✅ SOLVED Handled Cone with holes and ruler-like measurements

[paulb104]

Hey! So a buddy of mine sent me this pic and asked for my help. I got a whole lotta nothing so I thought I'd bring it here...

It was found in an old barn, and I think that barn is in Indiana.

There's obvious threads in the handle. It seems that the holes are for measuring, but no idea for what.

 

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[dozer dan]

Perhaps a gauge for measuring drill rod threads?

 

[Anduril]

Even the tapered part looks like it might screw into something.

I agree - sure seems like it would be for measuring or dispensing something.... but what?
I wonder if it's supposed to rotate when it is in actual operation?
(Not sure why that pops into my head? - I guess because the holes go 360 around the piece.)
Also, I wonder what orientation this operates in, or whether that even matters?

A strange find, for sure.
It is definitely NOT Pythagoras' "Greedy Cup".
Maybe an imitator who wasn't so good at math?

 

[paulb104]

So I just realized that the pic is upside down. When the pic is rotated 180 degrees, the numbers make more sense though. Zero is at the bottom, then one, then on the next row we see 8, 9, 10, then 17, 18, 19, then 26, 27, 28, then 35, 36, 37, then 45, 46, 47. The distance between 8 and 9 is much farther than 45 and 46, so I'm clueless on what kind of measuring this would be.

 

[firemanphob]

This is an interesting one. Can't wait for someone to solve it. I don't even know where to start.

 

[invent4hir]

Have your friend send you more pictures with a size reference including both ends then update your post. Is the handle hollow?

 

[Al D]

Looks like an old time delay warhead fuse, the holes are for a spanner type wrench

 

[xaos]

Looks like an old time delay warhead fuse, the holes are for a spanner type wrench

oi vey...

Its an old flow meter for a gas burner....those holes regulate the air flow....think of a bunsen burner, just a big one.
probably had a greenhouse there?

 

[Al D]

oi vey...

Its an old flow meter for a gas burner....those holes regulate the air flow....think of a bunsen burner, just a big one.
probably had a greenhouse there?

LOL, got any pics?

 

[paulb104]

So the warhead fuse isn't a horrible option, so I emailed the owner of that site a link to this thread (and an attachment of the pic) and the story, and asked their opinion of whether or not they think it is a fuse.

 

[firemanphob]

Some more pictures would be nice. Handle and different angles.

 

[paulb104]

Some more pictures would be nice. Handle and different angles.

I'm right there with you brother! I'm waiting on those pics myself!

 

[NOLA_Ken]

It's an artillery fuse, or at least part of one that's been turned into "trench art" It's French, and probably WW1 but could be earlier, pre 1900...

Scroll down this page about 3/4 of the way and you'll see it



Passion & Compassion 1914-1918 : WW1 militaria and technical documentation - artillery fuses

 

[paulb104]

It's an artillery fuse...Scroll down this page

Ken, yesterday evening I had said that I had directly contacted the owner of the passioncompassion1418.com website and asked their opinion of this piece...

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Ken, yesterday evening I had said that I had directly contacted the owner of the passioncompassion1418.com website and asked their opinion of this piece...

I knew what it was because I've seen those fuses before, but I would think they probably aren't very commonly found, especially as trench art which makes it even better of a find... It can be hard to find specific items on there but that site is a great reference for some pretty obscure stuff from WW1

 

[A2coins]

Ken awesome ID Yoda man Well done and great relic

 

[Anduril]

OK. Well done. Great ID.
.... now I want to know how that fuse works!

 

[NOLA_Ken]

OK. Well done. Great ID.
.... now I want to know how that fuse works!

I'm not exactly sure, so if I'm wrong I hope someone will let me know, but I think that the spiral internal part had a tube wrapped in it that was filled with a slow burning powder and the gunners would poke a hole into that tube through one of the holes on the outside which are numbered to indicate time of delay. When the shell was fired, the flash would ignite the powder in the tube which would burn down to the center of the fuse and set off the detonator and bursting charge

 

[paulb104]

NOLA_Ken was correct in that it is a timer, AND it is also trench art. That website's owner was kind enough to reply to me:

Your Discovery is effectively a WW French Time and percussion fuze. You can find details on my website of

• the general principles of this pyrotechnic device Passion & Compassion 1914-1918 : WW1 militaria and technical documentation - artillery fuses
• the reasons for using such time and percussion devices Passion & Compassion 1914-1918 : WW1 militaria and technical documentation - artillery ammunitions
• the description of this particular one Passion & Compassion 1914-1918 : WW1 militaria and technical documentation - artillery fuses

The presence of such a WW shell fuze in Indiana could be the fact WW1 US artillery was in majority delivered by France. Training grounds and artillery proving grounds used such ammos in US during and after WW1.

But your item was modified on a peaceful and pretty common way : the inner mechanism has been extracted and the ‘hat’ has been turned upside down and screwed on the inner column. This is a classical transformation of a WW1 battlefield relic into a trench art souvenir. This item is therefore very likely a souvenir brought back from France by a US soldier who fought there, or a souvenir brought back later by a battlefield pilgrim or tourist.

Here is an image of a similar item I own