What follows is essentially a "guest post" – although the guest writer doesn't exactly know he's a guest on this blog. When visiting my uncle in Alaska, he asked me if I could help identify the "mystery gadget" described by a "friend of a friend" of his, Doug Clyde. So I offered to post Doug's original email on my blog, which might give some additional web-visibility to the object and help identify it – I have a fairly eclectic collection of blogreaders, so I thought it might be useful. Below is Doug's original email. My uncle also forwarded the same email to some other acquaintances.
I try to send my brother a unique Christmas gift each year – something useless but too nice to throw away. This year I think I have outdone myself. It’s so unique I can’t figure out what it is. An internet search was no help. I’m hopeful that one of you can enlighten me.
It is very well made – the base is cast brass with a black wrinkle finish that is common on old lab instruments like microscopes.
The brass balls are fixed to their rods, but the rods are free to go up and down. The height of the lower bar can be adjusted by loosening the brass knob in the center of the bar.
The knurled fitting on the top of the balls can be unscrewed. Under this fitting (inside the ball) are small lead beads which I assume are used to trim the weight of the brass ball.
Lead beads w/ball point pen shown for comparison. Those beads would not weigh much.
Note the bottom of each rod is machined to different diameters.
The pin on the bottom of the big ball measures 0.0500 of an inch, The pin on the small ball measures 0.1000 of an inch.
The diameter of the big ball is 1.8250, the small ball 1.1250
I’m thinking it might be one part of a display or lab instrument. I don’t have a clue. Thanks for looking and let me know if you figure it out.
Happy Holidays - Doug
If you have an idea what this gadget is, you can send me an email (gadget 🐌 jaredway ⬤ com), and I'll forward it back to my uncle.
Perhaps you noticed, I'm posting this at 4 am, Korea time. Jetlag, anyone? Well, it's not too bad – I wake up this early sometimes even when not jetlagged. Let's just called it "jaredlag."
Am I correct in assuming that each of the vertical bars moves in synch with the lower horizontal bar?