|
So the other day I was at a barn sale, and i bought a couple antique things. One appears to be complete, and the other is missing a class plate in front, but gives a better look at what it is. One is clearly labeled as a "Calcumeter" but a google seach doesn't show anything that looks like this. They are wooden boxes, a little over 3 feet long, and about 8 inches on each side. Inside is a metal drum, with a piece of paper glued on it with a pattern of numbers that seems to indicate measurements and conversions. Otherwise the only writing on the paper says "Copyright 1983 by O.W. Van Denburgh."   The Glass plate on the front says "Calcumeter" and has a thin clear section to see the drum underneath and one row of numbers on it. It is a yard long and on top is measured off in inches, and below it is measured off in fractions of 1/16th of a yard.  On the right hand side is a little section for price by yard, revealing more numbers on the drum.  There is a wheel on the side that allows the drum to be spun from the side, or the front.   I picked them both up for $25 because i have more curiosity than impulse control. When google got me nothing I contacted a antique consignment company and appraiser near me, and they gave me a shrug but offered to research a appraisal for $150 an hour. That is way more than I am willing to invest in this. I have to assume that it was made somewhere between 1893 and 1923 or else they wouldn't have bothered to put an expired copyright on it. My best guess is that it is made to help measure out and price bolts of cloth or something else sold by the yard. The term Calcumeter usually refers to a mechanical adding machine patented in 1904 that looks nothing like this. Sorry about some of the pictures being kind of poor quality, they were done in a hurry and my phone doesn't have a great camera. I can take more if there is an interest, but this covers all the main details. Anyone know what this might be?
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 10:40
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 17:46 |
|
|
It’s for contacting aliens. You use the slide rule thing to select the number of aliens you would like to contact, yelll your message at it (have to yell cuz its old) like “Hey Aliens! gently caress YOU!” Then the other box transmits it to the heavens. Solid find.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 10:50
|
|
|
It's a dildo.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 10:56
|
|
|
That's a 1968 Chrevrolet Camaro Z/28. Nice find!!
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 11:21
|
|
|
It calculmetes how far you can stick it up your own rear end.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 11:23
|
|
|
Google comes up with an O W Van Denburg who was an inventor in the 1800s. Seems like he could be your guy and researching more about him may give you more info about your device. https://patents.google.com/patent/US451584A/en Ctrl +F "van denburgh" on these. https://archive.org/stream/scientific-american-1891-05-16/scientific-american-v64-n20-1891-05-16_djvu.txt https://archive.org/stream/scientific-american-1885-11-14/scientific-american-v53-n20-1885-11-14_djvu.txt
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 11:23
|
|
|
Are we also getting $150 an hour for this work you cheap bastard
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 11:24
|
|
|
Lolie posted:Google comes up with an O W Van Denburg who was an inventor in the 1800s. Seems like he could be your guy and researching more about him may give you more info about your device. This guy invented the backpack mounted pressurizable beverage container so whatever the OP has it's probably retarded.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 11:26
|
|
|
Pretty sure it's one of those decoder rings for games before they had those anti-piracy programs in them.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 11:29
|
|
|
Definitely a dildo that contacts aliens
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 11:31
|
|
|
It obviously calculates your metres which never took off in the USA due to their primitive measurement system.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 11:53
|
|
|
I suggest uploading some photos that are of a more reasonable size and without your thumb in the picture.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 11:54
|
|
|
They look like encased slide rules. There's some that look like yours in this link: http://www.sliderulemuseum.com/MiscUSA.htm
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 11:54
|
|
|
It's a Windows Server 2016 Core, datacenter edition
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:07
|
|
|
Did anybody say dildo? Cool thread keep us updated
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:08
|
|
|
you put your balls in the wheel and spin it around, then you use the ruler to measure your cock
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:11
|
|
|
Orville W Van Denburg was a cigar salesman in Schuylerville, New York. He held several patents, the pitcher, a painting stand, and a scale. Its definitely a measurement tool of some kind. It could be some kind of slide rule for a specific purpose, it may also be missing some part or another. But why the drum?
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:12
|
|
|
Eleventy.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:12
|
|
|
It's almost certainly for pricing out bolts of cloth. The drum probably contains the prices for all the materials carried at a store.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:18
|
|
|
autism ZX spectrum posted:It's almost certainly for pricing out bolts of cloth. The drum probably contains the prices for all the materials carried at a store. This was my guess too.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:28
|
|
|
autism ZX spectrum posted:It's almost certainly for pricing out bolts of cloth. The drum probably contains the prices for all the materials carried at a store. That was my first thought when I saw it too. The device itself is probably covered by somebody else's patent, and he had a copyright on the paper that was on the drum that was specifically for his use.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:34
|
|
|
Check the sides to see if there's any evidence of it being mounted to a table. I'd imagine it would be mounted at the end of at able so the top was flush with the surface.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:37
|
|
|
My guess would be that it spools and cuts electrical wire to quantum length.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:41
|
|
|
nope, no holes or anything where it would have been previously mounted on something. Given that the wheel is easily accessible from the front (top?) i doubt it was intended to be spun from the side, but there is no sign of it being mounted, screwed, or nailed to anything previously on the side either. Edit: I was thinking that the wheel might be intended to have some kind of belt or something on it as it seems a little overkill just for spinning a light weight drum, but the gap for the wheel seems too narrow for that. sonofsunaj fucked around with this message at 12:46 on Oct 9, 2018 |
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:44
|
|
|
It's an ancient Mayan calendar. Make sure not to spin it to the end or you'll bring about catastrophe!
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:50
|
|
|
Guess you could use it to measure arc gaps and figure out the maximum tensile strength of a substance at perfect heat. 
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:50
|
|
|
This is a document that's highly redacted in the SCP foundation. Congrats on becoming an anomalous casualty.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 12:51
|
|
|
anal circumfrence joke
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 13:12
|
|
pop fly to McGillicutty posted:This is a document that's highly redacted in the SCP foundation. Congrats on becoming an anomalous casualty. It's a device that lets you communicate with 2013.
|
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 13:14
|
|
|
Definitely some kind of turd measuring / pricing device.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 13:15
|
|
|
Just a guess but I agree with you OP. It was most likely just a measuring stick for cloth, and you use the drum to set the price per yard, so when you cut a certain length you can immediately see the price for that cut.
Nurge fucked around with this message at 13:49 on Oct 9, 2018 |
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 13:34
|
|
|
i'm no expert, but that appears to be mostly wood to me
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 13:36
|
|
|
Van Denburgh's Fantastical Wood and Numbers Stick
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 14:49
|
|
|
That's a numberwang.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 14:56
|
|
|
It's a calcumeter OP.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 15:24
|
|
|
Crack it open op! But do it over a catch basin in case any valuable tique leaks out you can use it for other arcane vintage functions
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 15:28
|
|
|
Thats a regulation cucumber display case. The international order of cucumbry hasnt existed for so long uts now acceptable to just put your cucumbers in the vegetable drawer but this was a different era, arguably the golden age of cucumbers and you wouldnt be caught dead without one.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 16:00
|
|
|
How much do you want for it op?
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 16:35
|
|
|
Gramma had one of those and it's why I hated my parents letting her babysit me. It's an old timey rectal thermometer.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 17:55
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 17:46 |
|
|
sonofsunaj posted:Otherwise the only writing on the paper says "Copyright 1983 by O.W. Van Denburgh." "Antiques" ... congrats on getting ripped off. Yeah I know, you probably meant to type 1893.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2018 18:41
|
|
