any idea what this is?

[HeelSpur]

I found everything but what this says.

 

[RTM]

H. C. Montgomery was a manufacturers of brass goods, so it could easily be a part of anything. DATAMP dot Org has by date searching

The Cleveland Directory Co.'s Cleveland (Cuyahoga County, Ohio) City Directory

www.google.com

Also didn't find anything obvious in DATAMP for the date, or for Montgomery, which could means that have not found it, its not a tool, or its a part of something bigger.

Oops, Leviton entered while I was searching. Going with the "part of something bigger answer" Definitely.

 

[Leviton]

Part of this?

 

[no704]

Hard saying not knowing! Depends on the scale? Maybe an acetylene key?

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I was going to say a gas valve or something

 

[HeelSpur]

Part of this?

I see it now, a face plate. C looks to be square that the shaft runs through the square cut out on the plate. Awesome.

 

[four.cycle]

^ from there not appearing to be any sort of wear pattern on the square hole, I'm more inclined to think the shaft ("C") ran through the oval hole, and the square punch-out indexed that brass face plate (which I believe you've correctly identified after reading the patent description) onto a component directly below it - a protrusion poking out that kept everything lined up properly.

my best wild guess, anyway.

air pump? beer tap?

 

[Farmer J.]

The shaft 'C' would need to go through the oval hole as four.cycle says. It would move up and down slightly when in use as the handle end pivot would move following the arc of the handle.