On Jun 10, 10:41=A0pm, "Rob H." <[email protected]> wrote:
> As I mentioned on the site, next week I'll be posting a day early since I=
'll
> be out of town on Thursday.
>
> http://55tools.blogspot.com/
>
> Rob
1639. I'm guessing a metal detector for nails and such when recycling
old lumber for wood working. Couldn't find one that looks like it
though.
Karl
johnhanson4TAKETHISPARTOUT-at-gmail.com wrote:
>>> I remember a novelty toy where a "bird" made of glass containing red
>>> alcohol would peck from a glass of water, lift it's head, and repeat the
>>> cycle. The drop of water on its beak would evaporate, cooling the alcohol
>>> inside and reducing its vapor pressure, which caused the alcohol to flow
>>> and shift the center of gravity. I wonder if somehow the heat of sun on
>>> the barrel could cause fluid to flow.
>
> I have often wondered what became of these birds I used to see as a
> child in bars and restaurants in the Sacramento area. I've looked
> for them at antique shows with no sucess. I suppose they functioned
> best in warm dry climates.
>
> If anyone has a link to a source for these toys, please share it.
I did a Google search for
drinking bird toy
and came up with multiple sources. The first I pulled up was
http://www.teachersource.com/Energy/Thermodynamics/DrinkingBird.aspx
at $5.95 each.
--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/
On Jun 11, 4:41=A0am, "Rob H." <[email protected]> wrote:
> As I mentioned on the site, next week I'll be posting a day early since I=
'll
> be out of town on Thursday.
>
> http://55tools.blogspot.com/
>
> Rob
1643 could be a light-duty railroad switchyard control lever that had
an electronic interlock of some kind.
Dave
On Jun 11, 12:41=A0pm, "Rob H." <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>http://55tools.blogspot.com/
> >1639. I'm guessing a metal detector for nails and such when recycling
> >old lumber for wood working. Couldn't find one that looks like it
> >though.
> >Karl
>
> This is correct, I found one for less than $12, seems like a decent price
> for a metal detector.
>
> http://www.manventureoutpost.com/outdoor/index.php?main_page=3Dproduct_..=
.
>
> Rob
Best price I've seen. I sent the link to my brother. He does a good
bit of resawing and I don't know if he has one.
Thanks
Karl
> > I remember a novelty toy where a "bird" made of glass containing red
> > alcohol would peck from a glass of water, lift it's head, and repeat th=
e
> > cycle. =A0The drop of water on its beak would evaporate, cooling the al=
cohol
> > inside and reducing its vapor pressure, which caused the alcohol to flo=
w
> > and shift the center of gravity. =A0I wonder if somehow the heat of sun=
on
> > the barrel could cause fluid to flow.
I have often wondered what became of these birds I used to see as a
child in bars and restaurants in the Sacramento area. I've looked
for them at antique shows with no sucess. I suppose they functioned
best in warm dry climates.
If anyone has a link to a source for these toys, please share it.
Farky Bipski
On Jun 15, 2:12=A0am, "Rob H." <[email protected]> wrote:
> > The copper tube slips into the bottom of the barrel? =A0Is it an airtig=
ht
> > fit?
>
> > How about the cap on top? =A0Is it airtight?
>
> The tube is permanently attached to the barrel, I asked if it was an
> airtight fit but haven't heard back yet. =A0They said the lid and tap wer=
e
> both seized shut.
>
>
>
> > I remember a novelty toy where a "bird" made of glass containing red
> > alcohol would peck from a glass of water, lift it's head, and repeat th=
e
> > cycle. =A0The drop of water on its beak would evaporate, cooling the al=
cohol
> > inside and reducing its vapor pressure, which caused the alcohol to flo=
w
> > and shift the center of gravity. =A0I wonder if somehow the heat of sun=
on
> > the barrel could cause fluid to flow.
>
> I don't see how this could work.
>
> > I remember a tiny toy tugboat. =A0If you lifted the cover from the hull=
, it
> > was just a metal shell containing a metal tube with a couple of loops.
