I picked this up from the Physics department at my University. Okay, I picked it up from someone else who picked it up from the physics department, ergo I was unable to ask them what it was.
Here is a page containing pictures of said device (pictures are large).
http://www.boxofstupid.150m.com/unit.html
If anyone can provide any details as to what this might be please let me know!
Oh, I’m sure the bandwidth limit for that site will quickly be exceeded, so if the site won’t load, please try again later.
A three-phase generator?
From what I can tell, it looks like a device for making magnets.
It looks like it has a small motor (sweing machine?) which drives a large gear, which then turns a worm gear, that turns a generator. But it looks like the generator will turn pretty darn slowly. And the three ammeters have scales of 1 A, 5 A, and 10 A, so it doesn’t sound like a regular three-phase kind of thing. My guess is that it’s a zero-point energy extractor.
My initial thoughts were that it was some sort of generator, but why the Speed dial the Oersteds selector? (Oersteds being a measure of magnetic flux)
Well, assuming it’s a generator, they might want some way to control the frequency from, say 25 Hz (many railroads) to 400 Hz (aircraft), hence the speed control.
(nitpick: the Oersted is the unit of magnetizing force, not flux, equal to 125.7 ampere-turns per meter. The Gauss is the unit of flux density.)
So here’s the real question: Should I attempt to repair it, or should I salvage it for parts? 
Damn that button! I meant to hit preview and add to that post.
It could also be for measuring magnets. There appear to be several cords coming out the back, one is clearly a power cord, and goes to the motor that drives the large gear. One other seems to attach to TB1, and may or may not be another power cord. It may be an output from the motor-generator that appears to be driven by the large gear. I’m less sure about the other cord.
This instruction (PDF) may have some relevance.
In under an hour !
Looks like a gunkulator
or
a part for a death ray machine
one of those 1920’s ones, d’you think? Those are cool. Pretty rare…
AAAAAAAGH!
hits head on desk
WACK-WACK-WACK-WACK
It may be a calibration bench. Don’t take it apart its full of asbestos & PCBs
I think what you have there is an Interocitor. Be very careful, they have a nasty habit of exploding. More info here.
Are you boys cooking up there?
I think it might be a frequency generator. It would be used to test radio equipment. It generates a tone on a particular radio frequency, so you tune your radio to that frequency and see if you can hear the tone.
Obviously it’s a debigulator.
What a perfectly cromulent device.
Thanks for that trip into POP-UP HELL!
Free Energy Generator!
Maybe?