✅ SOLVED Brass/Bronze Mechanisms, Nautical?

[nhbenz]

Dug these, but from out of the metal pile at my local dump, not buried. I couldn't find any makers marks, which surprised me. But then they have a fairly heavy patina, which could be hiding marks... I'll clean them for a closer inspection if nobody recognizes them right away. Also I haven't weighed them, but they are quite heavy. The cylindrical piece has a cut-off chunk of wood in it, and the square drive makes the cylinder thing rotate. The crank on the other piece moves a bracket along the rail. Thanks in advance!

 

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[Anduril]

Do you get the feeling that all of these parts belong to the same contraption? (As do I.)

 

[nhbenz]

I believe so, yes. I could see where they would work in conjunction nicely for a heavy duty...something.
I can imagine if you had a huge telescope these would work to point it side to side and up and down... Not that it's anything like the controls I see for those. But that's the type of motion that could be achieved.

 

[DCMatt]

Interesting items... The crank mechanism seems to allow for some fairly fine adjustments.

The ring has strap loops on it?

Is there a hole in the bottom of the 'grail' shaped piece?

My first thought was parts from a vintage farming planter/seeder. But why brass?

Based on your "nautical" title, I also looked at irrigation and fire fighting items but didn't see anything that helps.

Still looking...

DCMatt

 

[nhbenz]

Thanks for your time and thoughts Matt. There isn't a hole in the bottom of the "grail", rather a gear is attached on the bottom so that the worm gear (operated by a 3/4" square drive on either side) can spin the grail (I'll keep calling it that). The gear is able to rotate all the way around, repeatedly if needed. There are holes on the sides of the grail, which are tapered, I assume for large wood screws, as there is a chunk of wood stuck in there.
The tabs on the inside of the ring shaped piece have holes that are threaded.
The only thing that made me think nautical perhaps is that it's heavy duty and brass... so, very little, but I'm pretty close to the coast and a U.S. Navy base.

 

[cudamark]

Does the round ring fit on either the wooden end of the "grail" or the base of the crank/worm gear assy?

 

[nhbenz]

Sorry, I should've figured that out sooner. It took some wiggling to get it back into place, but definitely belongs as shown (the screw holes line up, etc.)

 

[NOLA_Ken]

(I think) They are parts of a sailing ship mast.... I don't know what they are called offhand, but I did fing a pic online where you can see a piece very similar to yours with the loops... If there's a boat yard near you I'm sure they will be able to tell you exactly what they are

 

[nhbenz]

Excellent, thanks Ken! Using that I figured out that it's a boom mount, and found one just like mine here: Vintage Cromo Bronce Velero Madera Pluma Mount En T Track Sliding Car Pesado | eBay
Thanks to all that replied, as well as those that took time to look around without success, as I had.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Well that one sold for 200$ and yours looks a bit nicer, I don't know what scrap bronze goes for but either way it looks like you got a good score!

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Dang it I was going to guess Popeye's spinach grinderWas wondering what it was going to be.Cool find.