Cast Iron Whatsit?

This once had a very specific purpose. Do you know what it is? (I do.)
overall length about 8 ¼”
width about 3 1/8”
thickness about 1/2”
weighs about 3 lbs

 

Something for regulating a stove?

 

Looks like the lid of something that swiveled.
Maybe part of a stove?
Obviously I am no artist

 

The scrapes run the wrong way for that to have been the direction of motion. Your drawing beats many I've seen in assembly instructions.

 

Not a stove part. Not a lid to anything.

 

could it be a clock weight....????????????

 

Fancy sash weight?

 

Windmill weight? Although it seems a bit light for one..........

 

Not a clock, sash,or mill weight. In the 1960s, this was high tech.

 

well then....spill the beans !!!

 

OH Shitskie - Komokwa got it - it's a F'n bean smasher for refried beans - LOL!!!!
LMFAO - still no idea!

 

Well Ok then... the great reveal: It's a paperweight... of sorts. This was placed on top of stacks of computer punch cards to ensure that they would feed properly into the machine.

A computer punch card:


Computers used a lot of them:



This isn't quite the configuration that used this type of weight, but it does show the application:
https://www.pond5.com/stock-footage...es-stack-punchcards-computer-punchcard-reader

 

Days gone by: want ads; Help Wanted - Female; keypunch operator.

 

Cool thing, would have never guessed in a zillion years!

 

I only recall a hard rubber one

 

When I was a kid my father would bring hime piles of punch cards from work, we used them to play Post Office

 

Hi,
One year I made big poinsettia Christmas wreaths out of punch cards. Sprayed them red green and gold.
greg

 

The punched cards were called Hollerith cards.

I also only remember rubber ones.