Here is a tool that has hung on my tool wall since 1985,  It was given to me by a old friend of mine that had just closed out his Chevrolet dealership.  I have used it several time to weigh things, but that is not what it was really intended for?????????????
Mel

Are you sure it's not really a fishing scale that was rigged for something else?

nice and clean could it be used to hold the steering wheel when aligning the front end of a car
  bob w.

Dang Bob I think you got it!!  My friend that gave it to me said it was for holding a certain amount  of pressure on the steering wheel while alignment was being done.  Never did understand that. 
Mel

It is used in combination with a 12 inch wrench when you don't have a torque wrench handy.

Quote from: amertrac on September 17, 2012, 03:31:39 PM
nice and clean could it be used to hold the steering wheel when aligning the front end of a car
  bob w.

close......it was used to check steering effort

With or without power steering?

Quote from: krusty the clown on September 18, 2012, 07:13:06 AM
close......it was used to check steering effort

Hey Mark! When did you get here?

A belated "Welcome"!

QuoteHey Mark! When did you get here?

Date Registered:
    July 11, 2012

Quote from: oldtools on September 18, 2012, 07:41:00 AM
With or without power steering?

either IIRC.

yeah i re registered, must have missed the housecleaning as i was registered here before.

Used to set up torque setting of steering wheel when adjusting the valve for the power steering???

Quote from: Billman49 on September 20, 2012, 04:01:10 AM
Used to set up torque setting of steering wheel when adjusting the valve for the power steering???

mesh load of the gear on a recirculating ball gear box.

Chatillon is or was a major maker of force measuring tools for scientific testing. That looks like an old one.

It could be pretty old, the friend/Chevy dealer that gave it to me back in 1985 had been a dealer since 1947. So it was somewhere in between.  When he decided to retire, Chevrolet wouldn't  let him sell the dealership, they wanted it closed.  He had a great big room full of specialized tools.  He let me have a few and the rest went to the scrap dealer.  Very sad deal.
Mel   

What a waste!! at least recycle the tools..