Patent number 198,437
996. Carriage makers' plow plane or coach makers' plow, for making grooves in wood.
Larger photo
997a. Boot puller, the handle can be folded down against the hook.
997b. When new, this end was sharp and was used as a leather punch.
997c. Carriage door key
Similar to this one that I found on ebay, the same seller has two slightly different keys still up for auction.
998. Macadam hammer, also called macadamizing hammer, nappan knocker, and napping hammer; used to break up stone for use on a roadway. Several people have told me that before roads were paved, people who couldn't pay their taxes would sit on their front porch and use this type of hammer to break stone and then place it in the roadway in front of their house, they would then be forgiven all or part of their tax debt for helping pave the street.
From Jim Brown's collection.
999. Lock mortise chisel. To fit a mortise lock, first holes are drilled and then the waste wood is removed with a chisel.
1000. Wimshurst machine, static electricity generator:
-----
A year or two ago I posted this photo that someone had sent to me, it was number 436:
There were a lot of guesses for it, but I wasn't able to verify any of them or locate a similar device. Then a few days ago I found this one:
The owner says that it's a "test apparatus most likely used for testing break points and hardness", it has a current bid price of $76 on ebay.
Last week's set is seen below, click here to view the entire post:
More discussion and comments on these photos can be found at the newsgroup rec.puzzles.
