I Give, What Is It! SOLVED!

[jpalex]

 I recently acquired this item and can't figure out for the life of me what it could be. The seller thought it had something to do with barrel making. I want to disagree. Do any of you have any ideas. It's right around 21" in diameter.
Thank you all.

[Bill Houghton]

Side table of some bizarre sort?

[rusty]

Something for cheese?

[superzstuff]

With what looks like symbols around the rim, looks like a world globe base. Wild guess.

[oldtools]

Welcome to Tool Talk, interesting table,  barrel making makes sense..

[skipskip]

With what looks like symbols around the rim, looks like a world globe base. Wild guess.

I didn't see them at first, are  they astrological signs?

 maybe a star map or sky globe

[jimwrench]

 Does wooden center go down as you turn adjustment knob ? Saw something like this once and it was identified as frame for setting hem on ladies skirts. May not be same but it looks similar.

[jpalex]

The only thing that goes up and down is the cast ring that goes all the way around.

[jpalex]

Rusty's share of a patent got me excited for a second, on closer look I believe close but no cigar, darn it!

[Billman49]

Rusty's patent look close enough to be of the same genre - in the one shown it appears a knife rises up and down, on the table of jpalex the rim rises, so allowing a knife to be run horizontally over the cheese - further research in this area needed I think - look for other patents by the same assignee??? 21" diameter is good for a cheese...

[Billman49]

Looking at Owen's patent, the table revoves, allowing the cheese to pass under the fixed (and adjustable for height) wire, but a hole has to be bored though the cheese first - in the one in question, the rim rises and falls, allowing the cutting wire to be pulled through the cheese - the cheese does not need to revolve, and it doesn't need a hole though the centre... I'd bet rusty has it - just a different model (maybe not patented by Owen, as there are dozens of patents for cheese cutters at the beginning of the 20th century)...

[jpalex]

I was wondering if this way a poor mans cutter. All you would do would be run the ring up to where you wanted to cut the cheese and by hand pull a wire threw it? With using two hands you'd simply start on the backside and pull down on the ring and threw the cheese toward you. Just a wire with two handles is all you'd need.

[scottg]

This is really interesting! 
 It was obviously redone and painted up for the antique trade. new paint and probably a varnished plywood table, with brand new phillips pan head screws.........
 
  But................
 I am totally going with the cheese cutter theory.
 Or rather, a guide for cutting cheese. The real cheese cutter would be you.

 I worked in the pizza industry for much of my youth. A number of stores and eventually every job they had.  So I have cut up a lot of blocks of cheese.
 50-60 pound blocks was the common size then. I was going to grind it all, so random blocks were all I needed.

  But if I had old school cheese wheels instead of blocks? And I wanted them to be mostly uniform for a neat retail appearance? This invention would be a great way.

 I used super heavy fishing line and 2 broomstick handles. (just short cylinders of wood) But people used to use wire the same way, and I'm sure in 1905 wire would have been the ticket.
  In use, you wrap the line all the way around the cheese until they cross, and then open (spread) your arms to pull it though. If you tried to just reach past and straight pull though the cheese? It would jump into your lap!
  Wrapping all around and pulling will keep it just where it is with no trouble.
 
  So with this, you would set the height you wanted to cut the wheel, and wrap the wire around the top frame, which would keep it smooth and even, and pull through the cheese.
  Then lop up into even wedges.
 Voila, you have a nifty, even looking retail display of cheese wedges!
      yours Scott

[jpalex]

Scott, thank you, I believe we're totally on the same page. That's the exact conclusion I came up with. I appreciate your validation and interest to help out on the solve. I replaced the original board with the slab of oak, when I received the piece the original board had been replaced with a couple thin pieces of pine that were ugly and weak as can be.
I wish you a Happy New Year.

[scottg]

Hey jpalex, I do have a question.....
 I see the adjustment wheel connected to one rod underneath though the bevel gears, which would raise 2 of the sides,
 but what raises the other two sides?
  Is there another piece and more gears I can't see?
  yours Scott