I need some H.A.M.B. rare knowledge

I come to you all with something old, and strange today. And to ask for your help, and hopefully someone here will have knowledge of the device I present to you.



Click here for a larger picture.

My mom's boyfriend was showing me some old things he managed to keep after his father passed away. One was this strange tool that I can not find any trace of. It means a lot to him, as he doesn't have many things left that was his fathers. He left on a vacation with my mother and I would like to surprise him when he gets back.

This man does more than I can possibly describe in words for my family. More than my Father did. He is a man of little desires and finds memories and knowledge to be more worth than trivial thing. This is why I want to solve this puzzle for him. He hasn't been able to figure this thing out for over 25 years.

Everyone he has taken it to has no clue what it is. I was told to seek out H.A.M.B... I'm hoping one of you will be able to help me.




Click here for a larger picture.
It has no patient number. It says Pat. Pend. It says AC, so I believe its made by AC Delco, not sure what year. Its fairly old.



Click here for a larger picture.
On the end of the pivoting head, you can see a small wedge. Its not sharp, nor ever was. Its more like a flat head screw driver, but it does not turn.

The cylinder you see does not spin perfectly in a circle either. The bar though it middle is set slightly to one side so it gives it a wobble spin when it goes around. The squire metal in the center, with the large hole, slides back and forth a bit Not sure why.




Click here for a larger picture.
On one of the sides of the pivoting bar in the middle lies a very small, very faded symbol. Its very hard to make out. I've done the best I can to try and get it to show, but its very worn down. I believe the symbol is what I've drawn though. I could be wrong.



Click here for a larger picture.
This is the other side of the pivot bar in the middle. It has a swivel that is basically a giant screw that pushes the pivot bar up and down when turned.



Click here for a larger picture.
Here you can see where I have lifted the pivoting bar, showing the gear in the back is not attacked to the base. Its only there to turn so the flat head like object on the other side will rise and lower. Quite a strange device. And it drives me insane not knowing what it was used for.

A tool must have a purpose... It is driving me mad not knowing.


So I beg of you H.A.M.B. community. If any of you have knowledge of what this might be. Please, let me know. Do it for my mom's boyfriend who does more wonder for my mother in a year, than my real father did in 25. Help me solve something that has been bugging him for almost 30 years now.

Info that might help:
-We believe its from the 40s or 50s. Might be older, we're not sure.
-His father did some mechanic work for the US Air Force... So its quite possible this device is something that never made it past a few copies, tested by military mechanics.

Thats all I can provide sadly. As I said, we're not to sure about it. He found it in some old things that belonged to his dad, and he is on vacation right now so I can't ask him for more details about his father.

I wish you luck in trying to solve this puzzle. Because its driving me insane...

 

I'm betting that offset roller is made to clamp some sort of strap or webbing material so something could be attached to it. And there my speculation ends... Cool piece of history you have there.

 

Greetings, my first thought was your device is for closing the gap on large base spark plugs (for lack of a better name) being a AC product.
Good luck and oh ya an intro goes a long way here.

 

since it says AC....i wonder if it's used for working on starters or generators?

welcome to the hamb

 

My guess also is a spark plug gap tool, or cleaner, or both.

 

the knob says "to close gap" ....so yeah , maybe it's for spark plugs

 

Neat piece it is an early air craft Spark Plug gap tool.

see link for tool in use http://www.shorpy.com/node/9912?size=_original#caption

Welcome to the HAMB

 

for tools, go the tool forum

http://www.papawswrench.com/vboard/index.php?PHPSESSID=v9paf5amrrfg1sjmvf2c93otf5&board=2.0

 

Ain't the HAMB amazing, or what? DD

 

...and 33 minutes later, you have your answer. This place is amazing! So, Bobby Socks - you an aircraft mechanic?
Ralph

 

I am not an aircraft mechanic(this is where I say that I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night) but I do work for the USAF

 

Nice job Bobby. Damn, I love this place.

 

Thank you all so much. This place is absolutely amazing. Can't tell you how many other places I asked before being recamended here...

And the fact that you found a picture of one, dating it at 1942, or even before then, makes it all the better. I was starting to believe that no pictures of it existed!

The tool meant a lot to his Dad. Its one of the few items he kept safe. We're not exactly sure, but we believe it has deep meaning with something that happened while he was a air force mechanic. Now that I know what the tool does, and even have a picture and date, I can't wait to show him when he gets back from his Vacation.

One piece of the puzzle closer to finding out about his dad.

By the way, does the fact that it says Pat. Pending mean its more rare? How fantastic would it be if it was the one in that picture.

 

Nice work Bobby! I have to go through my old spark plugs and see if I have an AC aircraft like that. takethefall, Welcome to the HAMB, if I find that plug I'll need your address to mail it. Bob

 

That's a Library of Congress picture, there's a couple more views on this page.
Says they're reconditioning used spark plugs for reuse.

 

Come to find out his dad was from Illinois. The same state that that picture was taken. There is a good chance that it could be the exact same one in that picture from 1942. This is so exciting!

We would never sell it, but I wonder how much a collector of rare air plane equipment would give for one of them.

Almost 80 years old and still looks almost brand new, everything moves smoothly on it, and every piece in tact. God USA knew how to make quality things back then.

 

There's 3 of them in this picture.

 

Bingo! The man nailed it.

 

No, it only means that it was made after the patent application was filed, but before a patent was issued (if one ever was).

Do a google patent search for aircraft spark plug gap tool and you will find several different designs......

I didn't find the one you show -- but it is neat !!

 

Well, I can imagine when you have a war going on... worrying about getting a patent on your tools isn't exactly important lol.

Well... Used to anyway. I could see the current administration waiting for the patient first.

I know what his dad looks like when he was in the Air Force. I looked though all those pictures hoping he would be in one of them. (Luck is funny that way). Its mostly factory workers and navy boys. Ah well lol.

Its always amazing to see pictures like those. I always get so curious about who they are as a person when I see pictures of people during the war.

 

Damn!
I think if we were all on-line together, we could beat a 'Google' search speed!
Not so "Hokey" after all.........

Great call Bobby Socks!

 

Two of my very most favorite sites...The HAMB...and...Shorpy.com
I spend a lot of hours on each!!! Tons of very interesting stuff on both...

 

Does it make me a liberal because looking at those pictures I think about how much those women working helped push the women's lib and civil rights movements along?

 

Only if you think all men are Chauvinist pigs and 'the right man for the job is a woman'...

 

They were AMERICANS, it was WWII we all had a common goal, WIN! Bob

 

Question:
Whose name is on more American products than anyone else's?

Answer:
Pat Pending!

 

Nice of you to do this for your friend, takethefall. Welcome.

Good work bobby Socks! Haha...the Hamb earns its stripes again.

One thing I don't understand. I can see how the gap would be closed by the tapered tip by turning the knob, but what is the serrated wheel for?

Edit: I read the OP's post more thoroughly. I think I get it now. The tapered tip closes the gap by applying pressure when the knob is turned. But because the axle in the serrated wheel is offset, and the plate slides, you can also open the gap by positioning the tapered tip between the electrodes and turning the cylinder.

Sound right?

 

I guess that's my point. These folks weren't bitching and whining, they were just being Americans and making it easier for others to see that all Americans aren't white with penises.

 

Well that was disappointing. I was hoping for at least a page and a half of outlandish ideas a la the Liars Club.

Seriously, being identified so quickly was impressive. Even pics. Wow.

This place rocks.

 

I can't tell from the pictures, is there a bit missing? Something that would size it to specific plugs and the offset wheel would lock against that?