Todays Mystery Objects?

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi All,

Had a very productive day out at Shepton Mallet Flea Market and bought some very nice tools fairly sensibly which is unusual for there!

Could not resist these oddities but have no idea what they are, any thoughts welcome.

They have grease nipples to the bottom as shown but what are the holes in the castings for?

Cheers, Martin

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Lifting the 'points' of conical tents ?

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

The holes look to be for screws that fix the item to the end of a pole. One fits a round pole, the other fits a square section.

As Neil suggests, could something to do with rigging. Tents perhaps, or nautical. My first thought was they're the ends of antenna spreaders as used to separate the wires on the 'T' antenna of a steam ship, or perhaps to keep antenna wires away from other rigging.

I expect it will turn out they're really spaghetti gauges or something to do with corsets…

Dave

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hmmm, certainly sounds feasable, I guess the quick release tops are for letting go whatever lifted it up in the air?

Like the sound of corsets though!….

Martin

[John Paton 1Participant @johnpaton1]

Cargo hooks for nets suspended from helicopters etc? (Looking at the quick release 'snap shackle' and provision for rotation)

[FarmboyParticipant @farmboy]

If they're lubricated they must be intended to rotate freely.

If mounted on a post the grease nipple would be inaccessible.

The quick release shackle looks as if it is meant to fit on quite a thin ( 5mm? ) horizontal rod or cable which suggests it wouldn't support anything too heavy.

Some sort of light rigging or antenna seems a good bet.

Oh, hold on . . . Google thinks they may be earrings!

[john carruthersParticipant @johncarruthers46255]

Ship's logs maybe ?

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Have had lots of ships logs, components are usually brass or bronze. These would not last long in seawater, but a nice idea!

Antenna item seems to be a better bet?

Martin

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Do they have any markings on them, Broad Arrow /l, a crown, or AM, or an American AN part number?

Ian S C

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Likely the suspension brackets for patio parasols or perhaps patio heaters?

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

Posted by John Paton 1 on 25/11/2018 17:35:51:

Cargo hooks for nets suspended from helicopters etc? (Looking at the quick release 'snap shackle' and provision for rotation)

Maybe, but I think they are cargo parachute attachments.

Robert G8RPI.

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

John P and Robert A – not for any helo i operated on!! Release from helos has, almost by definition, to be pilot/crew controlled. From experience, even that constraint can lead to problems!! Many years ago, a headache-making net of sand-filled ammo boxes arrived unintended and unannounced on what is now one of HM Prisons. In context, perhaps, the underslung load hooks were manufactured by … Hobbies of Dereham!

rgds

Bill

[John Paton 1Participant @johnpaton1]

Bill, I was just throwing up a suggestion – Shepton Mallet is just down the road from Westlands so lots of helicopter bits turn upon this area. The materials nod colouring looks very much aerospace / military to me. How about drogue chute connector or something like that?

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

John – possible but , there are some relatively pointy, damage inducing shapes there. I think I'd be happier having them on (e.g) tents (non moving) than helos. Not come across anything similar in 14 years S&R, helo Support or test flying.

rgds

Bill

[JC54Participant @jc54]

Just a thought could they be something to do with a theodolite/surveying equipment? I have a fitting very similar to the "connector" at the top of these articles that came with some theodolite bits of my fathers. I have often wondered what the piece was from originally. JC

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

defiitely nothing to do with surveying equipment, never in 64 years working on that kit have I seen them.

I would think that they are something to do with Antenna hanging to give good overall cover for HF radios. You get tunable lengths of wire and can switch about to get coverage.

Edited By Clive Hartland on 27/11/2018 23:18:04

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hmmmm, not often that you lot get stumped for a definitive answer! I have looked everywhere I can think for a result but no luck.

Martin

[OldironParticipant @oldiron]

I have no idea what the items are so I thought I would do reverse image search via Google for this but the site was blocked by my anti malware program as it contained PuPs. Never had that happen before.

"These are programs which don’t really do anything good for you. For example, browser toolbars that clutter your browser, track your web browsing, and show additional advertisements to you are “potentially unwanted programs.” "

regards

[Stuart BridgerParticipant @stuartbridger82290]

I would agree with others here, the release mechanism and paint job "looks" military or aerospace spec in design.
The greasing points clearly indicate that it is designed to rotate freely, but other than that I have no idea.

[VicParticipant @vic]

They are lifting bosses for Radioactive Containment Vessels. Have they been properly decontaminated?

[John Paton 1Participant @johnpaton1]

Martin, I suggest you send the photos to Yeovilton Museum and to Flight Refuelling to see if they can help identify.

My guess is that one of them might know – thinking maybe to do with the drogue used for in flight target practice? I think Flight Refuelling use their civilian pilots to drive the targets ( almost as dangerous to my mind as being the hatchet throwers target at a cicus!)

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Drogue shute could be close, but having had a few searches I think it's the swivel attachment for a sea anchor, which will take the form of an open canvas cone and often with only four lines.

Unlike a drogue chute it may be deployed for many hours and needs to avoid twisting the rope.

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

You can see how one of those could replace the hardware on this, swivel and attachment oints for multiple lines to the drogue:

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Liking the droque idea! Wiil check with some naval people I know, also will contact Yeovilton just down the road!

Cheers, Martin

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