Odd large wooden ratcheting lever

[Kevo_DFX]

OK all, I have a stumper for you. We found this in an old shed. It is approximately 3 feet long. It is a wood handled lever of some sort. We believe the metal serrated bit on the bottom is a ratcheting kind of device. There is writing on the ratchet, different on both sides, that I have not yet been able to discern. The clamp on the chain is a tension clamp. When pulled rearward, it will clamp firmly down on something, like a rope. The rope can then be easily released by removing the tension.
We spent a couple hours last night trying to figure it out, but the products of Straub Brewery and Jameson Distillery were causing our guesses to become increasingly wild. Please help, my liver cannot support another night of puzzlement.



Thank you for looking,

Kevo

 

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[pa plateau hiker]

Ya can't go wrong with products from the Straub Brewery. So many folks don't know what they are missing. Oh, your ratcheting lever, I don't know.

 

[relic nut]

Fence stretchers. Used mostly for Barb wire
The teeth dig in to post. Wire goes in metal jaw

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I'm going to guess a chain tensioner to take up slack in a chain before hooking it.

Possibly on the beer wagons. ;-)

Fence stretcher is good too.

 

[relic nut]

They are fence stretchers. I have used them many times when I was young

 

[DCMatt]

Fence stretcher as stated by several of our esteemed colleagues.

 

[sutphin]

ITS A DANG FEEEEEEENNNNNNNNCEEEEEEEEEEE SSSTTTTTREEEEEEECHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRR. GOT CARRIED AWAY SORRY.

 

[tamrock]

It's an antique old fashion "come a long" and an smart mind could come up with a lot of ways to put that thing to use. Like beat a chicken in the head with it. So there

 

[Kevo_DFX]

Thank you for all your help, everyone. Fence Stretcher it is. You have set our minds and sobriety at ease.

 

[DCMatt]

Thank you for all your help, everyone. Fence Stretcher it is. You have set our minds and sobriety at ease.

I'll drink to that.