Anyone recognise this little pulley block?

[Doris]

Found this in an old Tobacco tin full of BA and M4 screws. It's got a wood screw on one end. The pulley block itself measures 10mm across.

 

[Bingy man]

A complete semi educated guess - early sash window pulley ??

 

[Amplidyne]

Again a guess, pulley for one of those slatted clothes airers.
But brass or even bronze.
Could be something off a boat
Just ideas though.

 

[Phill05]

I have seen similar used out of sight in large old houses to carry a servants bell wire, in the main rooms they were more elaborate wheels some with spokes some solid wheels.

 

[Amplidyne]

I have seen similar used out of sight in large old houses to carry a servants bell wire, in the main rooms they were more elaborate wheels some with spokes some solid wheels.

I thought I'd seen similar somewhere. I rewired a big old house 40 years ago that had the remains of a servants bell system. Possibly some there. There were certainly the relay arms still in place.

 

[Cabinetman]

So there you go Doris, just need a servant to summon now!

 

[Doris]

I have seen similar used out of sight in large old houses to carry a servants bell wire, in the main rooms they were more elaborate wheels some with spokes some solid wheels.

I thought I'd seen similar somewhere. I rewired a big old house 40 years ago that had the remains of a servants bell system. Possibly some there. There were certainly the relay arms still in place.

I can't imagine how an old little pulley block like this would take all that tension from wires that the master of the house yanking the bell from the drawing room.

I can only conclude there must have been hundreds of these.

But brass or even bronze.

I just gave the surface a light sand and it is indeed brass.

I'm wondering now how I'd be able to clean all that tarnish off

So there you go Doris, just need a servant to summon now!

I only have 2 of these though!

 

[Amplidyne]

I thought I'd seen similar somewhere. I rewired a big old house 40 years ago that had the remains of a servants bell system. Possibly some there. There were certainly the relay arms still in place.

Speaking of that place, I've been in some weird and spooky places, often all on my own, but that place takes the biscuit. The front of the house was a large cottage style house that was the original farmhouse, but it has a much grander rear extension with a very large and tall room for entertaining, in Regency style, with extra bedrooms and servants quarters above. The access to the original roof space at the front was a hatch in the floor of the upstairs.
It was really spooky. I had a lead light and one of those rubber torches that gave a dim glow! I'll bey every time I knocked the lead light it did for the bulb and left me in the pitch dark on the rafters. I'd had enough by the end of that job. I don't know what it was, but some places just have a feeling to them. The main house felt fine.

 

[Fergie 307]

I can't imagine how an old little pulley block like this would take all that tension from wires that the master of the house yanking the bell from the drawing room.

I can only conclude there must have been hundreds of these.


I just gave the surface a light sand and it is indeed brass.

I'm wondering now how I'd be able to clean all that tarnish off



I only have 2 of these though!

Regular bottle of White vinegar, with a dessert spoonful of salt. Heat up to dissolve the salt. That will bring it up well if it's brass.

 

[Phill05]

I can't imagine how an old little pulley block like this would take all that tension from wires that the master of the house yanking the bell from the drawing room.

I can only conclude there must have been hundreds of these.

There where many of them hidden away under floors hanging from rafters just to guide the wire not much tension from room to room, in the main rooms were the Master sat he would pull on the rope or tassel and and say to himself "come hither Doris I need a stiff whiskey with my lunch" somewhere far away a bell would chime out and the servant would scurry away to do his bidding.

I used to have quite a few different hangers and a box with 6 small bells all hanging on like clock springs, I still have an old bell that came out of the kitchen in one big house.