My first good find & Im still wondering?

[COUNTRY GIRL]

My first good find & I'm still wondering?

I posted this here years ago and still am not sure what the heck it is? OK it's driving me nuts.

So as much info as I can give is..........it is some sort of locking mechanism, but too many ways to lock? The home stead it was found at was built as a Sanitarium in 1870, it was found near the entrance to the main part of the house about 8" down. The home is across the road from the river, they burned coal, ice was farmed along with logs on the river in that era. So from nautical to medical to household use................I can't figure it out.

I pulled it back out the other night, cleaned her up, tried to mount it to get an idea on it's use, no luck here.

The item is made of solid brass (except for the knob), 6" long about 1" wide at the hinged part, I'm not sure if the knob turned or not. There is a part on the edge where I'm guessing another lock mechanism inserted and another piece latched over the key weigh that sticks out? There is a makers mark? In a triangle that says MLC or MLG .

Here are the pictures..........ask away?

 

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[COUNTRY GIRL]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

more.

 

[dkw]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

Here are my uneducated guesses.

It slightly reminds me of some fold up door stops I've seen in older institutional settings.

It might also be part of a door "hold open" device where one part is mounted to the door and latches in to another part which is mounted on the wall. It's kind of hard to explain but if you've been around any older institutional buildings you've probably seen them.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

it looks like the mount for an industrial duty door damper...the two holes mount to the door frame...piston mounts in the single hole, other end of piston to door?

 

[trikikiwi]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

My assumption

Heavy duty electrical switchgear.
Manufactured by LG Electronics

http://www.lge.com/

Mike

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

I have looked at many door stops and latches and can not come up with anything close. The way the the thing is _/- shaped would make for an odd type door. Then we have the additional lock part that is offset from the latch part? I am assuming that what ever it locks, and latches, would slide together?

I can not seem to figure out how it would mount to whatever. All the doors in the house are original and I have looked to see if it would attach to any of those with no luck. It may not have come from this house, but I a$$ume it did because it was just off the front porch in the ground.

Please correct me if you think I'm wrong. Or if anyone has any suggestions on how it mounts, I'll try to piece it together.

Trikikiwi, I can't seem to find what you are reffering to in that link.

Thanks for the help!

 

[dozer dan]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

door latch to a walk in freezer or cooler with the chrome wore off? it would have had a larger knob made of wood or plastic mounted to it so you could hit it with a hip or elbow.

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

I have looked at many old ice boxes too and can't seem to match anything even close. The door would have to be offset?

 

[Cynangyl]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

a weird thingamajig for sure! If it didn't have so many parts it would be SUCH much easier to figure out! lol Good luck sis!

 

[Montana Jim]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

I remember thinking it was part of a telegraph machine the first time you posted this... now seeing it again I know's that's not right.

I have no clue...

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

Sis that's my problem.............too many places to latch and lock and that dang part with the hole that is offset..................I can't figure out how to mount it. Maybe a big batch of cookies and the guys will play around with it for me this weekend? They have no clue either.

Jim, I remember looking at many a telegraph. I thought with a better camera, higher quality pictures, some new folks here, mounting it (the best I can figure ) maybe just maybe someone would have an idea.

 

[tinpan]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

nice find cgirl

"move into postion and lock down" Victorian era machine or furniture ajustable handle



tinpan

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

hmmmm...interesting
I think the round piece is a roller device that would fit into a slot...like a sliding door

 

[Siegfried Schlagrule]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

A foot brake so your bar stool doesn't roll away from the bar when you get tipsy.
siegfried schlagrule

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

Tinny, now there is another thought. To secure the leaf or store it when not in use.........I'm looking.

Gypsy, There is a set of pocket doors in the house with fancy molding around it, I still can't see how it would mount?

Sigfried,

I started looking at makers marks for brass............still no luck. YET!

 

[deepskyal]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

Okay...I'll give this a shot...the 3rd time I'm trying to reply to this.....

I have no clue but offer a couple suggestions.

Where you have the bolt (A), it probably pivoted. Maybe swinging down like the way I have the pic turned.

The nub (C) would act as a stop to prevent the latch from bending downwards.

I'd like to see an end view (B) laying flat like you have it screwed so we could see how far that tip of the latch bypasses the thing. I see it leaves a fair indent into the wood. I'd also like to see how the latch lines up with that point (C).

If it does pivot, with the offset it has, maybe the latch penetrated something like a strap, (my half hearted attempt at artistry). The arrow I drew facing away from the strap would imply the direction pressure might be applied to it, thus the stop to keep the latch from bending down.

Something was definately screwed onto it. Maybe something like a biscuit...(used for joining pieces of wood together) that would insert into something else.

And that taper on the (B) end...did it butt up against another tapered piece or maybe serve as a guide?

It's made of brass so I'm thinking decorative or something that got wet and they didn't want to rust...or both.

Brass is fairly hard...harder than copper....so I don't think it was for anything electrical.

Maybe it was some oddball window or door latch..but I dont think so.

It's a pretty neat find whatever it is.

Al

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

Deepskyal, EXACTLY what is driving me nuts. You worded it and drew it out just as I have been trying to explain it. I agree that something pivoted (I will see if I can cut the board out to line up) I also think you may have the way it is mounted correct with the turned picture. Being biscuited to another piece of wood did not cross my mind, definitely possible. The taper (B) I did not think of a guide either good thought.

It is heavy duty and about a 1/4" thick so I am leaning more towards something that got wet and not solely decorative. I'll get you some more pictures this afternoon as requested.

I printed out your reply and picture to study next to my crazy brass latchey thingy.

 

[COUNTRY GIRL]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

Al, Here are the close up pictures as promised. Thanks so much for the thoughts!

 

[jgowans]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

My first thought was for an older office desk that had a pullout popup typewriter.
We had a desk like that and when I got bored with my homework I would fiddle around with the popup
until I pinched my fingers and got back to work. I never did get a look at the mechanism though.

Can you get a picture of the side of the locking part?

 

[seger98]

Re: My first good find & I'm still wondering?

I think Deepskyl is probably the closest!