The "What Is This?" game

[yamahonkawazuki]

almost looked like a tapeworm

[Janx101]

almost looked like a tapeworm

....  ...  ......  .....  ..... Bad mang! ... Real bad!! 

[yamahonkawazuki]

since anything with worm is no good, how bout a nematode?

[pliskin]

What is a "Nightcrawler"?

Yes, I was looking for Nightcrawler. They come out in the rain at night. They are a real bitoch to get off your GS once you run over them and they dry out on your paint or motor.

You are up.

[yamahonkawazuki]

never seen em with that flat spot. even when stretched out
always like this lol

[Kiwingenuity]

Have we got a new one to guess yet? Tmbr_Wulf - find us something random to guess 

[Kiwingenuity]

Well, can't let this thread die - Tmbr_Wulf, if you find something good - please post ahead, for now I would like to offer this little item that came across my desk a few days ago..



EDIT: It was last calibrated in 1951.. So you won't find this on the net most likely..

[Tallemertes]

Is that what a vacuum tube looks like?

[Kiwingenuity]

Not a vacum tube - tube is there merely to prevent dust getting at it. Item would function fine without glass.

Might pop a few other photos here

[Tallemertes]

Was it used in a radio?

[Kiwingenuity]

Not used in a radio, was used in an industrial application.. You could use it for an amplifier I guess if you wanted to.

[Paulcet]

Don't know what it is.  But I just have to say that Kiwi posts the most interesting stuff.  To me, anyway. 

[Kiwingenuity]

All I can say is that this is one of those first generation devices that bridged between mechanical and electrical.

This one is just a bit different in layout to the many devices that peform a similar function you still find everywhere.. hence why I snaffled it for my collection.

[Tallemertes]

Is it a fuse, resistor, or capacitor?
I hope I didn't break any rules with those multiple, broad guesses.

[Kiwingenuity]

Well I guess technically the closest element this thing contains of an active component is a resistor. But thats only a part of how it works.

[Paulcet]

Thermally operated circuit breaker?

[pliskin]

Is it a thermal relay
Time delay relay

[pliskin]

Dang Paulcet you might have beat me to the punch by 7sec.

[Kiwingenuity]

Is it a thermal relay

You got it - Thermal relay. The fine filament inside (held between the tiny ceramic spools) expands as it heats up, releases tension on the end spring, and the main spring forces the contact closed.  The contact is hidden inside the ceramic bead.

This puppy is 70 years old and still works perfectly.

EDIT: There are about 15 other Electrical engineers in my office, and most of them took a few minutes to figure out what this thing was..

[pliskin]

OK, I'm looking for the name that was on the package of this toy car.