This thing is rusting away in the woods not far from my house. Looks like a farm device ... maybe a separator of some sort? Any idea what it is and how old it is?

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Interesting - no doubt a separator for something but what? Is it on 'skids' so it can be moved easily or is it stationary as though it was used in place? Anything else around there or is this it?

It appears to be a "Segregator". Shovel raw dirt/sand/gravel into the hopper and as it turns and the material flows through from gravity the dirt* if any, fine sand, coarse sand, small gravel, larger gravel, and finally whatever is too large to fall through the graduated screens falls out the end.

Hopefully if they were sorting "bank run" sand/gravel it would have been washed first to remove whatever dirt was in the mix so only clean sand and gravel would be handled.

Interesting how the drive has a chain wheel, a flat pulley so it could be driven from the PTO of a tractor or pony engine, and a hand crank! I can't imagine turning that thing by hand. But if you look very closely you can see the drum is gear driven, and would have a very high gear ratio so the crank might not be that bad.

I would guess it is pre WWII, most likely the nineteen-teens or twenties.

That is a very old stirrer upper for calling bingo #'s. It was so well designed the lottery commission adopted it, it served well for decades and pioneered the development of the current system. The ping pong ball sucker upper.

Don't believe me? Google it.

Hope this was helpful.
Bob. Aka smart ***

Maybe you have a gold mine on your property.

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Don

Experts refer to these as "Whatchamacallits", but they're also known as "Thingamabobs".


I can answer any question, but I can't guaranty the answer will be correct.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

Oh, I thought someone found Rusty in the woods. My mistake.

Looks like a big cylindrical Havahart trap that not only traps the animals but gives them a free spin-ride in the bargain.

That, or an early model Time Machine.

It looks like a big chili pepper roaster to me, but in the woods of MA I seriously doubt that. Maybe some kind of nut roaster, or sifter to remove husks from nuts? Do they roast chestnuts over an open fire in them thar' woods?

If it looks anything like an over age base player, from Ohio, I know what/who it is.

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Always Stay Strong!

It couldn't be me. It's in better shape.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

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Dum vivo cano

It's a compost sifter.

It's gettin to where a guy can't even go out to check his flora.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

It is what I would call yard art. Put it on your front lawn. Sooner or later, the city will send you a letter directing to remove the junk.

"You mean my sculpture?"

I don't know much about art, but I know what I like. I like the First Amendment.

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Not in jail.

It is TV gold miner Parker Schnabel's first toy, a child-size trommel.

Off-subject, but I think Parker should dump his Aussie girlfriend and marry WNBA star Shoni Schimmel.
Then she'd be...wait for it...Shoni Schimmel-Schnabel.

OK, it's a slow day...

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What, me worry?

I have been here 77 years and I have never seen any thing like it in our part of the country. alk8944 had the best idea. Jeff

Separator for sure but I'd like to know what was being separated. I'd like to know the size of the mesh if nothing else.


An East Indian friend of mine saw a group of farmers working with flails to knock grain off the chaff. He showed them how to make a separator from old 55 gal drums. The next time he saw them they were beating the grain with flails.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

How is Flora these days? Still with the roller derby?

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Oh well, what the hell.

You'd have to be aware of your surroundings if running that off a belt drive. That handle probably would do some damage! So much for letting kids these days run it....

Trommel screen - Wikipedia

Withe the different sizes of wire cloth mounted this appears to be a rotary crushed stone or gravel separator.

She ran off with Ralphie Valladares.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Obviously it is a rotary screener. But what for, I couldn't say. Possibly for screening out cobs from shelled corn?

Man, I could sort a years worth of brass in that baby!!


As an aside, my vote would be for some sort of crop separator /washing device. Maybe cleaning and sorting freshly harvested potatoes or cranberry's? Despite the rust, it is missing the tell tail signs of denting, bending and general hard use that sifting dirt/rocks would produce.
Lookup at the trees/land around it, the area seems to have been cleared not much more than 50 years or so ago.

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Dave

That's where I've seen it before! Dried corn in the top, kernels fall through the grate, cobs, and chaff out the other end.

Does it say Popeil on it anywhere?

Ronco. Please.

Or Ronco?

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

You guys got it all wrong..........



Its a Tumbler for polishing brass for a reloader!

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I am the Majority
How about u

Having screened my own sand for mortar and aggregate for concrete in a shaker over a wheelbarrow, this thing needs a patent. And I'll be the first in line to ... oh, wait. I don't do have to do that stuff no more.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

Squirrel/Raccoon trap.

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That's gonna leave a mark.

BINGO!!!

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Dum vivo cano

Send it to Texas , New Mexico or Oklahoma; it will be a Hatch Chili roaster by August.

It looks like an old receiving separator or "grain cleaner." They came in various configurations and that's definitely one of them. Similar to a trommel screen, like Mexican Kerry said, but has a large hopper on the end. But instead of shoveling dirt through them, you loaded wheat into the hopper, which was then cleaned prior to being made into flour. Just my two cents worth.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

Possibly a screener to de-hull walnuts - but looks a little large for the job?

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TOMBECK

It's a rusty thing in the woods.


Charlie

Take it to the Shark Tank, ask for ten million for development.

History on that property would possibly tell you what it was used for. Near a quarry or stream? Any mines in the area. What crops were grown there?

An early New England loto numbered ball mixer/picker.

After looking at it closely, I've come to the conclusion that it is a rotary screener used to separate stainless steel cleaning pins from the cases on a wet tumbler that processes 20 MM Oerlikon and 40 mm Bofors brass.

Maybe if you hadn't made her stay out in the woods....

I see somebody nailed down what the gizmo is and how it works. I wonder if it would be worth salvaging and restorting a bit. Is there a collector market for that kid of machinery?

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Oh well, what the hell.

Yes, there is a following for all kinds of old agricultural items. But I don't know how you reach such collectors.

"Set it and forget it"

My first thought was Rusty's Hi-Cap stem and seed separator...

...I see Ralphie on the lower right...but no Flora...

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A Country Boy Can Survive

If you ever seen the lead shot being removed (mined) at a trap range you would see one of these in action only on a much larger scale. They have outlawed wet mining of shot so what is used now is the very big brother of what you have seen here.

Some of the shot miners have the same basic design with a shell over it and they blast a propane flame into the center to dry out the dirt. Looks like a tornado from a distance.

If I can find some pictures I will post them here.

Jim

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NRA Range Safety Officer

Todd Hoffman is looking for that!!

I seem to remember an early Soviet spy satellite that looked similar to that. It would intercept signals, sift through them and then drop the bigger "more important" ones back to earth for retrieval. Probably deorbited and crashed to earth there. Any sign of an impact crater?

Sorry folk, could not resist!

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Stay safe people!