April 2016 Mystery Tool A
Bearing scraper. “It’s used to clean up, deburr, or size, the bore of a bronze or Babbitt plain bearing,” says Vern Notestine, Frankenmuth, Mich. Identified by John Keifer, Clinton, Pa.; Dennis Prigge, White Lake, Wisc.; Darrell Combs, Citrus Heights, Calif.; Myron Olufson, Gatzke, Minn.; Al Barrigar, Goldendale, Wash.; Ken Davis, Hollis Center, Maine; B.Z. Cashman, Blue Ridge, Ga.; Richard Bader, Middletown, N.Y.; John S. Rauth, Ridgely, Md.; Paul Atha, St. Joseph, Mo.; and Jessie D. Coyle, Cottontown, Tenn. See patent no. 1,015,461. Photo submitted by Terry Schmidt via email.
Patent no. 1,015,461: Bearing scraper. Patent granted to Frank J. Vlchek, Cleveland, Ohio, Jan. 23, 1912.
April 2016 Mystery Tool B
Unidentified. Photo submitted by Mike Intlekofer, Bellevue, Wash.
April 2016 Mystery Tool C
Pot chain and scraper used to clean and scour cast iron cookware. Identified by Ram A. Cnaan, Philadelphia, Pa.; Betty Runions, Mount Pleasant, Tenn.; Gailey Henderson, Williamstown, W.Va; G. Ray Boone, Rocky Mount, Va.; Randy Winland, Prospect, Ohio; Tom Elliott, Clinton, Ark.; Terry Schmidt, Chapman, Kan.; Darrell Combs, Barb Jones, Wilmington, Ohio; B.Z. Cashman; Bob Wittersheim, Saline, Mich.; Myron Olufson, Gatzke, Minn.; David Lacey, Pleasant Hill, Ohio; Dick Rulon, West Avon, Conn.; James Rissanen, Saginaw, Mich.; Jessie D. Coyle; Earl H. Rohrbaugh, Glen Rock, Pa.; Dick E. Kates, Oakland, Iowa; Alice Smith, Forest Grove, Mont.; Gary Studebaker, Larwill, Ind.; Marilyn Wendel, Cedar Grove, Ind.; Dorothy Wendel, Cedar Grove, Ind.; Dennis Hensley, Bennington, Kan.; and Bill Bracy, Murfreesboro, Tenn. See patent no. 388,990 for a similar piece. Photo submitted by Keith Girard, Cornell, Illinois.
Patent no. 388,990: Dish washer. Patent granted to William D. Miller, Florence, Mass., Sept. 4, 1888.
April 2016 Mystery Tool D
Unidentified. Robert Scholz, Elmo, Mo., believes it to be a clinker remover used in cleaning wood stoves, but no positive verification has been possible. Photo submitted by Robert Mueller, Kimball, Neb.
April 2016 Mystery Tool E
Unidentified. Photo submitted by Richard Bader, Middletown, N.Y.
April 2016 Mystery Tool F
Unidentified. Photo submitted by Richard McCoy, Saint Joseph, Mich.
Remember This?
March 2016 Item F: From Paul R. Spink, Varysburg, N.Y.: “I believe this is a weight for a scale. I have two that are similar. One sits inside the other. The larger of the two is marked ‘4 lbs’ and the smaller one is marked ‘2 lbs.’ Together they weight 6 pounds. They are part of a scale manufactured by Exact Weight Scale Co., Columbus, Ohio. The scale is mostly made of cast aluminum with iron parts inside. It may have been used for milk or another item where a precise weight was needed.”