> > You'd light a tiny candle under the loops and in a few minutes water wo=
uld
> > begin putt-putting out the ends of the tube, propelling the boat. =A0I =
think
> > a coffee percolator works similarly.
>
> > I wonder if the barrel could have contained a similar pump and admitted
> > enough air for a small flame. =A0Perhaps the user would light the flame=
and
> > keep the tap closed until the putt-putting started. =A0Then he'd have a
> > desktop fountain. =A0Maybe the inventor had the desks of preachers in m=
ind.
>
> I've seen these small boats in action, but not in a larger scale. =A0I ha=
ven't
> seen any evidence that this is used here but I suppose it's a possibility=
.
> I'll let you know if I hear from the owner.
>
> Rob
This certainly is a strange contraption. If the tube is open at the
bottom, and extends to the top inside the barrel and is open at the
top, then it might work as a vapor lock, like this:
You fill the barrel with the tap closed, close the lid, and fill the
tub to some level deep enough to cover the bottom of the tube. Then
you open the tap.
A small amount of water comes out the tap, but the negative pressure
inside the barrel soon holds back the fluid flow. As long as there is
water in the tub, the tap does not flow. But once the water in the tub
evaporates or decreases a certain amount, air rushes up the tube and
allows fluid to come out of the tap. If that fluid flows into the tub,
it raises the fluid level and seals off the barrel again, stopping the
flow.
Uses for such a device:
A automatic plant waterer?
A pet waterer?
Some kind of fancy wine dispenser for communion? (the wine cup is put
in the brass cup holder beneath the tap. People dip into the tub for
wine, and when the level drops enough, the tap releases enough wine to
fill the cup to overflowing, the excess going into the tub until the
tube is cut off and the flow stops.
It would be interesting to see if the cup holder is set up so that the
brass cup tips when it is full. That would make this some sort of
cupful dispenser.
Dunno...like I said, its a strange contraption.
--riverman
Rob H. wrote:
> Most of them were answered correctly this week, I couldn't find any
> links to confirm either of the last two but I think the posted answers
> are right although they lack specifics:
>
> http://answers288r.blogspot.com/
>
>
> Rob
1644:
1. Isn't it awfully tiny to ferment wine or beer?
2. Wouldn't the acid attack the copper and the solder, ruining the
beverage and the container?
3. Wouldn't it be difficult to remove the solids and clean the container?
4. If the tube were for CO2 to escape, wouldn't it be at the top of the
barrel?
5. Wouldn't beverage drawn from the valve be full of sediment?
On Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:21:37 -0500, Morris Dovey
<[email protected]> wrote:
>johnhanson4TAKETHISPARTOUT-at-gmail.com wrote:
>>>> I remember a novelty toy where a "bird" made of glass containing red
>>>> alcohol would peck from a glass of water, lift it's head, and repeat the
>>>> cycle. The drop of water on its beak would evaporate, cooling the alcohol
>>>> inside and reducing its vapor pressure, which caused the alcohol to flow
>>>> and shift the center of gravity. I wonder if somehow the heat of sun on
>>>> the barrel could cause fluid to flow.
>>
>> I have often wondered what became of these birds I used to see as a
>> child in bars and restaurants in the Sacramento area. I've looked
>> for them at antique shows with no sucess. I suppose they functioned
>> best in warm dry climates.
>>
>> If anyone has a link to a source for these toys, please share it.
>
>I did a Google search for
>
> drinking bird toy
>
>and came up with multiple sources. The first I pulled up was
>
> http://www.teachersource.com/Energy/Thermodynamics/DrinkingBird.aspx
>
>at $5.95 each.
Edmund Scientific has them too, along with other neat stuff.
Search their site for more info:
http://www.edsci.com/
Missed the original post, all gmail stuff goes to the
crapper...
--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email
In article <[email protected]>, "Rob H." <[email protected]>
wrote:
> As I mentioned on the site, next week I'll be posting a day early since I'll
> be out of town on Thursday.
>
> http://55tools.blogspot.com/
My guesses:
1639 - Handheld metal detector.
1640 - Strength tester for three-armed persons
1641 - Microwave (or other high frequency) feedhorn assembly, possibly
used for a radar system of some sort. (One possible likely application
that comes to mind is for an automatic supermarket door opener.)
