One of my dealer friends at a local antique swap meet showed me this "tool?" this week.  My guess is some sort of jewelers tool, but I am probably way off base.  Any ideas?

  Jim

Maybe a hammer type saw set?

Mike

Looks like it could be a saw set for circular saw blades, never seen that one tho....

I'm thinking that there should be an electromagnet attached to the bottom side,  and the it is the ringing mechanism for an alarm bell.

Similar- https://www.google.com/patents/US8953?dq=patent:8953&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hoXpU6C9MMT_yQTS2oG4Bg&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA
Seen in http://members.acmenet.net/~con12a/saw%20set%20website/weirdstuffa.htm

Quote from: BruceS on August 11, 2014, 05:00:16 PM
I'm thinking that there should be an electromagnet attached to the bottom side,  and the it is the ringing mechanism for an alarm bell.

I had a similar thought, only a telegraph thing.

I'd go for a hammer type saw set...

I think the saw set is the right path.  The arm across the top is very stiff, so I think that rules out telegraph.  I am not sure how a circular saw blade would go into the thing, but how about for a blade like a band saw blade??

Jim

 Guessing the adjustable plate on the left side is a support for whatever you are working on. The bottom of the hammer part looks to be maybe vee shaped. If that is true it would lend itself to saw setting.

Found it...Noah Harvey Patent Oct 18, 1881 #248,863 hammer saw set.

Jim

Are you sure on that # I get a scale device with Nov 1881 for that #

see: http://members.acmenet.net/~con12a/saw%20set%20website/hammer2.htm

Noah Harvey Patent Oct 18, 1881 #248,463

The image in the patent application has a lever operated punch, not a hammer action, but the body is pretty much the same..

https://www.google.com/patents/US248463?dq=Noah+Harvey+Patent+Oct+18,+1881&hl=en&sa=X&ei=yXnsU-4Xr6nsBsnAgSg&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAA

I would say that Stanley62 mistakigly hit the 8 intead of the 4 on the 4th diget,
easy mistake.  I have done that many times typing.

Frank

Yep.  My bad on the typo.

Jim