What is this pyrometer setup?

[royudc]

Hello GJ'ers, I picked this up in an online auction as part of a large group of stuff.
I was only interested in the 2 vises that were in the lot.
I have a bit of an idea what a pyrometer is but what are earth would this setup be used for?
Any thoughts?

Ron

 

[Steve from Socal]

May be for a kiln? Or heat treat oven.

 

[royudc]

Hey Steve, any thoughts on how that would work?
Ever used something like this?

Ron

 

[engineer2]

I see two type K thermocouple wires, one connected to what appears to be a digital meter and the other connected to an analog meter.
The metal rods with the ceramic two hole insulators could be some kind of heater, but I don't see any power connections.
If the metal rods are intended to measure temperature, one should be Chromel and the other Alumel to match the Type k thermocouple.
No idea about the brown tube and why the whole thing is clamped to a scrap of wood.
Looks to be some kind of kludged custom fixture for measuring the temperature at each end of whatever goes inside the tube.

 

[royudc]

engineer2, thanks for that info.
The brown tube is a piece of copper pipe. I "assumed" it was put there as a fireproof cool down rest for the probes after measuring whatever the heck the guy was measuring.
Another piece in this lot was a Grobet Electro-Plater.
Could it be used in the plating process?
I appreciate your thoughts.

Ron

 

[RTM]

The piece of wood and copper tubing struck me as storage or cool down area, not active usage. Those mounting plates between the wire and the t couple don’t look familiar.

 

[engineer2]

The tube as a safe resting spot for red-hot probes makes sense.
The ceramic disc pieces look to be terminal blocks used in industrial thermocouple protection heads.
The rods with the tip welded together are the actual thermocouples. Looks homemade, but not uncommon to do that.
No residue on the thermocouples, so it might have been used to measure the temperature inside an industrial oven or small furnace.
If the place did metal fabrication, tools involving heat treating and electro plating make sense.

I'm sure someone would buy the electroplating power supply.

 

[royudc]

engineer2, RTM and Steve, thanks for helping me this, I really appreciate it.
I bought the lot from one those online estate auctions. It was in his garage so maybe at one time he had a kiln or oven in there as well.
I'm thinking I may play with the plater a bit, see if has the capacity to plate some vise parts?
If I can't find a use for it, it'll go up for sale.......eventually