what is this thing

My guess :

Take a cable or rope. Put a knot on the end. (buckle for the cable.) Pass the cable through the slot with the knot in the 'center' section - tight up the slotted straight. Then using the arm as a crank and holding the other straight - rotate as a brace with a bit in it.

? That is what popped into my mind. Likely something like that - or maybe it is a sprinkler key -

slide the slot over a handle (single sided) and the center of the pipe over the shaft. Rotate as a brace - turn on or off the 'water'.....

Martin

Submit it to the guy who runs

- once a week, on news:rec.puzzles, he puts up some new unknown stuff, and usually crossposts, but I don't know if he usually includes r.c.m in the crosspost. The subject line is always "What Is It "

Somebody, somewhere on the planet, might know what it is!

Good Luck! Rich