What is this? Help identify.

[tanasit]

My friend picked this up last week at a thrift store in Philly. It looked cool and he got it for practically nothing He could hear something rattling around inside. It looked like a zapper if hooked up and you touched it. It looks to be from the 50's and runs with a D/C input. One connection is to the outside piece and the other is to the inside rod.

He took it apart it looks like the top bolt/connection can be adjusted in & out. The bottom bolt/connection goes 3/4 through with a wood insulator to a hole in the back. Looks like it was made for a plug-in connector. What do you think?

Thanks

 

[dc38]

My friend picked this up last week at a thrift store in Philly. It looked cool and he got it for practically nothing He could hear something rattling around inside. It looked like a zapper if hooked up and you touched it. It looks to be from the 50's and runs with a D/C input. One connection is to the outside piece and the other is to the inside rod.

He took it apart it looks like the top bolt/connection can be adjusted in & out. The bottom bolt/connection goes 3/4 through with a wood insulator to a hole in the back. Looks like it was made for a plug-in connector. What do you think?

Thanks

Thought it was the top of a transformer thingy, then thought it was a rigging...no idea :P. I keep having this feeling like i've seen this somewhere before though...

 

[inetdog]

Two wild guesses:
1. Part of an old spark gap radio transmitter
2. Something X-rated on the large animal scale.

Tapatalk...

 

[Steve K]

the gadget is a switch. The metal spring piece is one contact, and apparently has a weight attached at the top.
The other switch contact is the screw that threads into the upper hole. The depth of the screw determines how far the metal spring has to bend/move in order to close the switch.

It looks like it is designed to be a handle or joystick, but you would have to whack it or shake it in order to get the metal spring to deflect and close the switch. Weird.

 

[Chauncey Gardener]

I sent a link for this thread to my Go To Guy. Here is his reply:

I think that is a handle for an offset printing press and the switch activates when the large cast wheel that it's hooked to reaches a "bump" stop. The handle is for manual registration.