April 2011 Item A
We have no conclusive answer for this item. Buck and Cathy Evans, Ft. Lupton, Colo., believe it to be a homemade steam engine. Gary Drentlaw, Northfield, Minn., believes it to be a hand-operated engine to power lathes. Photo submitted by Clarence Lammers, Lake St. Louis, Mo.
April 2011 Item B
Carpet stretcher, as identified by Spencer Greenhill, Luther, Mich., who says this one was made by Bowles Hardware Co., and patented June 18, 1870. Also identified by Gary Drentlaw; Wendell Dillavou, Aledo, Ill.; Harold Jehle, Baldwin, Kan.; Buck and Cathy Evans; Stephen Clemens, Mazeppa, Minn.; Floyd Olson, Tonganoxie, Kan.; John R. Baird, Roseburg, Ore.; David Ruark, Pomeroy, Wash.; Duane and Joan Craig; George Wanamaker, Macomb, Ill.; Craig Phillips, Allegan, Mich.; O.K. Blackstone, Caribou, Maine. Photo submitted by Robert Kirtz, Hector, Minn. See patent 178,593 for a similar patent.
April 2011 Item C
Scoop board, as identified by Donald La Brune, Holland, Minn. “The end gate was taken out of a triple box corn wagon and this was put in the end of the box,” Donald explains. “The metal sides of the scoop board fit on the outside of the box. When the wagon was unloaded, the scoop board was back down at an angle on two rods; one on each side held it at an angle. This was a place to stand while unloading the corn. When you used a scoop box, there was no corn to pick up off the ground. The last time I used ours was in the spring of 1942. I picked 40 acres by hand. The corn was open-pollinated so most of it was in the mud. That fall we bought a 1-row corn picker.”
Also identified by Wayne Spiess, Dawson, Minn; Wendell Starkebaum, Higginsville, Mo.; Joel Croxton, LaPrairie, Ill.; Dan Chambers, Hammond, Ill.; William L. Mon, Oregon, Ill.; Roscoe Mart, Eddyville, Iowa; Al V. Wheeler, Yorkville, Ill.; Wendell Dillavou; Harold Jehle; Marvin H. Glick, Hartsville, Ind.; Ralph Hubele, Carmi, Ill.; Buck and Cathy Evans; Marvin Young, Lakeville, Ohio; Richard Allspach, Baxter, Iowa; Lawrence D. Steele, Toledo, Ill.; Gene Winter; Dale Gengenbach, Eustis, Neb.; Stephen Clemens; Floyd Olson; John R. Baird; David Babcock, Glenvil, Neb.; Diane and Roger Goodger, Milton, Wis.; Jim Kelp; Ken Hunter, Allerton, Ill.; Dale E. Kincaid, Newman, Ill.; Hal Locke, Amberg, Wis.; David Ruark; Raymond L. Christensen, Robins, Iowa; Duane and Joan Craig; George Wanamaker; Robert Schmidt, Fults, Ill.; Burt Berge, Rochester, Minn.; David Hall, Reynolds, Ind.; Jim Bilt, Corsica, S.D.; Everett Hanson, Fairfax, Minn.; Robert Keller, Commiskey, Ind.; Malici Conlon, Wellsville, Mo.; Jerry Lashbrooke, Marshall, Ill.; Russell Manchester, Davis City, Iowa; Milferd Smith, Darwin, Minn. Photo submitted by Dale Harber, Yoder, Ind. See patent 944,109 for a similar patent.
April 2011 Item D
Again, we have nothing conclusive on this piece, but David Ruark comes the closest, identifying this as a wrench to tighten/loosen a hex head bolt, by inserting rod through the round hole and the hex opening over the bolt/nut and twisting. Robert Kirtz, Hector, Minn., Gary Drentlaw, Floyd Olson, Diane and Roger Goodger sent similar answers. Photo submitted by Mil Harr, Centennial, Colo.