1642 - Maybe a gizmo that was used with a handcart to help tip barrels
back onto the cart when starting out. A rope or strap through the link
could be pulled (or attached to the hand cart), and the toothy rim of
this casting engaged on the far side of the barrel. In this way, the
barrel would be tipped back onto the cart rather than forward off of it
when starting out.
1643 - Seems to be a control lever for some kind of equipment. It could
probably be off of most anything--forklift, loader, backhoe, some
industrial machine, etc.
1644 - This would seem to measure out fixed doses of some liquid into
the lower compartment. Perhaps it was used for dispensing/selling
inebriating beverages. The little inner bucket fills until it
overbalances, dumping the collected contents, and then resets itself; a
similar mechanism, on a much much larger scale, is not uncommonly seen
at water parks, dumping huge amounts of water on the patrons at
intervals.
--
Andrew Erickson
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot
lose." -- Jim Elliot
1641 Guess/vague impression that I've seen this before... Police radar
horn/transmitter-receiver that slips over the window glass in the police car
side window.
Not really any of my business, but...
http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2009/06/10/man-tweets-im-out-of-town-house-gets-immediately-robbed/
"Rob H." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> As I mentioned on the site, next week I'll be posting a day early since
> I'll be out of town on Thursday.
>
> http://55tools.blogspot.com/
>
>
> Rob
>>
>> http://55tools.blogspot.com/
>1639. I'm guessing a metal detector for nails and such when recycling
>old lumber for wood working. Couldn't find one that looks like it
>though.
>Karl
This is correct, I found one for less than $12, seems like a decent price
for a metal detector.
http://www.manventureoutpost.com/outdoor/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4966
Rob
"Alexander Thesoso" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> 1641 Guess/vague impression that I've seen this before... Police radar
> horn/transmitter-receiver that slips over the window glass in the police
> car side window.
Yes, it's an old police radar gun from the 1960's.
> Not really any of my business, but...
> http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2009/06/10/man-tweets-im-out-of-town-house-gets-immediately-robbed/
My residence will still be occupied when I'm gone for the day but you make a
good point, thanks for your concern.
Rob
"E Z Peaces" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Rob H. wrote:
>> Most of them were answered correctly this week, I couldn't find any links
>> to confirm either of the last two but I think the posted answers are
>> right although they lack specifics:
>>
>> http://answers288r.blogspot.com/
>>
>>
>> Rob
>
> 1644:
> 1. Isn't it awfully tiny to ferment wine or beer?
> 2. Wouldn't the acid attack the copper and the solder, ruining the
> beverage and the container?
> 3. Wouldn't it be difficult to remove the solids and clean the container?
> 4. If the tube were for CO2 to escape, wouldn't it be at the top of the
> barrel?
> 5. Wouldn't beverage drawn from the valve be full of sediment?
These are all good questions, I'm not 100% behind the wine fermenter idea, I
showed it to a lot of people and this was the most popular guess, so I went
with it.
A couple more details about it:
The end of the tube is not threaded.
There is a picture of a church on both sides, as seen here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/Album11/DSC00142.jpg
You had posted that you thought it would pump an endless stream without a
mechanical pump, for this theory I'm not clear on exactly what's pumping the
water.
Rob
> The copper tube slips into the bottom of the barrel? Is it an airtight
> fit?
>
> How about the cap on top? Is it airtight?
The tube is permanently attached to the barrel, I asked if it was an
airtight fit but haven't heard back yet. They said the lid and tap were
both seized shut.
>
> I remember a novelty toy where a "bird" made of glass containing red
> alcohol would peck from a glass of water, lift it's head, and repeat the
> cycle. The drop of water on its beak would evaporate, cooling the alcohol
> inside and reducing its vapor pressure, which caused the alcohol to flow
> and shift the center of gravity. I wonder if somehow the heat of sun on
> the barrel could cause fluid to flow.
I don't see how this could work.
> I remember a tiny toy tugboat. If you lifted the cover from the hull, it
> was just a metal shell containing a metal tube with a couple of loops.
