Yup, what he said.1. Bar tie wire twister
2. Ice chisel/chipper/shaper
How long is that pulley contraption? Around 8"?They do have braking ability, but no way to hold them while they are stopped. The other end is pointed but not sharp.
I believe the one with the pulley is a locking mechanism for a block & tackle. I have a similar one.
EDIT:
After looking at number 4 again I see it's the same thing without the pulley basically. The line runs through the eye then between the pinching members. Typically, the weight of the load will bind the line in one direction only. You have to manually release it to lower the load.
That makes perfect sense. Now that I understand, I can see just how it would work. I did a search for trip line release but found nothing. Still, I'm sure you are right.The tension is the brake. These things are not uncommon around midwestern farms. The old hay trolleys had them as well as block & tackle setups. I don't know what the apparatus is called but it stopped/released trip lines. No telling where or how these were used but I have little doubt that's what they are.