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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[Breezie]

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.

The notes E A D G B E are the 6 strings on a guitar. What you have is the innards to a vintage guitar tuner pitch pipe.

As far as the 'major keys in music,' there are 8 notes in an octave; starting with Middle C, the notes are C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.

The pic below is a vintage pitch pipe (not for guitar, just general pitch pipe,) but the way it is made is similar to yours. Most of the round one like this were made by the Master-Key company.

Nice find, Breezie

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

His 6 reeds have no markings. The question are the reeds all the same size?

 

[Breezie]

His 6 reeds have no markings. The question are the reeds all the same size?

No, the reeds are not all the same size, if they were, they would all play the same note. The longer the reed, the lower the note; the shorter the reed the higher the note. Since his has 6 notes, it was more than likely used for a guitar. The 4-note ones G - D - A - E would be for a violin/fiddle or a 4-note G - C - E - A for a ukulele.

Looking at Oilfield's pics, it appears the reeds are different length. It doesn't take a great deal of length difference to make a different note.

Breezie

 

[savant365]

It looks like a speed selector switch for a fan or something. When you turn the handle it will hold down one of the reeds to make an electrical connection.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

His 6 reeds have no markings. The question are the reeds all the same size?

No, the reeds are not all the same size, if they were, they would all play the same note. The longer the reed, the lower the note; the shorter the reed the higher the note. Since his has 6 notes, it was more than likely used for a guitar. The 4-note ones G - D - A - E would be for a violin/fiddle or a 4-note G - C - E - A for a ukulele.

Looking at Oilfield's pics, it appears the reeds are different length. It doesn't take a great deal of length difference to make a different note.

Breezie

I couldnt tell if they were different lengths by the pic. I was kinda hoping for a response from the OP. This would be a huge clue if you are correct.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

It looks like a speed selector switch for a fan or something. When you turn the handle it will hold down one of the reeds to make an electrical connection.

There would have to be some kind of insulation between the copper strips and the steel disc. The copper strips are riveted to the steel making a postive solid electrical contact to the entire piece.

 

[savant365]

It looks like a speed selector switch for a fan or something. When you turn the handle it will hold down one of the reeds to make an electrical connection.

There would have to be some kind of insulation between the copper strips and the steel disc. The copper strips are riveted to the steel making a postive solid electrical contact to the entire piece.

True but there could have been a gasket or a space between the bottom of the disk and the connection points.

 

[Breezie]

His 6 reeds have no markings. The question are the reeds all the same size?

No, the reeds are not all the same size, if they were, they would all play the same note. The longer the reed, the lower the note; the shorter the reed the higher the note. Since his has 6 notes, it was more than likely used for a guitar. The 4-note ones G - D - A - E would be for a violin/fiddle or a 4-note G - C - E - A for a ukulele.

Looking at Oilfield's pics, it appears the reeds are different length. It doesn't take a great deal of length difference to make a different note.

Breezie

I couldnt tell if they were different lengths by the pic. I was kinda hoping for a response from the OP. This would be a huge clue if you are correct.

Something else that would be helpful is to know if the bands were semi-flexible like those found inside a harmonica.

 

[Oilfield Diver]

Ahhhh! Breezie! Yes you are so correct! (The extent of my musical knowledge knows only the boundaries of a certain six stringed instrument). I cleaned the mystery item and took more pics. As I was cleaning I happened to "pluck" a couple of them in unision - and it sounded just like those early 20th century toys - kind of like when you would turn the crank on a jack-in-the-box. Could it be??

 

[dozer dan]

i saw something similar to this a while back. it was an antique "rheostat" used for dimming stage lights in an old theater.

 

[aka da Prof]

I just noticed that the 'reeds' are spaced three to a side- if indeed an instrument, that could that be two different chords that the crank might turn the disk to the air source. might there be a shadow of a baffle on the unreeded side? also modern musical reeds have a thick end that is filed for tuning to the right pitch, but I don't see any evidence of that here.
p.s.- or perhaps it isn't a crank but a lever--might there be a pivot point on it?

 

[DialM]

It doesn't take a great deal of length difference to make a different note.

Breezie

I see what you did there.

 

[DialM]

Ahhhh! Breezie! Yes you are so correct! (The extent of my musical knowledge knows only the boundaries of a certain six stringed instrument). I cleaned the mystery item and took more pics. As I was cleaning I happened to "pluck" a couple of them in unision - and it sounded just like those early 20th century toys - kind of like when you would turn the crank on a jack-in-the-box. Could it be??

Looking at that pic, it is not what Breezie suggested. It plays a (short) tune when you turn the crank. Look at the tab at the base of the shaft: it is shaped to push the "reeds" down and release them with a flick. Perhaps from a Jack-In-The-Box type toy.

 

[DialM]

I would like to open one of these up and see what is inside:

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I would like to open one of these up and see what is inside:

Sounds like a possibility.

Im thinking more like a crank siren instead of a music box. I dont know if it could play a tune.

 

[Breezie]

Yeppers, it looks like you're right; it's reeds for a Jack-In-The-Box. Now play the reeds in order over and over to figure out the tune. Most of those made in the 50s played Pop Goes The Weasel. This has been a most interesting post; thanks for sharing. Breezie

 

[Oilfield Diver]

Thanks for the support on the jack-in-the-box notion DialM. Breezie agrees (and if Breezie agrees, that is good enough for me)!

When I had inadvertently plucked the tines - the moment of discovery - I knew it had to be it.

Thanks everybody for your input. Each played a part. The winding road of thought might not have led to the discovery if it had taken a different turn or if there were a lack of tenacity to solve it.

Jack-in-the-box type toy music tines it is.

 

[Breezie]

Thanks for the support on the jack-in-the-box notion DialM. Breezie agrees (and if Breezie agrees, that is good enough for me)!

When I had inadvertently plucked the tines - the moment of discovery - I knew it had to be it.

Thanks everybody for your input. Each played a part. The winding road of thought might not have led to the discovery if it had taken a different turn or if there were a lack of tenacity to solve it.

Jack-in-the-box type toy music tines it is.

Yep, it takes a village Be sure to let us know what tune it plays. Looking forward to more of your finds, Breezie

 

[aka da Prof]

'Name that tune' in six notes--- must be a site on the net for this--
p.s.-- maybe it goes with that tie clip that was posted last year---

 

[DialM]

Thanks for the support on the jack-in-the-box notion DialM. Breezie agrees (and if Breezie agrees, that is good enough for me)!

When I had inadvertently plucked the tines - the moment of discovery - I knew it had to be it.

Thanks everybody for your input. Each played a part. The winding road of thought might not have led to the discovery if it had taken a different turn or if there were a lack of tenacity to solve it.

Jack-in-the-box type toy music tines it is.

Yep, it takes a village Be sure to let us know what tune it plays. Looking forward to more of your finds, Breezie

The tune could be incomplete. It is possible that the shaft passed through the disk to another disk or series of disks, each with their own reeds. The shaft could also have multiple "plucker" tabs that play on the same disc, making for a syncopated rhythm. And thus I have overstretched my musical knowledge, so forgive me if my terminology is out of tune.