> You'd light a tiny candle under the loops and in a few minutes water would
> begin putt-putting out the ends of the tube, propelling the boat. I think
> a coffee percolator works similarly.
>
> I wonder if the barrel could have contained a similar pump and admitted
> enough air for a small flame. Perhaps the user would light the flame and
> keep the tap closed until the putt-putting started. Then he'd have a
> desktop fountain. Maybe the inventor had the desks of preachers in mind.
I've seen these small boats in action, but not in a larger scale. I haven't
seen any evidence that this is used here but I suppose it's a possibility.
I'll let you know if I hear from the owner.
Rob
Rob H. wrote:
> As I mentioned on the site, next week I'll be posting a day early since
> I'll be out of town on Thursday.
>
> http://55tools.blogspot.com/
>
>
> Rob
1643: I think it controlled something mechanically or hydraulically, and
electricity was needed intermittently. A gearshift with a switch for
backup lights? The first computer mouse?
1644: I think it would pump an endless stream without a mechanical pump.
I think it went in a store window to attract customers.
On 2009-06-11, Rob H. <[email protected]> wrote:
> As I mentioned on the site, next week I'll be posting a day early since I'll
> be out of town on Thursday.
And I did not see it until Thursday anyway, because I was too
busy to finish the newsgroup last night. :-(
> http://55tools.blogspot.com/
So -- I'll try my identifications before going on to read what
others have said.
1639) Looks like a wand used by the transportation safety types for
checking out aircraft passengers. A hand-held metal detector of
limited range and sensitivity to supplement the walk-through
sensors to localize what the walk-throughs spotted.
1640) A really weird tool, which *must* have some play in some of
those riveted joints, otherwise there is no need for the joints
at all.
At a guess, it could be used for turning a long screw after
clamping onto it -- but I'm not sure how it would clamp without
seeing other photos.
1641) Police speed radar gun -- designed to clamp onto a window rolled
part way down.
Looks as though it can be swiveled to point parallel to the
car's direction of travel, but at the moment it is set to look
at about 90 degrees to that direction.
1642) Perhaps something to improve the grip on a bottle to allow
one to loosen it? Looks about right for the traditional
mayonaise bottle -- or perhaps for a Mason jar.
1643) The description suggests that the far end of the pipe is open.
Could be a control lever for some kind of earth moving equipment
or the like. It does not look like something designed as a
stick for aircraft control -- except perhaps in a homebuilt.
1644) Test sampling at a brewery?
Now to see what others have said.
Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: <[email protected]> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
On 2009-06-14, johnhanson4TAKETHISPARTOUT-at-gmail.com <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> > I remember a novelty toy where a "bird" made of glass containing red
>> > alcohol would peck from a glass of water, lift it's head, and repeat the
>> > cycle. The drop of water on its beak would evaporate, cooling the alcohol
>> > inside and reducing its vapor pressure, which caused the alcohol to flow
>> > and shift the center of gravity. I wonder if somehow the heat of sun on
>> > the barrel could cause fluid to flow.
>
> I have often wondered what became of these birds I used to see as a
> child in bars and restaurants in the Sacramento area. I've looked
> for them at antique shows with no sucess. I suppose they functioned
> best in warm dry climates.
>
> If anyone has a link to a source for these toys, please share it.
Try here:
http://www.thedrinkingbird.com/
(Simple Google search for "drinking bird" and Google suggested adding
"toy" to the end as one option.)
I had one of these as a kid. It worked well -- in the dry
environment of South Texas.
Enjoy,
DoN.
--
Email: <[email protected]> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
riverman wrote:
>
> This certainly is a strange contraption. If the tube is open at the
> bottom, and extends to the top inside the barrel and is open at the
> top, then it might work as a vapor lock, like this:
>
> You fill the barrel with the tap closed, close the lid, and fill the
> tub to some level deep enough to cover the bottom of the tube. Then
> you open the tap.
>
> A small amount of water comes out the tap, but the negative pressure
> inside the barrel soon holds back the fluid flow. As long as there is
> water in the tub, the tap does not flow. But once the water in the tub
> evaporates or decreases a certain amount, air rushes up the tube and
> allows fluid to come out of the tap. If that fluid flows into the tub,
> it raises the fluid level and seals off the barrel again, stopping the
> flow.
