What is It? Game 19

By Alex in What Is It on Apr 12, 2007 at 3:49 am

Today’s collaboration with What is It? Blog brings us this strange-looking dial. Guess what it is and win a Free Neatorama T-Shirt! Check out What is It? for more clues on today’s object.

Place your guess in the comment section – please do not post any URL, let others play!

Update 4/13/07: The answer is:

Years ago fuel delivery trucks didn’t have any type of a pump to transfer the fuel from the truck to the farmer’s storage tank. The fuel was moved in 5 gallon containers by hand. This indicator was mounted on the truck and each time a 5 gallon can was filled they advanced it one space to keep track of the gallons delivered.

This must be easy for you guys, winner is SarahS #6.


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  1. chris
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 4:48 am

    its a gauge to tell how many quarts of oil are left

  2. Aleki
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 5:13 am

    It’s a manual control for setting oil flow and pressure.

  3. AK-00
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 6:02 am

    Elevator control.

  4. Chuss
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 7:03 am

    Yeah, one of those things that bellboys in lifts use to select the floor.

  5. JMT
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 7:23 am

    A math aid for those that can’t add 5′s.

  6. SarahS
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 7:47 am

    It’s a gauge used for pumping gas

  7. K-Dogg
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 8:03 am

    It is used to mark lot numbers in cast materials.

  8. Sarah
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 8:04 am

    Its the first cruise control! lol…

  9. özi
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 8:10 am

    its that thing, you know, to open the hatch!
    just wonder how you would put in the combination 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 41

    *POUFFFZZ!!!*

    oh damn… wrong again…

  10. dave
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 8:12 am

    a stamper for glass or tin

  11. dave
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 8:15 am

    doh it hit me after my last post – fuel dispensing selector – select how much fuel you want on old gas pumps

  12. Levi
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 8:21 am

    It’s obviously a Nickel counter.

  13. Omnipotent Poobah
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 8:41 am

    I could be wrong, but it looks like an antique birth control pill dispenser.

  14. Eli
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 8:41 am

    It’s an old gas pump dial for selecting how much gas you want.

  15. Adnil
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 8:45 am

    A time-clock thing for employees to punch in when they arive. It would be attached to a large clock.

  16. Dan
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 8:54 am

    It’s the throttle gauge for a boat. You set the percent of the engine power you want to use.

  17. Koala
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 8:58 am

    Speed control for trains.

  18. Ryan
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 9:10 am

    It’s some sort of flow control valve (possibly water). The numbers indicate what percentage is open.

  19. MR Lemon
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 9:17 am

    its a distance measuring device. you guide the wheel along a surface and count the numbers of turns made. if you know the wheel circumference, you can calculate the distance

  20. ALEXIS ASTUDILLO
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 9:32 am

    it’a a indicating weel, it can be used to indicate the percentage of completion of a given task, it can be administrative, a chemical prosses, etc.

    (SORRY ABOUT THE ENGLISH)

  21. Drew
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 9:45 am

    I agree with a throttle guage for either a boat or train.

    But, I could be wrong. It definitely bears a strong resemblance to a device used for determining the amount of bananas needed. Or it is in fact a banana.

  22. Drew
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 9:49 am

    Okay, water control valve. The only thing I could find associated with Moore and Kling had to do with water works.

    But it still might be a banana.

  23. Leigh
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 9:50 am

    It sets the pressure of a pipeline

  24. Norr
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 9:56 am

    It’s obviously a tool/device used to open, measure, control or select the very items that are passed though, counted, dispensed and monitored by various individuals, machines, and observers of both human and electrical origin. It’s an incredibly rare item that can be found in great abundance throughout several vast regions within a specific locale or expansive geographic area.

  25. Rizwan
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 10:36 am

    a guage off an old gas pump

  26. Billy
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 11:23 am

    Its a water height meter.

  27. MW
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 11:27 am

    It’s a gauge for an electrically powered water pump.

  28. JJM
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 11:30 am

    This is an old-time trolley speed controller.

  29. Buzz
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 11:31 am

    It’s an electrical ‘valve’, a potentiometer – but a really old one.

  30. mcmungle
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 11:46 am

    water control valve

  31. ruby
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 12:18 pm

    I think it is a throttle control for a locomotive.

  32. Jimbo
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 12:36 pm

    Elevator control for the blind

  33. susan
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 1:15 pm

    Water Flow Valve. Possibly used to control water from a Water Works building to fire hydrants

  34. rightmer
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 1:36 pm

    The letters look as though they’re raised, could it be a device to create numbered buttons of a sort? kinda like how the “seals” were made in older times, using wax… or how the old Mints made coins…?

  35. nathan
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 1:43 pm

    It’s part of a weight scale.

  36. Jimbo
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 2:10 pm

    Speed control lever for a mechanical bull!

  37. Jimbo
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 2:19 pm

    Grain Rail Car Lever

  38. Ny
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 2:28 pm

    a steering wheel for a ship

  39. Jimmy
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 2:34 pm

    Well considering that moore and kling inc. is a water utilities company in Mass. It is more than likely a device to regulate the flow of water through a pipe. the lever starts vertically, then can be rotated clockwise all the way around back to vertical for 100 % flow rate.

  40. Jimbo
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 2:36 pm

    Good point! Could be for a Butterfly valve!

  41. Jimbo
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 3:30 pm

    Handle for Butterfly valve?

  42. Kevin A
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 5:06 pm

    a motor pump?

  43. MidwestMedic
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 5:06 pm

    it’s a guage to show how much fuel has gone though the pump

  44. jonno
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 5:58 pm

    Jimmy has a very valid point, but I think it could be some kind of primative telephone

  45. Mark
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 6:04 pm

    I think it’s a water flow control that measures GPM or Thousands of GPM through a valve. The company is or was in the water metering business for years.

  46. Mattie Young
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 6:39 pm

    Speed gauge for a train or boat?

  47. triciapoo
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 6:50 pm

    torque wrench?

  48. Jomaque
    Apr 12th, 2007 at 7:52 pm

    Old gas pump gauge.

  49. Jimbo
    Apr 13th, 2007 at 5:58 am

    Vibrator speed control?

    Ok, I give up, I’m just guessing now. :)

  50. ed ford
    Apr 13th, 2007 at 6:09 pm

    a stamper for leather.


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