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What is It? Game 10.

This week's What is It? game with What is It? blog is this weird looking device. One more photo and clues as of the dimensions can be found at What is It?

Guess what it is (and what it's for) and win a free Neatorama T-shirt! Game rules, as always, are simple: write your guess on the comment section, but post no URL links (let others play, please). First one to guess right wins the prize! Last round, by the way, closed with no winner.

Update 2/9/07: The answer:

Well tile placing apparatus, 11" diameter when expanded, 10" diameter when collapsed. Wells were lined with tile which were placed on the outside of this device and lowered down, when in place, pulling on the rope collapsed the device and it was pulled up, leaving the tile behind. Patent number 435594 shows a different tool that was used for a similar purpose.
Seems like #36 by Fodder is the closest. Congrats!


It's for digging holes.

You step on the flat tabs around the top to drive it into the ground like a triple shovel. You attach a rope to the eye in the middle and pull up to remove the device from the hole. Pulling in the center causes the hinged center bits to contract; the curved rods holding the top together slide through their fittings enabling the top to expand; the whole construction grasps the dirt it surrounds enabling you to pull all that dirt from the hole.
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It is a form used to make barrels. By compressing the handles on the inside, it expands and retracts the wooden panels from the inside of the barrel as it is being made.
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From the three handles, I would guess it's used to stretch something, but it can't be barrels because it's too small. Maybe it makes small barrels?
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As the previous poster said, it's for digging holes...more specifically, I believe it's for digging water wells. It would be lowered into a well on a rope and a worker or workers at the bottom would step on the tabs to press it into the soil to get another bite. When pulled up with the rope (tied to the center loop) the bottom closes together pulling the soil up with it.
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I reckon its something for keeping your tophat in shape. Much like the fancy gadgets that you can put in your shoes or boots to keep them in shape.
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Upon closer inspection, it would be difficult aerodynamically for this design to dispell air efficiently, but very able to raise, lower and CHURN fresh cows' milk into a thick slurry that, upon refrigeration, would thereafter be called Butter.
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I think it was used to fill bags. Put it in the bag and it would hold it open while filling. Then upon retraction by the center eye the sides of the device would pull in a bit allowing removal of the device.
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Its a retention device for lifting (or lowering) cylindercal objects like pipes with one rope or cable. It goes in the cylinder, spread the tangs, rope or hook goes in the eyelet.
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At 11" in diameter it would be too narrow to stretch a top hat. The handles inside seem to push the wooden blades out, not in, so it wouldn't be for gripping and wooden blades wouldn't work for digging. I think it is much like a shoe tree but made to keep the upper segment of riding boots in proper shape.
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