Mystery Electrical Control Box

[dtontarski]

I spotted this electrical device on the wall in a 1950ish home the other day. There was a toggle switch on an adjacent wall that reversed it. Anybody have any ideas on what this might have been used for.

[swarga]

I am guesssing it is a stealth switch.

A photo may change my mind.

[ozofprev]

What sort of electrical device? What's being reversed? As Scott said, "Picture?"

Originally posted by dtontarski

I spotted this electrical device on the wall in a 1950ish home the other day. There was a toggle switch on an adjacent wall that reversed it. Anybody have any ideas on what this might have been used for.

[bandag]

Don't you just love folks that post a topic for reply and never return?

[ozofprev]

Ya gotta love it... (But I give them the benefit of the doubt - vacation, found answer elsewhere & forgot about 'us', etc.)

Originally posted by bandag

Don't you just love folks that post a topic for reply and never return?

[Les]

Obviously he flipped the reversing switch!

I know what it is, but it is too late now.

[PAbernathy]

lol....the switch must have fed a Time Machine....as the poster is gone to another space in TIME !

[dtontarski]

Sorry gentlemen. I tried to upload the photo twice and even posted a message to that effect. It must have been the hour of day, I had no luck. Let me try again.

[dtontarski]

Here we go again. My apologies I tried to upload this twice with no luck. Anybody have any ideas what this is for?

[dtontarski]

Well...everytime I upload the photo it says that it has been successfully received, yet I don't see it, and obviously no one else does either. Must be a FireFox issue...I'll try IE.

[dtontarski]

Here we go again. Time is all we have right? I'll give this one more shot with IE and see if that is the problem on why my photo is not displaying. This is the device I saw in the 1950ish home. Any ideas what this might control?

Download Attachment: Tenny 112.jpg

67.87 KB

[bandag]

Well you got me, at least it's UL listed! let's see who knows.

[Chad Fabry]

A broken electric can opener?

Wire bender?

I swear when I move I'm going to install crap like that just to make people nutty.

[dtontarski]

Thanks Chad....I'm guessing this home was owned by a downsized engineer.

[Bill Kibbel]

There has to be clues that are not in the picture. I'm thinkin' it pulls something open and then reverses to let it close by gravity or spring tension.

Was there a hatch cover below it? Large curtain rod or blinds nearby?

[dtontarski]

Bill - There was sealed off area near it that I thought may have been a window type AC install, and a toggle switch that reversed this device. It was a camp that was winterized over the years, and I'm guessing this was a owner install of some type. It was near a large window and could well have been some type of curtain control device. I'd be surprised, considering this wasn't a very upscale property, but I'm surprised more than I'd like to be. I think you might be on to something with the curtain control ideal.

[homnspector]

My guess is a motorized eterior security blind / shutter. The belt would go around the center wheel and the other 2 would keep it from slipping.