Anyone know what this is?
Early model Thronomister. You can tell from the threaded manual adjustment mechanism. Later versions, although somewhat bulkier, had an integral automatic adjustment device.
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Many imaginative replies here, but I'll be completely boring.
Its part of an office chair. The threaded bit goes into the base of the chair, the rounded, erm, foreskin clicks into the bit that swivels, that the wheels are mounted on.
Its part of an office chair. The threaded bit goes into the base of the chair, the rounded, erm, foreskin clicks into the bit that swivels, that the wheels are mounted on.
but then I think it may be the crank key of the altimeter... 
This is clearly a plunger-picketing sprocket slide-shackle from a late-series Mark 4 Thronomister. The crocketted ogive and fillialled corbels are typical. However, since it lacks the retaining-ring bracket and keyway for the auxiliary drive-shaft flexible-coupling unit, it is from a pre-1992 unit and has not been modified to the updated specification which gives greater output downstream of the upper bypass-duct turbulators and greatly reduces the prevalence of harmonic vibrations in the vortex-aligner section of the primary flow-retarder stage.
This component bears all the marks of being made by the Dale-Parsons Manufacturing Company of Bessemer, Wisconsin, and was probably produced in the late 1980s and stored, hence escaping the mandatory upgrade program for all in-service units. Alternatively, it may have been sourced from an aircraft being parted out in one of the boneyards, also escaping the upgrade due the long-term storage and a possible discepancy in stock inventory control.
The condition as photographed suggests is is not capable of re-manufacture or other forms of recyclable-aviation product rejuventation or rehabilitation and should therefore be tagged as scrap.
Complete (but time-expired) units regualrly turn up on eBay, but the postage is usually greater than the value of the profuct itself and as such they attract only the unwary.
This component bears all the marks of being made by the Dale-Parsons Manufacturing Company of Bessemer, Wisconsin, and was probably produced in the late 1980s and stored, hence escaping the mandatory upgrade program for all in-service units. Alternatively, it may have been sourced from an aircraft being parted out in one of the boneyards, also escaping the upgrade due the long-term storage and a possible discepancy in stock inventory control.
The condition as photographed suggests is is not capable of re-manufacture or other forms of recyclable-aviation product rejuventation or rehabilitation and should therefore be tagged as scrap.
Complete (but time-expired) units regualrly turn up on eBay, but the postage is usually greater than the value of the profuct itself and as such they attract only the unwary.
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The last post reminds me of a lovely story about some medical students at Groote Schuur hospital in Cape Town. After certain operations, they were left with some high quality stainless steel rods, bent into various artistic shapes and patterns, but which could not be re-used.
They took a few of them along to a shop in Long Street, which in those days was junk shops and cheap sleaze, (these days it's fancy restaurants and expensive sleaze) and asked the owner if he'd be interested in buying them. He declined, but accepted their offer to leave a couple 'on consignment'.
Next day a smartly dressed young woman went in and bought both of them as 'modern artwork'.
A few days later one of the students went by, noticed that the objects had been sold, collected his money, and went off, no doubt to piss it against the nearest wall or to painlessly inject it into the local economy (whorehouses in that area).
Later, the students went back with a few more, and within a few days the young lady had bought them all for a high price.
The next instalment, and you may have seen this coming, is that the students went in with a box containing dozens of these things, which the shop owner purchased outright.
They remained there for several years!
They took a few of them along to a shop in Long Street, which in those days was junk shops and cheap sleaze, (these days it's fancy restaurants and expensive sleaze) and asked the owner if he'd be interested in buying them. He declined, but accepted their offer to leave a couple 'on consignment'.
Next day a smartly dressed young woman went in and bought both of them as 'modern artwork'.
A few days later one of the students went by, noticed that the objects had been sold, collected his money, and went off, no doubt to piss it against the nearest wall or to painlessly inject it into the local economy (whorehouses in that area).
Later, the students went back with a few more, and within a few days the young lady had bought them all for a high price.
The next instalment, and you may have seen this coming, is that the students went in with a box containing dozens of these things, which the shop owner purchased outright.
They remained there for several years!
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Rear view mirror from a car door, knocked off by another car and shattered, bits and pieces scattered by passing cars, until the 'core' bit ended up in 'Copper's tyre.
CJ
And the lesson is?
Later, the students went back with a few more, and within a few days the young lady had bought them all for a high price.
The next instalment, and you may have seen this coming, is that the students went in with a box containing dozens of these things, which the shop owner purchased outright.
They remained there for several years!
The next instalment, and you may have seen this coming, is that the students went in with a box containing dozens of these things, which the shop owner purchased outright.
They remained there for several years!
If you are simply a consigner then the buyer is left to their imagination.
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It resembles part of an emergency/parking brake adjustment which is usually located beneath a vehicle. It could be that the assembly broke, as the wear and tear on one end would indicate that the broken end was dragged for some time before separating from the remainder of the assy. Also answers how it ended up on the road (and in one's tire/tyre.)
(Oh brother, someone had to go and get serious - for chrissake!)
SoundBarrier, thanks for the "other side" view, it helped a lot!
(Oh brother, someone had to go and get serious - for chrissake!)
SoundBarrier, thanks for the "other side" view, it helped a lot!
Simple, it's a quasi optical, nuclear powered, dipthong retarder! 
It does look to me like part of a car headlight adjuster, the ball end fits into a socket on the headlight shell and the tapered toothed bit is then turned with a philips head screwdriver and the threaded bit moves in or out and adjusts the headlight beam.
These sorts of adjusters are usually accessed through small holes in the metalwork above the headlights.
Regards,
BH.
It does look to me like part of a car headlight adjuster, the ball end fits into a socket on the headlight shell and the tapered toothed bit is then turned with a philips head screwdriver and the threaded bit moves in or out and adjusts the headlight beam.
These sorts of adjusters are usually accessed through small holes in the metalwork above the headlights.
Regards,
BH.
