Any Ideas on This Interesting Relic???

[Erik in NJ]

Dug today at an old park....The little hand seems to be on a pivot and has the word "PATENTED"on it. Appears to have been hung on a chain (see attached link). Thanks for any info!!

 

[JohnnyI]

Eric, that is a neat find. It reminds me very much of the type of cross tree you'd find on Victorian hanging kerosene lamps that hung above the chimney and held the smoke shield. The fact that it has a patent would probably confirm also that it was designed as something useful, rather than something decorative. The two tabs on the bottom in picture #1 still bother me a little, but maybe they were there for changing elevation of the smoke shield. here's a picture of a lamp with a cross tree http://www.laurelauction.com/1102bl%20Vict.%20Hanging%20Lamp.JPG

 

[Erik in NJ]

Hi Johnnyl, Thanks for the excellent feedback.....that may hae been what it was. The two arms that you see in the bottom of pic #1 are interesting. The smaller one in the front is on a pivot and that is the arm that has "PATENTED" engraved on it. The read arm is fixed in the 12 o'clock position and angles out at approx 30 degrees.

I was thinking that if the front arm pivotted loosely then gravity would kep it in the 6 o'clock position. Maybe something would be hung on it such that to remove it you wuld have to manually swing the front arm up to 12 o'clock to match the fixed arm, then slip the item off......????

The back of the item has a prounounced ridge below the star and is curved almost like a cabriole leg - either for reinforcement or to protect it from rubbing against something. Oddly the pivot viewed from behind is not dead center. I think it's brass - would you recommend cleaning it in any way? I only used a little soap and water to wash off the dirt. Someone thought I might try tomato paste to clean it, but I don't want to destoy it. Regards, Erik

 

[JohnnyI]

Eric, since posting I've found the object almsost identical to your's, in of all places, hanging above my kitchen table!

<img src="http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj255/johnirwin_2008/lamppart.jpg" border="0" alt="lamp part">

 

[Erik in NJ]

Nice find on that pic....It looks very close to that - very similar design. Mine has three points on each side where something can be attached. The thing that is still bothering me is that there is no attachmnt point for the smoke shield. I've gotten the smaller arm to pivot about 90 deg in either direction. There seems to be no writing on the longer fixed arm. Just "PATENTED" on the shorter arm. Funny I would have expected to have seen a co name somewhere on the item.

On your second pic, what do you suppose those hanging items are that are attached to the upper holes. The arm system on my item certainly looks like something was attached there. Have you ever seen this type of system before? I wonder what it was doing in a park.....there is an old church next to the park and that may be where it came from.

Thanks for all your research so far!

 

[JohnnyI]

Eric, if you take a look at my second picture you'll find thaqt the smoke bell is nattached to another support "T" that hangs below your pivot "t". Your's is the same exact thing, only a different design. The things hanging down are just ornaments. I've never figured them out. Maybe the little "doodads" are another way of drawing off and dissipating heat from the frame?