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Let's have another obscure item for a Whatziss...

By The Armorer on March 7, 2008 | | Comments (23)

And it's not a close-up of a fromkitz gear, edge-on, that is only 2mm big but photo'd to appear ginormous, either.

Just in case Bill shows up.

So, whatcha think this is?

Let's make it a two-fer. What's the first thing that pops into your mind when you see this picture? I'm guessing your answer will tell us something about you and your life to date.

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23 Comments

By fdcol63 on March 7, 2008 8:03 AM
The top one looks like a sausage grinder. LOL
 
By Ninjafluff on March 7, 2008 8:11 AM
The top one looks like a sausage grinder. LOL Ha, first thing I thought of too! I'm going to guess that it's some sort of playback device. The cup-shaped part on the left has a small wire attaching it to the main body, so that's where the signal could be transferred. Shot in the dark, I'm going to say this is WWI era, so comms were probably quite difficult. Hand crank to make it play because batteries weren't terribly effective at all back then. Kind of like a phonograph that can be broken down for easy transport. Second pic? Some poor fool is about to have a REALLY bad day when he catches that grenade.
 
By Erik in Colo on March 7, 2008 8:19 AM
Hand-operated combination device: sausage grinder and meat slicer.
 
By ry on March 7, 2008 8:31 AM
Um, the guy in the second pic is going to fall on his arse when he pulls the trigger 'cause his stance is not so good for handling the recoil?
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 8:44 AM
Heh. I guess that *could* be a young Senator Craig, with a "wide stance"...
 
By Boquisucio on March 7, 2008 8:49 AM
The advent of the MOUSE, sure simplified the man/computer interface.
 
By TmjUtah on March 7, 2008 9:13 AM
First pic looks like some kind of material separator ; something along the lines of a gold wheel. The second pic? That boy is young and full of optimism. Let him hit forty or so and he'll remember well every single 'nade he fired from the shoulder.
 
By Alan Briley, RN on March 7, 2008 9:17 AM
First photo, electrical sound device powered by hand crank. I would think it was for signals. Second photo, .303 Short Magazine Lee Enfield, with a grenade launching capability. The grenade looks more modern than the rest of the outfit, and the soldier is an apparent, "Demonstrator, post!" type individual because of his clean uniform, wall backdrop, and the safety appears to be in the forward or off-safe position. But what do I know, I'm an old ER nurse. Airborne, All the Way! Alan Briley, RN
 
By BloodSpite on March 7, 2008 9:22 AM
Second picture is the origin of the RPG. As I recall, they found it to be more dangerous to the user than the enemy. I don't recall the actual make and model of the unit but it was made to keep soldiers from carrying a second device for such purpose. World War 1 era as I also recall Feel free to smack me down :)
 
By Trias on March 7, 2008 11:31 AM
Number1: It looks like an electromechanical device but no batteries no cord it's kind of odd really. It's awfully looking like that dude pulls a ripcord like a mower. Which might make this a signal generator. Number2: First thing? It looks staged.
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 11:37 AM
Trias - there is a cord, it's coiled behind the machine, you can see it there near the crank. Yes, the photo is staged, it's a picture from a training manual. This is going better than I expected... on both pics!
 
By Karla (threadbndr) on March 7, 2008 1:53 PM
(posting before I scan the comments) Second picture is WWI era from the uniform (esp the helmet). Early grenade launcher? I'm guessing a plate from a training manual or manufacturer's catalogue? It's obviously a 'studio' shot. The top one - Hand crank leads me to think about the same vintage - possibly a bit later from the shoe styling, but then men's shoes and trousers don't give as many clues as women's kit. The photo shoot (casual, not staged) means later - non-box camera, but whatzit has an almost deco styling in the base. It would help if we could see another elevation of the 'face' plate. That cup-shaped appratus to the left is positionable along the vertical axis (hand crank again). This one has me pretty stumped.
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 1:55 PM
This one has me pretty stumped. BSEG. That would be definition #1.
 
By Hunter on March 7, 2008 1:55 PM
Pic 1: The early model Pinnacup combined both collection and laboratory assessment capabilities. It was the electrical interface that caused it to be dropped in favor of collectors, observers, and additional duty officers. Pic 2: That is one vertically challenged individual being used as a demonstrator. Perhaps a former Welsh rugby hooker?
 
By Eric Wilner on March 7, 2008 1:56 PM
Using a rifle grenade (longish-range) and bayonet (short-range) at the same time strikes me as rather odd. Was this a normal thing to do? And then there's the bonus hazard of loading the grenade with that pointy thing attached. And, as others have noted, the whole shoulder-firing business. And he seems to be looking upward, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me; weren't there special grenade-launching sights? What's he looking at up there? (All of which may tell you that I've never been trained in the use of rifle grenades nor bayonets.) The contraption in the first photo looks like a diabolical instrument for extracting confessions from coffee beans.
 
By Karla (threadbndr) on March 7, 2008 2:04 PM
Errr - make that a non-PLATE camera. And yes, Sir John, you are EVIL (and causing me to waste time at work LOL). It's nice to see others are baffled, too, and that we have consensus on the era of that "far too well turned out" young man in the second picture. The mind hesitates to think what will happen if the grenade clips the bayonet!
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 2:05 PM
Eric - you are correct, your commentary *does* tell me that... But to answer some of your questions... ...I just deleted all that - I'll make it part of the post where I do the reveal!
 
By NinjaFluff on March 7, 2008 4:46 PM
you sir... are EVIL! :-)
 
By John of Argghhh! on March 7, 2008 4:52 PM
Whut's yer point, Fluffster? Note - I did put in a "st" so as not to be offensive!
 
By Kevin on March 7, 2008 6:24 PM
1st pic. Crude version of an early warning listening device to locate aircraft? Can't tell if the larger disc is a mic or not, but if so, then cup on the side would be the speaker? Handles for making adjustments to pinpoint the source of the noise? Pic 2, some poor hopeful with a rifle grenade. As stated above.
 
By Martin Morehouse on March 7, 2008 8:02 PM
I'm late to this, but the large egg-shaped housing looks like either a motor or a generator. The operator's right hand may be holding a pull handle or an aiming handle, I'd guess pull handle, as in an earlier mention of a recoil lawnmower starter. The cup to the left has an adjustment, but in one axis only, and it seems pretty beefy for a tuning crank for a sound generator. The slot on the 'starter' mechanism is going to end up being significant, too, but it is too small to be a shotgun trap. This is sort of like 'the blind men and the elephant', each piece looks like something else.
 
By Justthisguy on March 7, 2008 11:45 PM
Fuze setter for anti-aircraft shells.
 
By WereKitten on March 8, 2008 3:22 PM
COOL! Someone invented an anti-aircraft gun directional with a spitoon attached!