Tool Talk

What's-It Forum => What's-It Forum => Topic started by: Mel Larsen on August 01, 2012, 07:32:44 PM

Title: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: Mel Larsen on August 01, 2012, 07:32:44 PM
Here a video of one of the tools I have and no idea of what it is or how it is used.   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v671/lugnut/th_Twistermathing.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v671/lugnut/?action=view&current=Twistermathing.mp4)
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: rusty on August 01, 2012, 08:04:35 PM

First guess...armature winding machine...very kewl looking in any case :)
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: 1930 on August 02, 2012, 04:32:35 PM
I like it.
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: mrchuck on August 02, 2012, 06:38:30 PM
Used by the Dallas PD to obtain confessions.
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: Mel Larsen on August 02, 2012, 06:43:40 PM
That is funny mrchuck,  My brother in Montana said it was a tool used to extract 20 dollar bills from old geezers  wallets, and it did do that once.
Mel
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: Mel Larsen on August 04, 2012, 10:19:11 PM
OK guys I don't want this thing to become a door stop like it was when I found it,  someone please come up with a proper use for it.
Mel
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: rusty on August 04, 2012, 10:25:55 PM

Does it say anything on it at all? It's odd for a complex machine not to have some hint of why made it.

No question it's a winder of some sort, the wire loop that goes over the top is a bail catcher for thread or wire, but it could be a textile winder or such, it is kinda odd looking...

(Ya know, I always wanted a hand cranked door stop...)
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: Mel Larsen on August 04, 2012, 11:22:12 PM
Like I said in the video, the only writing on it is APPd FOR which I assume is meant  Patent applied for.  I guess if we knew what the Missing parts looked like it would help.  something must have rode back and forth on the cam that is on the small shaft.  And there is another bracket for something on the right side of the machine,  One thing I didn't mention in the video is: it appears that a wire or cord was fed through the short hollow side shaft and fed up through the two holes in the swinging arm.  I have tried to feed a string through the shaft and arm and all I get is a mess. What ever clamped into the claw like arms could not be sticking out past the reach of the swing arm.  I would guess the shape of what ever clamps in to those clamps would have a great deal on how it works.
Mel
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: Billman49 on August 05, 2012, 05:44:35 AM
I would guess some kind of coil or armature winder - I saw coils for electric motors being would by hand in Hong Kong in the 1980's..

The swash plate at the handle end moves the chuck arrangement forwards and back each revolution, so spreading the wrapping over about an inch... My guess that the missing piece is the bobbin holder, and it is operated by the cam device to aid the 'bale' arm that revolves as if the object being wound is not circular, the feed speed and thus the tension in the wire would vary... Maybe with a fixed bobbin the wire broke, so it was made to move as the wire was being unwound... I say wire, it could equally be a thread binding of some sort.

The shape of the chuck could be a clue - the object has to fit into the two arms - question: does it also need to project beyond them, or even pass over them???? Try fitting something like a short length of toilet roll tube onto a wooden mandrel to form a cross with arms projecting out of the forks, and putting a thread through the bale arm - it seems to me that it will wrap some sort of figure 8 at right angles to the axis of rotation...

The gearing appears to be about 2:1 - the bale arm revolves once each side of the chuck - as it moves about 1/2" along its axis - this makes me think the object being wrapped must pass over the arms, or the arms would also become wrapped.... It isn't something as simple as a string winder??
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: Billman49 on August 05, 2012, 05:52:37 AM
Just found this image - labelled fishing reel winder for tangled line machine... has some similarities with the machine... NO. sorry a red herring - I just found a second image  - this part is just the reel holder....
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: Billman49 on August 07, 2012, 01:39:49 PM
Still thinking on this one - it will not wind in a figure of 8 - will wind in one direction on both sides.... Possibly a field coil winder rather than an armature winder....
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: Plyerman on August 08, 2012, 10:09:32 PM
Neat find Mel, although I don't have any idea what it is/does.

Hmmm, I wonder if that loop of heavy wire (looks to be about 1/4" dia) could be some sort of clue as well? The way it is bent makes me think it served some purpose, otherwise it would just be in the way.
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: Mel Larsen on October 10, 2012, 08:01:11 PM
OK guys, I'm dragging my mystery thing back up, hoping someone new will know what the heck it is.  Maybe I need to make a new, better video?
You have been pretty good at solving some other mysteries, I won't rest until I find out what the heck this thing is.
Mel   
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: bgarrett on October 10, 2012, 08:38:58 PM
apple peeler or corer
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: Mel Larsen on October 10, 2012, 09:02:24 PM
you did not watch the video did you?
Mel
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: rusty on October 10, 2012, 10:10:43 PM
Put an apple in that thing you are going to make spagetti LOL ;P

(I was thinking it might be for winding somethig small , like a golf ball, but that isn't how they make golf balls. It seems they make them inside tubes, and they have pretty much always made them by some variation of winding them in tubes, so I now know how golf balls are made, but that doesn't help you one iota ;P)
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: bird on October 10, 2012, 10:36:08 PM
looks like it might have been a "machine" for winding rope.......  I probably don't know what I'm talking about.....  but, maybe I do.
cheers and good luck
bird.


OK guys I don't want this thing to become a door stop like it was when I found it,  someone please come up with a proper use for it.
Mel
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: 1930 on October 11, 2012, 03:45:31 AM
you did not watch the video did you?
Mel
I dont think he realizes that by clicking on the pict. you are brought to a video, thats not how its usually done from what I have seen
Title: Re: Hand Cranked Thing-A-Majig What is it?
Post by: bgarrett on October 11, 2012, 08:25:14 PM
you did not watch the video did you?
Mel

nope
I cant watch videos