Can anyone Identify what this is?

[KB4QAA]

The photo immediately reminded me of a 'Rope Break Rack" which is a tensioning device used in rappelling. In the example shown, the bars don't rotate, but the level of friction can be adjusted by selecting how many bars the rope passes over.

Break Rack2.JPG

[K5TCJ]

That's the flying spark / corona discharge generator that provides power for every mad scientists' la-bor-atory. You see them all the time in the moves, in front of the humongous knife switches and meters.

[K7EA]

It's an old power factor corrector for an electric window sash motor. Early on, the inductance of the metal mesh used in lath and plaster walls would cause the current to lead the voltage so much the AC motors would get hot and sometimes light fires. They were mounted in most walls, right below the lead counter weights.

Now if Tesla would've won, you'd never see them around, except in electric chairs.

[K8ERV]

I think you nailed it.

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[W5BIB]

It's an old power factor corrector for an electric window sash motor. Early on, the inductance of the metal mesh used in lath and plaster walls would cause the current to lead the voltage so much the AC motors would get hot and sometimes light fires. They were mounted in most walls, right below the lead counter weights.

Now if Tesla would've won, you'd never see them around, except in electric chairs.

...See if you can load it up !

[WF7A]

It's an old power factor corrector for an electric window sash motor. Early on, the inductance of the metal mesh used in lath and plaster walls would cause the current to lead the voltage so much the AC motors would get hot and sometimes light fires. They were mounted in most walls, right below the lead counter weights.

I doff my hat to you, William. I must've spent over an hour today on the 'net trying to find out what this was; all I knew was that it had an electricity-related purpose.

[KB9LXP]

Maybe the lost "wire stretcher" the apprentice can never find.
Mike

[K2LRV]

It's an old power factor corrector for an electric window sash motor. Early on, the inductance of the metal mesh used in lath and plaster walls would cause the current to lead the voltage so much the AC motors would get hot and sometimes light fires. They were mounted in most walls, right below the lead counter weights.

Now if Tesla would've won, you'd never see them around, except in electric chairs.

NEVER would have found this anywhere, and even now I still cannot locate ay reference to them.

[K8MHZ]

It's an old power factor corrector for an electric window sash motor. Early on, the inductance of the metal mesh used in lath and plaster walls would cause the current to lead the voltage so much the AC motors would get hot and sometimes light fires. They were mounted in most walls, right below the lead counter weights.

Now if Tesla would've won, you'd never see them around, except in electric chairs.

You mean if Edison would have won. Tesla was the AC pioneer that killed Edison's DC distribution fiasco.

If you are correct about the device, good catch. I have never seen one nor heard of such a thing.

[AE8I]

Could it be a multiple spark gap? A description of one is here: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/teslatutorial/Spark_gap.htm