Some sort of sights?

[toolmiser]

I found two of these at a garage/estate sale.  I have a set of sights kind of like these that clamp to a level, but these are quite like them.  Do I remember something like this used for laying brick?  They would clamp onto something 3/8" or less thick. 

Let me know what you think.

Thanks!

[bleonard]

stair gage fixtures
Bob

[wvtools]

stair gage fixtures
Bob

That is what I was thinking too.

[Bill Houghton]

stair gage fixtures
Bob

They'd be an odd design.  Most stair gage/gauge fixtures I've seen are designed so that the fixture will snug up against the measurement on the framing square (the incremental rise/run measurements for each tread).  If I'm understanding what I see, these would require you to hold the framing square against the stock at those measurements and then snug the fixtures on some distance away.

But maybe that's why we don't see them at every estate sale: not a good design.

[gibsontool]

I agree with bill,that is an odd design but, I see no reason why they wouldn't work as a stair gauge, but I tend to think they were built for some other purpose.

[Bill Houghton]

Am I seeing it correctly that the top of those jobbies stands on two legs - that there's a space between the clamping portion and the top portion?  That could be significant - or not - but pouring something with a hole in it would be more work than without, which leaves me thinking the space, if it's there and not my misreading of the pictures, could be important.

They'll turn out to have something to do with leatherworking - I just know they will.