What is it? Set 439

2246 Used to demonstrate the electroysis of water;

No... No... Somebody has some treasure locked up. A thief may have dug into the treasure room and be in the process of stealing it. Insert key into lock. Before turning it, apply match to touch-hole to discomfort the thief. Or... Unlock room, prime touch-hole, apply match.

2545, a "bit key" that might not have a lock to go with it. 2546, this is an electrolysis device. My science teacher had one, when I was in school, back in the good old days. The two tubes at the bottom, the teacher put in rubber stopper, with a wire that goes into the tube. Then, the glassware is filled with water, and some electrolyte. I can't remember off hand, but think that would be a pinch of table salt. Might have been sodium sulphate, instead. By applying direct current, the water would break in to hydrogen and oxygen. The gasses could be drawn off, by opening the valves at the top of the thin tubes. 2547, looks a bit like a US quarter that's been in a stamping press. 2548, totally no clue. 2549, native American arrow head. 2550, seriously no clue.

3547 Concho made from a quarter.

Leon fired this volley in news:iZudnUJ9 _ftn6T snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

2546 is a laboratory electrolysis demonstrator / oxygen-hydrogen generator.

The bottoms of the open tubes are plugged with stoppers holding electrodes that extend up into the tubes.

The petcocks are open, and an electrolyte (often dilute sulfuric acid) is filled into the gas columns through the reservoir/funnel.

When a column fills completely, the petcock is closed. When both are filled an DC supply is hooked up to the electrodes. The reservoir is kept full by the operator.

As gas accumulates in the columns, it's extracted via rubber tubes stuck over the petcock spouts. When the petcock is opened, gas escapes, and is replaced by fresh electrolyte from the reservoir.

Lloyd

2547- if it weren't for the lines across it I would have guessed it's a quarter shrunk by putting it into a high-current coil.

Dave__67 fired this volley in news:a25b574a-10fe- snipped-for-privacy@a5g2000vbc.googlegroups.com:

The vase-shaped bubbles make me think that it's a form of "explosive art", where the coin was laid face-down on hardened rails, and a thin sheet of high explosive was laid over it and detonated.

Of course, I'm in that general trade, and when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail!

I guess this could also be what the Mint does to defective coins to render them unusable.

LLoyd

Dave__67 fired this volley in news:a25b574a-10fe- snipped-for-privacy@a5g2000vbc.googlegroups.com:

I think that's _actually_ a "church key"; maybe for those big iron doors on some cathedrals, or maybe for the cash box within.

LLoyd

2545 - Jailers Key gun. A very similar one was on "Pawn Stars" not to long ago.

2545 - Jailers key gun - 2547 - corrugated quarter - used for whatisit quizzes

2549 - Can't tell what it's made of: glass?

2550 - Guessing: Vintage "speculum" type tool. Seems to be made of brass for 1) use in a wet environment or 2) prevent a spark ....

I believe that 2549 is a "torpedo"/round bottom/"ballast" mineral water bottle. They were designed to stay on their sides so that the cork stopper/seal wouldn't dry out and allow the bottle to leak. I found a reference at , about 2/3 of the way down or so.

I was just going to say that 2545 was an intricate bit key for a warded lock -- I'd never heard of gun keys before, but it sure could be one with the firing mechanism missing.

Northe

2550 Primitive cervical dilator.

Item #2548 is an awful lot like this patent:

"...a novel spade adapted to reduce to a substantial extent the expenditure in human labor involved in digging..."

Thanks, I'll pass this on to the guy who sent it to me.

Good guess, that's the right answer.

It is indeed made of glass.

"Rob H." fired this volley in news: snipped-for-privacy@news6.newsguy.com:

HEY! What happened to my three-page diatribe on it, which preceded this one?

I even explained how to use it! (which I have done)

Lloyd

Nope, that's not it.

I don't think that it's missing, it probably never had one to begin with, didn't see any way for a mechanism to be attached or for it to ignite the powder. I would bet they fired it by touching a cigar to the small hole.