Mystery device

[ALR guy]

Our local historical society was recently gifted a number of old clocks in various states of disrepair. We have a small team of clock repair people who are tackling the restoration process and nobody can identify one item. Unfortunately the original owner of this collection is now deceased so information about particular curiosities is unavailable.
Does anyone know what this pictured item might be?

Thanks in advance,
David

 

[JTD]

My first thought is that it might be a vertical spit jack missing its clockwork and spit rods. But that's just a guess - others may know more or better.

JTD

 

[TQ60]

It appears to once had additional material on the front frame.

There is a substantial gear ratio with that many gears, try different angle photos with Google image search.

 

[Roy Gardner]

Part of a bomb fuse? In major wars, clock & watch companies were put to work making them. Might be too much reduction.
Or perhaps part of a rev counter for an early steam engine? Might be too little reduction.
Early hand-cranked vibrator?

 

[roughbarked]

It could also simply be missing the parts that made this a part of a kid's car that you wound up the spinning magnet and let it run?

 

[Willie X]

Both ends cylindrical, with a rubber seal at the top? It likely slid into a tube, or a machined cavity in something?? Willie X

 

[JTD]

with a rubber seal at the top?

Yes, I hadn't recognised that as being rubber but now I look closer, I think it is.

Guess my idea of a vertical spit jack is out. But those shafts obviously were made to turn something.

JTD

 

[Cheezhead]

Estimated from what I can barely see it appears that the pinion below the first large gear has 6 teeth. The large gear it drives has 60 teeth resulting in a 1:10 ratio. The remaining two pinions and gears following above appear to have identical ratios making this mechanism unrelated to clockwork and more like part of a device that deals in multiples of 10 such as a watthour meter or an auto odometer.
It was not mentioned but a worm drive to the first gear at the bottom is possible.
If the OP would verify the large gear and associated pinion tooth counts, that could help to unravel the mystery.

 

[Willie X]

If the assembly ran in oil, "O" ring down, it could act as a some type of speed controler??
Willie X

 

[michael isaacs]

Are the ends solid or is there a hole in the bottom? More pictures at different angles would be great.

 

[Willie X]

I think Cheez is on the right track but that's some heavy duty construction for a counter!
Willie X

 

[Dick C]

How tall is this and what is the diameter of the top?

 

[Cheezhead]

Another feature is that the mechanism appears to be removable and replaceable due to the round top with the sealing ring being larger than the rest of it. It may have been intended to be used where ingress of water, oil, dust or even an air pressure difference would not be tolerable. Questions to ponder: What was done with the three shaft extensions? I don't see flats on the extensions so was there a resettable readout with hands like a clock?

 

[zedric]

Maybe the drive for a fuel or water meter? Something like an old petrol pump?

 

[Richard.W]

Maybe the drive for a fuel or water meter?

Note the ratios seem to be the same for the 3 arbors to which indicator needles can be fitted. Back in the days of my youth, analog natural gas meters had a similar row of dials, such as the one pictured below. The missing part could be a small turbine that drives the counting wheels.