1869 Whatzit

[Private Lugnutz]

If you're a history buff, 1869 was a pretty big year. Ulysses S. Grant was inaugurated. The James Gang was making a name for themselves on the bank-robbing trail. Mark Twain published his first book. The first transcontinental RR was completed, as was the Suez Canal. And someone patented this thing!

This is the oldest object I have found so far this year. Strictly speaking, it may not be a tool or even garage related. I have not yet tried to find the patent for the patent date (June 29, 1869) referenced on that fluted piece. So I have no idea what it is. Hence this thread.

You can see how it's constructed because of the way the paint that was covering the brazing was easily stripped when I immersed it in some Evaporust to de-rust it. On the other hand, that did reveal the patent date, which I did not see when I picked it up at the flea market coated in rust.

One guess is some kind of alcohol burner/torch. The only reason I say that is because it shares some features with some early crude alcohol burners/torches that I have in my collection where a burning wick might draw vapor from the corked vessel through that little port and into the flute. But this thing is not brass, it's pot metal, awfully thin, it has no handle, and it would get hot real quick. Also, the nozzles on early alcohol torches are typically constricted, to narrow the flame, not fluted like this. So, all in all, a rough, probably nonsensical guess.

But I am stumped and grasping!

Does anyone know what this is? Has anyone seen anything like it before? Let's see who can identify it before the patent is located.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Could it be an oil lamp?

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Maybe. Or part of what, I suppose. I'm not a lamp guy, OMR. How would it work?

 

[Old Man Roger]

Maybe. Or part of what, I suppose. I'm not a lamp guy, OMR. How would it work?

Think of the Egyptian style lamp that the genie comes out of..lol

 

[Lassen Forge]

Beehive smoker. Put your smouldering burning burlap or jute in the can, hold it by the long end, blow through the big end of the funnel, and the smoke comes out the small end.

 

[4xdog]

I kinda like the smoker idea, although it seems smallish for the job. It does indeed seem to have an element of spraying to it like an old aspiring sprayer.

Something possibly related to your thingie, Lugz, has been kicking around the house I grew up in longer than I can remember. Mine has a whistle-like element to it.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Man my picture didn't have any dice in it..lol

 

[4xdog]

Man my picture didn't have any dice in it..lol

Lugz has a good idea there, one worth stealing shamelessly. Better than the buffalo nickel or ruler I'll often use.

 

[rlitman]

Beehive smoker. Put your smouldering burning burlap or jute in the can, hold it by the long end, blow through the big end of the funnel, and the smoke comes out the small end.

I can't picture that, mainly because the hold on the top is way too small to load this can up with smoldering materials.

No, this has to be a duster. Something to spread insecticidal dust, I suppose. Diatomaceous earth perhaps (edit: or more likely sulfur). The modern equivalent would be a bellows duster. A smaller version of this:

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Lugz has a good idea there, one worth stealing shamelessly.

I've been doing that for years, and I do think of it as my signature, a dimensional context piece, with a hint of good fortune, but steal away! Your die looks more vintage than mine!

Interesting guesses so far with some intriguing leads.

 

[DenisG]

Bug sprayer for tobacco, etc -- Improvement in Spray-Dampener - US92029A
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/48/d9/5d/54e0f4ef7fc915/US92029.pdf

 

[Old Man Roger]

Bug sprayer for tobacco, etc -- Improvement in Spray-Dampener - US92029A
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/48/d9/5d/54e0f4ef7fc915/US92029.pdf

OH GREAT! An insecticide sprayer that you use your mouth to operate..lol

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Chicken dinner! Nice find, DenisG. Many thanks.

Oddly, I had just finished looking through all the illustrations in the 1869 USPTO Gazette, linked here, and it didn't show up. Lots of breechloading rifle designs and artificial legs, though. But no Spray-Dampeners. I think I like the bluntness of the more direct term he scrawled on the diagram - Insect Destroyer!

Kudos to you, and honorable mentions to LassenForge, who first recognized it as a blow-pipe of some sort, 4xdog, who ran further with the aspirant angle, and rlitman who nailed the category.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

OH GREAT! An insecticide sprayer that you use your mouth to operate..lol

Heehee. Yeah, after "forcing a strong current of air" through the pipe, you wouldn't want to forget to disengage your mouth from the mouthpiece before catching a breath!

I am going to whittle a piece of cork for the stopper.

I like it!

 

[Old Man Roger]

Heehee. Yeah, after "forcing a strong current of air" through the pipe, you wouldn't want to forget to disengage your mouth from the mouthpiece before catching a breath!

I am going to whittle a piece of cork for the stopper.

I like it!

I saw a video of a guy spray painting a fender using his breath I'll try to find the video.

 

[Old Man Roger]

 

[WAS Jr]

I recently saw a picture of US Navy sailors painting the side of a naval vessel in the Spanish American war period, 1898 to early 1900s. They were shirtless, smoking cheroot cigars, painting with lead based paint and standing on narrow planks on the side of the ship which were secured with ropes from the deck. There were not harnesses securing them, no safety ropes, nothing in the way of keeping them from falling off this 12 inch wide plank if they took a false step. Just pay attention to what you are doing, sailor. Occupational safety and accident prevention didn't exist as a concept 100 years ago.
Bill S

 

[ttpete]

I recently saw a picture of US Navy sailors painting the side of a naval vessel in the Spanish American war period, 1898 to early 1900s. They were shirtless, smoking cheroot cigars, painting with lead based paint and standing on narrow planks on the side of the ship which were secured with ropes from the deck. There were not harnesses securing them, no safety ropes, nothing in the way of keeping them from falling off this 12 inch wide plank if they took a false step. Just pay attention to what you are doing, sailor. Occupational safety and accident prevention didn't exist as a concept 100 years ago.
Bill S

Even today, there are many reasons for working over the side. The side cleaners go to clean up rust patches and put some paint on so the ship looks nice and tidy. They use bos'n's chairs and wear life jackets. As part of a small boat crew, I had to walk out on a steel boat boom and climb down a rope ladder to get to my boat, as did the rest of the crew. Putting the boat away was the same thing in reverse order.

 

[4xdog]

I recently saw a picture of US Navy sailors painting the side of a naval vessel in the Spanish American war period, 1898 to early 1900s. They were shirtless, smoking cheroot cigars, painting with lead based paint and standing on narrow planks on the side of the ship which were secured with ropes from the deck. There were not harnesses securing them, no safety ropes, nothing in the way of keeping them from falling off this 12 inch wide plank if they took a false step. Just pay attention to what you are doing, sailor. Occupational safety and accident prevention didn't exist as a concept 100 years ago.
Bill S

Life expectancy for a white male born in 1900 was 47 years, for a black man 33 years. Ref: here.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Only on GJ could we go from a Spray-Dampener to swabees and c.1900 life expectancy in less than 20 posts!

 

[tym]

Heehee. Yeah, after "forcing a strong current of air" through the pipe, you wouldn't want to forget to disengage your mouth from the mouthpiece before catching a breath!

A perfect way to dispense RoundUp!