# Identify this mechanical device

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mechanical-device/545200>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 1, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mechanical-device/545200 "2010-07-01T15:49:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mechanical-device/545200/1 "2010-07-01T15:49:04Z")

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[![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HYAdyvqIsSA/TCuXhOBg-II/AAAAAAAAAig/qqkth24goRY/s1600/Objects_+N_Hylton_30-06-10_02.jpg) ](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HYAdyvqIsSA/TCuXhOBg-II/AAAAAAAAAig/qqkth24goRY/s1600/Objects_+N_Hylton_30-06-10_02.jpg)

At another forum, someone was asking what this is. It is located in a small town in England, on a property with various fishing/sailing paraphenalia.

What appears to be a sawblade is actually a sort of piston with teeth and there is a flat plate at the bottom of the piston.

The “box” has a door on it.

People seem to think it’s a press of some sort, but I wondered if anyone would know what specific purpose it’s for.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mechanical-device/545200/2 "2010-07-01T16:40:01Z")

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Don’t know. Can’t help but wonder if it’s a folded sail flattener, to make it easier to store the sail in a bag.

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**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mechanical-device/545200/3 "2010-07-01T16:44:18Z")

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That might make sense.

I was actually wondering if was somehow for pressing water out of sails, but your idea is better if such a thing (sail flattener) exists.

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mechanical-device/545200/4 "2010-07-01T17:11:33Z")

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it could to press the water out of a sail before hanging it to dry.

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**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mechanical-device/545200/5 "2010-07-02T19:27:15Z")

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Turns out it is a press for smashing down stacks of folded newspapers for baling.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-mechanical-device/545200/6 "2010-07-02T20:01:09Z")

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You know, if you use newpaper for sails, and wire for bags, that makes my guess exactly right!