What is It

[Lee]

This story was in the local news paper last week. Has anybody any ideas on what it maybe.

Lee


LONG-time Queanbeyan resident Harry Hesse needs your help.
Harry recently re-discovered a historic piece of engineering while cleaning out his workshop, and he would like to know what it is.
Made mostly of brass, the small piece of machinery has a main shaft and a wing knob made of steel.
The wing knob drives a series of clock/gear mechanisms that work a small fan and the whole mechanism fits easily in the palm of Harry's hand.
"I found it in the shed of an old house we bought on the South Coast during the 1950s ... I have always wondered what it was, but have never been able to find out," Harry said.
"The fan's so tiny and delicate it wouldn't be much good for anything." According to Harry, the most intriguing feature - stamped into the brass is the writing:
PATD FEB 25. 1868 DEC 22.1874
If anyone can help Harry
solve his five decade puz- INTRIGUED: Harry Hesse takes a closer look at the fan part of a historic piece.

[jackrae]

1st clue is the date of the patent - long before aircraft so it ain't part of any aviation mechanism, bomb etc. Unlikely to be part of a military shell trigger mechanism either - bit too fragile looking

Could it be that the "fan" actually drives the "wing nut" rather than the other way around

Perhaps it forms part of some sort of flow meter with the integrator dials missing. The wing nut being a simple self aligning drive to the dials. If so then considering the shallow angles of the fan it may possibly be for air or gas. Liquid meters generally have much shallower blades.

regards
jack

[Tel]

..... or possibly a velocometer for measuring air currents

[IP]

Chaps,

I reckon its some sort of fan for cooling thermionic valves ~~~ maybe

Regards IP

[Lee]

IP
The Thermionic valve was invented in 1904
20 years to late.
www.marconicalling.com/museum/html/events/events-i=39-s=0.html

Lee

[jackrae]

Considering the victorians were enthusiastic inventors dreaming up all sorts of crazy ideas, perhaps it is

a) a forerunner of the electric cocktail stirrer
b) a portable toe-nail clipper
c) an early form of dry shaver

there again maybe its something a space alien dropped on a visit to the beach

If you could advise what's inside the barrel of bits between the fan and the "key" we might be able to work out its purpose. Does the "cup" piece completely cover the fan when the three bits are assembled.

Pity Harry was so dismissive of it "not being much use". It looks a wonderful piece of manufacture for 150 years ago

jack

[Lee]

I had a talk on the phone with Harry (a very nice fellow) His description of the geared mechanism left me none the wiser. He is not very mechanically minded. He has offered to show it to me when he gets it back from an engineer friend.
An old Dutch sea captain has told him that he thinks that it's from a communication tube on a old ship. The device is used for blowing down the tube to activate the whistle instead of using the mouth.

Lee