What is this big rusty iron thing?

[Andy0820]

It looks like a rope or barbed wire might have went through it.

 

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[Bruce R]

Well, you have to admit it certainly looks like a "no-tie" insulator. All the connections appear to be common and the hardware screams "powerline" it must be something to maintain a ground or neutral along the line. You might contact the National Insulator Association and email your pix to them, those guys know everything about antique electrical stuff.

 

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[4x4x4]

Well, you have to admit it certainly looks like a "no-tie" insulator. All the connections appear to be common and the hardware screams "powerline" it must be something to maintain a ground or neutral along the line. You might contact the National Insulator Association and email your pix to them, those guys know everything about antique electrical stuff.

......Except , Bruce , as you might be able to see , there is no place to make a permanent connection..... that loosening the tension on any cable going through item would then free the piece to slide along said cable . This is surely a friction fit.
I would STILL LIKE TO SEE other angled PICS .

 

[A2coins]

sprinkler

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[Bruce R]

......Except , Bruce , as you might be able to see , there is no place to make a permanent connection..... that loosening the tension on any cable going through item would then free the piece to slide along said cable . This is surely a friction fit.
I would STILL LIKE TO SEE other angled PICS .

It wouldn't be fastened securely, it has to be able to move in order to compensate for the wind blowing the wire, expansion and contraction, etc. the N.I.A. Will have someone that knows exactly what it is.

 

[diverrick]

I sent a pic off to the Westinghouse historical group, in hopes they could ID it. I am certain the raised letters once spelled Westinghouse. But most of the letters are no longer visable.

 

[A2coins]

sprinkler lol

 

[diverrick]

I heard back from Westinghouse. Even they were not one hundred percent sure what it was, but they sent me a 1920catalog and I found similar items that looked like the top half of your piece. There final decision was : " possibly be a wire suspension fixture for an overhead (catenary) line, possibly for a mine trolley application"

 

[DCMatt]

I heard back from Westinghouse. Even they were not one hundred percent sure what it was, but they sent me a 1920 catalog and I found similar items that looked like the top half of your piece.
There final decision was : " possibly be a wire suspension fixture for an overhead (catenary) line, possibly for a mine trolley application"

May we see the pics and descriptions from the 1920 catalog?