole into the ground and penetrate rock strata. The "bit" or
"tool" may have one of several end shapes as determined by the strata being
penetrated.

"Andy Asberry" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 10:05:25 GMT, "R.H." wrote:

Just posted an image of the carpet stretcher from an old Sears catalog
where
it sold for 37 cents:


http://pzphotosan134-5.blogspot.com/

And, what is "Japanned" steel?

--Andy Asberry recommends NewsGuy--


I was wondering that myself, according to the web site below, it's "most
often a heavy black lacquer, almost like enamel paint."

http://www.answers.com/japanned&r=67

I thought it might be a dated term, but Lee Valley still uses it:

http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/pa...=3,43631,43634



Rob

"Leon Fisk" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 13:20:59 -0400, Leon Fisk
wrote:

On Fri, 29 Sep 2006 20:07:10 GMT, "R.H."
wrote:


785 - Really intrigued me with its diminutive size, so I
mucked around till I found the most likely patent number. I
think it is 435,590 "Grappling Hook". It was claimed to be
used for retrieving objects from water wells. i.e. dippers,
buckets, anything that had been dropped in that would stop
the well from functioning properly. See:

http://www.pat2pdf.org/patents/pat435590.pdf


It does work in a similar manner, maybe the same person got a couple of
patents on the same day for two different hooks or he got this patent
and
then modified the tool and kept the same date. I'm guessing that the
one on
my site isn't spring loaded, but I'll ask the owner of it, though he's
out
of town for a couple of days so it will be a while until I get an
answer.
Thanks for finding that.

Hi Rob,

I'm no expert, but most patents are for a method coupled
with a design. If you take the time to read the description
(it isn't very long) you will see towards the end that it
mentions:

"My grab or device is to be constructed of several different
sizes to suit wells of different bores or diameter."

I've noticed other patents that end up looking different
once being manufactured. The way they work though is the
same.

With this thing only being 12 inches tall I seriously doubt
it was ever used to lift poles or logs as has been
suggested. It simply would not be heavy/strong enough to do
that. Shoot you could easily have it sitting on the supper
table as a center/conversation piece. I don't think people
have noticed it isn't very big...

Hi Rob,

After studying the answer extra images, I think that there
may have been a spring at one time. I think it would have
been a pull spring (can't think of the proper term) with
this design though, rather than the original compression
spring shown on the suggested patent page.

Take a look at my doctored image where I highlighted in
yellow where I suspect a spring should go:

http://www.iserv.net/~lfisk/grpsprng.jpg



You could be right about the spring, there has to be a reason for those
notches to be there.



I would be curious to know approximately how much this thing
weighs too, when you get a chance to ask more about it.

I did some more patent searching and was surprised with how
many "grapple" devices there were for fishing out items from
wells. The aforementioned patent is the only one even close
to resembling the item in question though. At least that
I've found...

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email


I'll ask the owner of it how much it weighs. FWIW I changed the post on
the answer page, I agree that it's most likely for wells, considering its
size and the fact that no one has found a patent with the same date for a
log grabber.


Rob

"R.H." wrote in message
...

784. Is an adding machine patented by Charles Henry Webb of New York,
NY.

Took me fecking ages to find it but if you go to the US Patent Office
website and type PN/414959 into the advanced search

http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-adv.htm

you'll see it. Select years '1790 to date' first.


Thanks for taking the time to find that, I appreciate everyone's help in
researching the tools that I post each week.

Unfortunately you can't search the early patents by keyword so I just
ploughed through all the 500 plus patents listed on 12th November 1889. It
finally turned up some 2 hours later about half way through.
--
Dave Baker
www.pumaracing.co.uk
"Why," said Ford squatting down beside him and shivering, "are you lying
face down in the dust?"
"It's a very effective way of being wretched," said Marvin.