Old Farm Tools – What Is It? July 2010 Answers

Image Gallery We’re stumped, but Leland Jones, Winnebago, Ill., thinks this might be a tool used to vulcanize holes in an inner tube. Photo submitted by Charles Wilking, Nicollet, Minn.

A. We’re stumped, but Leland Jones, Winnebago, Ill., thinks this might be a tool used to vulcanize holes in an inner tube. Photo submitted by Charles Wilking, Nicollet, Minn.

B. Scraper handle, as identified by George Wanamaker, Macomb, Ill. and Albert Kittelson, Henry, S.D. This piece is similar to the Ohlen-Bishop scraper that has a more curved handle, but a jaw identical to the piece shown here. It’s possible that a replacement handle was made for this piece, which would have been particularly desirable because it will take a curved scraper blade as well as a rectangular blade, a feature not possible with most cabinet scrapers. Photo submitted by Leland Jones, Winnebago, Ill.

C. Milking machine inflation sanitizing-cleaning reservoir, identified by Melvin Russell, Almond, Wis.; Stephen Clemens, Mazeppa, Minn.; Leland Jones; L.D. Schnake, Overland Park, Kan.; David O. Horras, Williamsburg, Iowa; Albert Kittelson; B.Z. Cashman, Mayo, Fla.; Donald Bemis, Plymouth, Wis.; Milferd Smith, Darwin, Minn; Bill Ingram, Sistersville, W.V.; and John and Jeanette Kottke, Fredericksburg, Iowa. “The item shown is upside down without the lid,” says L.D. “The fittings are brass. The reservoir fits in a cast iron bracket that has capacity for eight milker inflations assembled on their ‘spiders’ and housings. We had a two-unit RiteWay milking machine with a reservoir that looks like this one. I have the sanitizing reservoir and bracket among my farm memories.”
“It was hung so the solution ran into the teat cups until they were full, then the valve was shut off to stop the flow,” Melvin explains. “At the next milking, the teat cups were held higher than the disinfectant container, the valve was opened and the solution flowed back in.” The device, which was attached to the wall with a bracket, was used after washing the milker. “Otherwise, Mastitis (caused by bacteria) was a problem,” Leland says. Photo submitted by Tony Lewis, Goldendale, Wash.