What is it? (American - St. Louis)

[Neal in Alabama]

A good friend of mine brought this to me. He didn't know what it was used for and neither do I. Thought someone here might know. He hopes that I would be able to tell him someday. Your help and input would be greatly appreciated.

Neal

[Pat Barrett]

have no idea but it look like a roller to shape the galvanized metal to make a wash tub.

[Mike Grivna]

Neil, very nice roller. We noticed the E-Lax sign in the background. We have a late 1800's Supository making machine from a doctors office. Beautifully cast with exellent japanning and gold pinstripping.

Mike

[OldironJeff]

Well,I'd really like to help but with the limited information provided it would be difficault to make an informed determination at this time.

[Neal in Alabama]

Sorry, the pictures are on the post "Here's the pictures". I had problems on the first post with attachments.
Neal

Edit: Threads merged and posts combined. -- Harry

[grub54891]

is there any patent numbers on it??

[Neal in Alabama]

The only number is at the top and it is 207.

[grub54891]

Hmmm..Tried that number in a patent search...no-go.

[Gene O. Carpenter]

Neil,
When I first saw the pictures "leather" screamed out at me but I've jumped the gun before so this time I ran one of your photo's by Rob at:

http://55ools.blogspot.com/search?q=

and he came up with this patent search:

http://www.google.com/patents?id=b1J...067164&rview=1

Which sure looks similar to yours but with a few more dodads!

He asked if he can post your photo's on his blog and of course he'll give you credit for them..
If you want to contact him yourself his e/mail is:

Rob Hartmann, : rhvp65@gmail.com

Gene

[Neal in Alabama]

I sent an e-mail to the blogger and gave him the OK. Thanks for your research. Anyone here where I live doesn't have a clue. I like a good "what is it" once in a while. I also have a wooden rake that I can't identify. It was posted "What is this rake for?". It was posted on the Farm + Industrial Antiques and Collectibles.
Thanks again, Neal

[Gene Williams]

It could be a Laundry Wringer. I have one only larger and with straight rolls not contoured. American is an old laundry machinery company.

[Gene O. Carpenter]

Neal,
That's this guy's "thing"! He loves identifying old unknown items..Send him a photo of your rake and I'll bet he will find it for you.
I'm going through his site now and some of the items are really "far out"!

Gene

[Neal in Alabama]

Gene,

I sent him the pics of the rake. I didn't know it but I had already marked his site in my favorites. I had gone there before, it's really amazing what you can see.

Neal

[Gene O. Carpenter]

Neal, I mentioned his site a couple years ago for one of the "whatzit's" that come up from time to time. I hope he can identify your rake for you..
There was a 4 cyl radial type engine that one of the Stackers had turned up, I guess it was about 4 years ago. That oddity has had me puzzled all this time. I searched for the "poster" but he's not around anymore.
I think I'll try to scan the photo's and see how they turn out, maybe I can post it again..Are you close to Alpine Tx?
Gene

[Neal in Alabama]

Gene, I did mapquest and I'm about 1100 miles away.
Neal

[pegasuspinto]

My vote is that this is a specialized, possibly one-off roller for manufacture of 'something'. Maybe with some research you can find similar frames with different rollers. Bet they are -very- rare as it would of been used till it was broken, then scrapped, or used till it's obsolete, and then scrapped.

Robert

[Adair Orr]

I can't say for sure, but I have some notes in my sketchbook showing a very similar device with identical rollers used for wringing out firehoses before they were hung up to dry in the firestation. It sounds odd, but plausible.

-Adair

[Brett Thompson]

i think it is for rolling the tabaco leafs to make cigars?

[oldgoaly]

Other American labeled tools have been for the leather/shoe industry. Also a tinner's roll will have 3 rollers. tt

[doc0455]

It looks like some type of slip roll for forming sheet metal.