Set 372

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2143. Approximately 7" long:

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2144. 11-1/2" wide, marked Pyrex, the photo was sent in by someone who is looking to identify this glass sphere:

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2145. 7-1/4" tall, submitted by a visitor who would like to find its exact purpose:


























2146. 6-1/2" long, take a look at Neatorama for more guesses and a chance to win a prize:

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2147. About 30" long:
























2148. 6" long:

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Answers:



2143. An ice block carrier, it was used to bore into the ice during which the points were automatically extended so the block could be picked up, patent number 348,858.

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2144. Two possibilities for this glass item, it could have been for laboratory use or it could have been part of a milking pipeline:

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2145. This is part of an "Edgar Cayce impedance device" made by Ernie and Barry Yare of Newcastle of Tyne, UK, it's also called the Radiac, and Ice Appliance. It was used by standing it in ice water, connecting wires to it, and then attaching the wires to various parts of the body. It was supposed to balance the body's energies.





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2146. A miner's canary cage, the birds were taken into the mines to be used as early warning signals for the presence of methane or carbon monoxide:

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2147. A leather creaser for use by a saddle or harness maker, the round part was heated and then with pressure applied from the shoulder, it was used to make lines on the leather. A similar tool can be seen in the "Dictionary of Leather-Working Tools, c. 1700-1950."























2148. A methane detector for use in mines, the numbers indicate the percent of methane:












An update from last week, the item below was found to be part of a vintage sixpence pocket coin holder:





I own a lot of different tool books but the one that I use first as a reference is the Dictionary of American Hand Tools: A Pictorial Synopsis (Schiffer Book for Collectors). It has over 4,500 images and is a great book for learning about about a wide variety of tools.

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Last week's set is seen below, click here to view the entire post.








More discussion and comments on these photos can be found at the newsgroup rec.puzzles.