>
> Uses for such a device:
> A automatic plant waterer?
> A pet waterer?
> Some kind of fancy wine dispenser for communion? (the wine cup is put
> in the brass cup holder beneath the tap. People dip into the tub for
> wine, and when the level drops enough, the tap releases enough wine to
> fill the cup to overflowing, the excess going into the tub until the
> tube is cut off and the flow stops.
>
> It would be interesting to see if the cup holder is set up so that the
> brass cup tips when it is full. That would make this some sort of
> cupful dispenser.
>
> Dunno...like I said, its a strange contraption.
>
> --riverman
I don't know how far the bottom of the tube is above the bottom of the
tub, but the mineral desposits suggest that the tub was kept more than
half full and rarely cleaned.
I know where I've seen mineral deposits like that! A humidifier!
Instead of cleaning it, you add water to keep the level up.
Heating water a few degrees can greatly increase evaporation, but most
rooms didn't have stoves. I think the device had an electric percolator
heater at the bottom of the tube and the hole at the back of the tub was
for the cord.
Boiling water would perk into the barrel. A humidifier should be
adjustable. If you wanted a lot of vapor, you would remove the cap from
the barrel.
If you closed the cap, the water would give up more of its heat to the
barrel, then trickle into the cup. If you wanted still less vapor, you
would partially close the tap. That would raise the water level in the
barrel so the water would give up more heat before trickling into the cup.
What didn't evaporate from the cup would overflow and drip into the tub.
Perhaps the sound of trickling and dripping was a selling point.
Some might find it soothing, and you would know the unit was working.
I wonder if room humidifiers used to have another name. If it wasn't
for living space, perhaps it was for an incubator.
Rob H. wrote:
>
> "E Z Peaces" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Rob H. wrote:
>>> Most of them were answered correctly this week, I couldn't find any
>>> links to confirm either of the last two but I think the posted
>>> answers are right although they lack specifics:
>>>
>>> http://answers288r.blogspot.com/
>>>
>>>
>>> Rob
>>
>> 1644:
>> 1. Isn't it awfully tiny to ferment wine or beer?
>> 2. Wouldn't the acid attack the copper and the solder, ruining the
>> beverage and the container?
>> 3. Wouldn't it be difficult to remove the solids and clean the
>> container?
>> 4. If the tube were for CO2 to escape, wouldn't it be at the top of
>> the barrel?
>> 5. Wouldn't beverage drawn from the valve be full of sediment?
>
>
> These are all good questions, I'm not 100% behind the wine fermenter
> idea, I showed it to a lot of people and this was the most popular
> guess, so I went with it.
>
> A couple more details about it:
> The end of the tube is not threaded.
> There is a picture of a church on both sides, as seen here:
>
> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v80/harnett65/Album11/DSC00142.jpg
>
> You had posted that you thought it would pump an endless stream without
> a mechanical pump, for this theory I'm not clear on exactly what's
> pumping the water.
>
> Rob
>
>
The copper tube slips into the bottom of the barrel? Is it an airtight fit?
How about the cap on top? Is it airtight?
I remember a novelty toy where a "bird" made of glass containing red
alcohol would peck from a glass of water, lift it's head, and repeat the
cycle. The drop of water on its beak would evaporate, cooling the
alcohol inside and reducing its vapor pressure, which caused the alcohol
to flow and shift the center of gravity. I wonder if somehow the heat
of sun on the barrel could cause fluid to flow.
I remember a tiny toy tugboat. If you lifted the cover from the hull,
it was just a metal shell containing a metal tube with a couple of
loops. You'd light a tiny candle under the loops and in a few minutes
water would begin putt-putting out the ends of the tube, propelling the
boat. I think a coffee percolator works similarly.
I wonder if the barrel could have contained a similar pump and admitted
enough air for a small flame. Perhaps the user would light the flame
and keep the tap closed until the putt-putting started. Then he'd have
a desktop fountain. Maybe the inventor had the desks of preachers in mind.