What is this? Disk with electrical contacts and crank handle??

[Oilfield Diver]

What the heck is this? It appears to be a metal disk with rectangular copper contact tabs radiating toward the center. In the center there appears to be a flat circular type of contact (very rusty hard to see) that would make contact with each tab when the "handle" or crank was turned by hand or by some other electro/mechanical device. Thx.

 

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[njnydigger]

It's a prehistoric dowsing rod once used by the cavemen Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[aka da Prof]

perhaps there musical reeds. are they different lengths ?

 

[duggap]

I have found those also. I will give you my guess. When I was a kid, (I am 66 now) our chorus teacher would have a round devise like that that she would blow on to give us the key to start singing.

 

[Silver]

I forget what they are called used in roofing on a house. They have been identified here many times. I may be wrong but it sure looks like it.

 

[aka da Prof]

I don't think they are 'tin caps' used in roofing. Again, are the 'reeds' different lengths? could they be brass?

 

[RELICDUDE07]

They are used in construction to hold foam on walls-for stucco

 

[RELICDUDE07]

after many years they found out these suck & rust would bleed through the stucco -most are made of plastic now

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Im not saying it is, but it reminds me of a timing motor. I would like to a a pic of these special nails with the tiny copper reeds? It must be some kind of reed valve. Looking forward to the foam on stucco nail pic thats a better match than the one I found below..

 

[bradyboy]

what about cell battery ends
Brady

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Im thinking reeds to a horn. Just a guess.

Is the "handle" actually the shape of a crank or is it bent? If its a crank, Im thinking magneto.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

perhaps there musical reeds. are they different lengths ?

Im thinking reeds too because I now see the tiny screws on each reed. Definitely not a fastener or nail.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I have found those also. I will give you my guess. When I was a kid, (I am 66 now) our chorus teacher would have a round devise like that that she would blow on to give us the key to start singing.

Creskol found this patent

 

[Oilfield Diver]

Thanks for all the input. To answer a few questions, it definitely is not a roofing or sheathing type of nail assembly. Notice the material used to make this "device". The disk is metal, the tabs or "reeds" are made of copper and are riveted on the disk. There is a center tab that made contact to the copper "reeds" to complete a ground or a flow, electrical in nature when either the crank or the disk was turned or spun. The crank handle is not bent, it is in its original shape. The bends in it are approximately 90 degree angles. An old telephone part?? Timing motor part looks similar and a possibility in some sort of relation. Still drawing straws on this thing. (I will clean it more thoroughly and add better pics to help solve this).

Update: wow, many posts since I just posted this reply, thx everybody, the patent etc. a pitch pipe is looking very convincing at the moment..

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I dont know if this helps but it appears you are not the only member baffled by these things. I think they are reeds. I doubt they could be electrical contacts being next to metal. There is no insulation in between.

Are you sure your shaft is not bent? http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,251387.0.html

 

[Oilfield Diver]

Wow bigcypresshunter - other finds of this type of thing - thank you. What works against it being a pitch pipe is the different number of reeds of the examples, the first pic has only five, the second one appears to have nine, while mine does have six (i.e. "E-A-D-G-B-E", the six major keys in music), the others don't match up for these things to be pitch pipes. I am going to check on the crank handle thing again and post more pics but it does look like it was made that way.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Wow bigcypresshunter - other finds of this type of thing - thank you. What works against it being a pitch pipe is the different number of reeds of the examples, the first pic has only five, the second one appears to have nine, while mine does have six (i.e. "E-A-D-G-B-E", the six major keys in music), the others don't match up for these things to be pitch pipes. I am going to check on the crank handle thing again and post more pics but it does look like it was made that way.

If its a pitch pipe, I would think the reeds would be of slightly different lengths. Im leaning toward siren or horn.

 

[trikikiwi]

My WAG is, a SCREAMER from pyrotechnics
but that really is a wild one.

It's quite sad that the public can't be trusted with certain types of fireworks now-a-days.
I remember when .....blahdeblahbla.......

Cheers, Mike

 

[RELICDUDE07]

..........

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Thanks for the pic Relicdude. I can see how at first glance this find could be mistaken for a nail. It is not a nail however because of the copper reeds.