MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Wendyf]

I give in!

[Stanley]

As you probably realise Tiz and Mrs are on holiday and he will be AWOL for a week. So he gave me this...
"I won't get back on OG until after the holiday so I'll leave you with the solution to my current Mystery Object. The flower is from a `Foxglove Tree' in our local park, Paulownia tomentosa, which is not related to our Foxglove perennial plant, Digitalis purpurea. I'm surprised Chinatyke didn't identify it - perhaps his wife would have done better!.
All the best,
Peter"

[chinatyke]

I don't think I've seen one of those trees. There are some trees with lilac coloured blooms in the park opposite us flowering at the moment so I'll go and have a closer look.

Good one, you got us all guessing.

[Marilyn]

Has China gone missing in the park? Perhaps they will find him sniffing flowers...

[Stanley]

Amazing what I have in the museum isn't it! What can you tell me about these two objects?

[Big Kev]

For measuring feet?

[Stanley]

That's a good start. Now expand on that..... There's a lot of information in these pics.

[Big Kev]

Measuring feet for length and width. A quick search of the brand name suggests it may be US sizes.

[Stanley]

Kev, both came from the Central Coop skip when it closed and you are right about the Ritz foot measurer. I had a look and it's still being sold, you can find it on Amazon! That's that one dealt with.
The other one is much older and made in Sheffield. If you look at it carefully you'll see it has more than one set of numbers on it. Why?

[Stanley]

I think you need a clue. Look carefully at the side of the measuring bar on the older one. Why should there be a completely different set of sizes? Remember this was in the 1920s and before.....

[Stanley]

I think I have you foxed.... Time for a reveal. The old measuring stick has clog sizes on the side (and inches on the back), The Co-op must have been selling them at the time. (Clog sizes were different than boots and shoes)
Next one?

[plaques]

What's this, and where would you find it?. Maximum length about ½ inch.

[chinatyke]

Looks like the shape of a transformer coil, so I'll guess it is the top/bottom insulation of a transformer coil.

[Wendyf]

Whatever it is, it's broken!

[chinatyke]

On second thoughts: it looks like an embedded circuit that something could read, like a bank card embedded circuit. Over to Ian and Pluggy...

[Big Kev]

Processor from a laptop?

[PanBiker]

It could be a CPU with its lid taken off, the underside would give it away if it was. Not many connections visible on this side but if it is a CPU it would be a multi layered board produced during the LSI (Large Scale Integration) process.

[plaques]

I've got to give it to China. Its the core chip out of a ATM Sim card. Normally you would only see the contact pads on the outside. Wendy is also correct without these pads its broken. Now the next task is to put it together.
Next object please.

[Stanley]

Try this oldie.....

[Cathy]

A lovely set of scales but what do they weigh?
Mmmm... Threads?

[Stanley]

You are far too good Cathy! Yes, it is a portable Yarn Balance. It is in a case that fits in your pocket and was used by the Manchester Man on the exchange to assess the count of yarn in either a sample he was buying or in a cloth he had been asked to supply.



Here it is. Made by Casartelli of Manchester. The brass squares are for cutting cloth samples, the small one for wool and the large for cotton. These were used for assessing cloth.
Next one anyone?

[Stanley]

Let's see if you remember what this is....

[Marilyn]

Pie edger/pastry wheel?

[Stanley]

I can see why you might go for that Maz but sorry, it's a bit more technical than that. Very rare.....

[Whyperion]

It looks like something for peicing or embossing leather or similar, a skill I dont have.