Uncle Sam's pigeon timer

[Ed Harrow]

In case there's any interest.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g65/wlgtoo/Norwell/Uncle%20Sam%20stuff/DSC_0059.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g65/wlgtoo/Norwell/Uncle%20Sam%20stuff/DSC_0058.jpg

I didn't take a photo of it closed.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g65/wlgtoo/Norwell/Uncle%20Sam%20stuff/DSC_0056.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g65/wlgtoo/Norwell/Uncle%20Sam%20stuff/DSC_0054.jpg

The winding lever is behind the disc (see photo above) is used to wind the clockwork. Not much swing, so I guess it would take a while to wind it up all the way.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g65/wlgtoo/Norwell/Uncle%20Sam%20stuff/DSC_0053.jpg

The crank on the right works the stamp which records when the pigeon arrived back home. At some point the slip the pigeon carried is put into the discy thing with the 'pockets'.

If someone here knows more about the process I'd love to know.

It appears to have been made in France. I wound it up and it's ticking away on our dinner table :)

[Ralph]

I had one of these years ago.... I think the box is locked and the timestamped slips are a sequential record of the pigeon race results.

I used to see a lot of these...not so much anymore....

Ralph