Terra cotta gears/cogs?

[frostygorillaz]

We're having some excavation done at work and we've found probably a hundred of these. They seem like some sort of machine part? They're made of clay or terra cotta, and have ridges along the outside and 3 spiral canals running through the middle, almost like a fan. Anyone have any ideas?

Nick

 

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[randazzo1]

My guess would be some sort of structural masonry unit - like a cinderblock except tubular. Maybe for a decorative retaining wall or something

 

[HuntinDog]

I agree... Blocks for making pillars.

or

At least that is what they look like to my...

 

[dingode]

100% sure it isn't this, but why not throw it out there just in case.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Whatever you do don't toss them until you find out what they are. You might have vintage something there worth who knows.

 

[Red James Cash]

Cement gears working under a load wouldn't last too long of a timeI'd give it 5 seconds if thatNo place for an axel..

 

[Plug N Play]

Pillars does seem like a good possibility.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

The spiral internals make me think it was part of a corn sheller/mill to take dried kernels off cobs. The spiral would move the kernels towards a shoot as it turned.

Though I've never seen one of that design, or not wood or metal.

 

[Nitric]

The spiral insides is what doesn't make sense. You would think if it was just for decoration it would have been harder to make them that way. Why spiraled? I can't imagine it gives it any more strength than going straight through.......

Some kind of chimney stack/vent? after placed together the spirals controlled air flow or something?

Wait!! If these were stacked long ways, on their sides and mortared together...You would still get airflow but no one would be able to see in. Like a privacy wall, or barn vent,basement vent, patio wall, etc.... The ridged sides are what gets mortared or stacked.

It's an out there guess, I'm trying to understand the reason for the spirals....

 

[Reanm8er]

Unique finds. Not much reference to size. The spirals could be something to enhance the mortar bond between sections, especially since you wouldn't want an external joint. Probably more insight on the history of the site would give the answer. If there hundreds of them it must have been a manufacturing or large storage facility.

 

[creskol]

What material is it? Doesn't look like terracotta??

 

[Fourman110]

What's the bottom look like? The flutes on the side don't show wear like they were used for anything but the top three cavities almost look like they're used to grab and spin the unit. Is it worn on the bottom?

Could be a column chunk but it's a very small column.

 

[bologna321]

Do the spiral holes go all the way through?

Maybe its column pieces where you line up all the holes then pour cement from the top to give it strength

 

[WoodnHead]

I'm thinking the structural column thinking folks might be the way to go. Internal spirals do give more structural strength. Either decorative columns or maybe structural footer pile sections?

 

[Reanm8er]

What about sections for building a French drain. Would be a lot harder to crush shut than pipe.

 

[frostygorillaz]

They feel like clay or some sort of concrete. They're all the same size at about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and 4 inches tall. I would love to believe that they're some sort of column components, but being so small, I'm doubtful. They were all found in a fill layer along some railroad tracks, but it's in Northwest Indiana in a hugely industrial part of the state, which is why I'm assuming they had to come from a factory or something like that. And yes, the canals run all the way through the pieces, both circular ends look exactly the same. I like the corn sheller/mill idea, because corn plays a huge part of the local economy as well.

 

[Plug N Play]

Great call, Charlie ... here's some styles of grain mill stones.

 

[Clay Diggins]

An agricultural French Drain or a septic leach field clay tile. The location should inform you as to which the tiles were used for. Either way I wouldn't feel comfortable handling them.

 

[Nitric]

An agricultural French Drain or a septic leach field clay tile. The location should inform you as to which the tiles were used for. Either way I wouldn't feel comfortable handling them.

Do you know why the twist inside? That's the part that has me curious.

Maybe to keep anything from laying in it? It seeps out the seems?

 

[Reanm8er]

The spiral design would be harder to crush than a straight design. A French drain is designed to handle a trickle rather that a storm.