What is it? Set 395

#2282 - Forms used for concrete "Slump" Testing Fill them with fresh concrete - tip them upside down and let the concrete stand. Measurements tell you if it is the proper consistency. (Lots more details, but that's the basic plan)

I don't see original post on rec.puzzles, so responding to this post.

2281 I don't see any input or carry mechanism, so it isn't part of a counter. The rounded tooth would seem to make it unsuitable for a gambling device. So I guess it is part of some score indicator.

2282 Concrete testing slump-cone molds. Fill with wet concrete, lift cone. Concrete slumps. Height of pile indicates quality of the concrete... higher is better. Height is specified. Reject batch of concrete if slump is too low or ask for bribe.

2284 Has the elements of a tape dispenser/cutter, but has some less than obvious extra function.

2285 Guess... Butter-Churn agitators?

That was my first thought, but they would have to be much older variations. Current slump tets use an open cone a very specific filling procedure. The cone is placed small end up, filled one third, rodded 25 times, filled to the 2/3 point, rodded 25 times with the rod going into the bottom pour, but not through. Then topped off, rodded again.

I wondered how one would slide a closed cone off wet concrete.

If it's not for slump tests, I wonder how much weight a concrete post molded like that would support. In a crawl space, it's easy for termites to build tunnels up brick posts. A round concrete post would be easier to inspect, and if it were capped with a steel plate a couple of inches larger than the top of the cone, it might be termite proof. The taper might make it easy to remove the mold.

According to the owner of them, they are for a different purpose. Also, I'm told that slump testers had two handles since it was important to lift them straight up, which would be more difficult with one handle.

Rob

I see a gambling device designed to assure gamblers that everything is above board. By adding or removing light washers, the four weight points could make the wheel balance perfectly without the clicker. It could first be put in motion, and then the clicker could be engaged.

There seem to be 12 teeth, but the symbol below the 0 doesn't look like an 11. Perhaps it's a gambling symbol. The 34 could mean it was used in a place with at least 34 tables.

I posted it the same as I usually do, I guess my news server had a problem this morning.

It may seem unsuitable for gambling but it was part of a riverboatboat gambling display at a museum.

Nope

No comment since it's on Neatorama.

They aren't for butter but you're not far off.

Rob

Giant candle snuffers?

Is #2282 a rivet catcher?

MikeB

Nope

Correct! First ones that I've ever seen, they're probably more common near old ship yards.

Kind of late posting, but I'll post before I see what others have posted.

2281) A "wheel of fortune" type game of chance. Not the big one with the spinning pointer, but still the same principle. A detent wheel and spring-loaded detent to make sure that it stops with a number centered in the rectangular hole to the right in the "fender".

Not sure whether it would be used with one or two others beside it to increase the possible number of choices.

2282) These look to be oversize versions of candle snuffers, so they are probably to put out torches or similar. 2283) This looks like a device for sectioning a grapefruit.

It is made of the kind of metal which is often used in European food processing gadgets.

However -- I would think that it should have some kind of protective cover over the point.

2284) This looks like a machine for extending a length of tape from a roll held on the small crank to the left, and then cutting it off.

I think that the wooden handle should be started on the other side, and moved towards its current position.

There are two rollers, spring loaded into contact with each other, and geared to rotate so the space between them will pull the tape from the reel to the cutoff point.

The tape may be some form of labeling, or may just be for sealing boxes.

2285) Looks like some form of potato masher.

I expect the wire in the first photo to be bent at right angles to the handle to look sort of like a foot. This would be the first step, and then when things were well started, the other end would make a finer mash.

2286) For taking sighting angles and transferring them to a chart to establish a position on water by sighting on landmarks on nearby land.

A rather precise one. I can't get a clear enough view, but I suspect that there are vernier scales to help the resolution, and the microscope for viewing them under magnification to make it even easier to read precisely.

Hmm ... I see a repeat of the images starting, so the answers have already been posted. Well -- I'll send this off, and then read the answers on the web site, and finish up by reading the posted responses.

Enjoy, DoN.

2283. My best guess is this is a tool used to smooth the inside of a pipe (used for smoking) by hand, the force applied by hand to the fins. It might be useful to someone without electricity for a lathe. Even I don't quite believe it, but it's my best guess.

By George Bill, I think you've got it!

"Text on it reads ?Made in Italy? and ?Kalian ? N.Y.C. 5177?"

It appears to be a hookah bowl cleaner!

--Winston

Winston, I admittedly looked up "Kalian" on Google images to help me guess, so I don't think it's appropriate to use that to validate my guess. I am not unconvinced. Can you provide any corroborating evidence?

Bill

Typo: I am unconvinced.

Bill, could you list the other resources you used then? :)

If I stumbled across a picture showing the device screwed into a table with a hookah bowl being rotated between the support and reamer and someone adjusting the cutter height via the top knob, you could state that the tool probably was never *designed* for that use! This could get silly quickly.

It *appears* to be a hookah bowl cleaner to me because of the design features I outline. I have done a little more homework that indicates a smoker could maintain their pipe using a proprietary chemical cleaner and lots of hot water. I conjecture that substances other than tobacco could leave a deposit that would be much quicker to clean using this sort of mechanical aid. I don't have any experience in the area, so I admit that I made an uneducated guess based on the geometry, labeling and apparent size of #2283.

I will chuckle when it becomes clear that this is something

*completely* different. As you know, science progresses with a series of testable guesses. That one is mine.

Cheers :)

--Winston

Kalian Products of New York is a defunct company that sold dinnerware and kitchen utensils

My guess would be that this item is not complete and was designed for chopping food. perhaps chopping garlic or other condiments.

Now that would be terrific! :)

--Winston