What would this be used for?

[vedubw]

This was in my house when I bought it 26 years ago and I have no idea what it is used for. The long pieces are 5 feet long and the shorter are 4 feet long.  I can't really figure out how it goes together or if all the piece go together or just a couple at a time.  It has inch marks and starts over every 12 inches.  The nails are very sharp.
Any help would be appreciated. 

[john k]

It looks like a curtain stretcher. After washing, curtains were stretched out to dry on racks like these, the nails holding the material in place, so they didn't wrinkle up.  Remember my mother using them.  Perma prest fabrics made them go out of fashion by the 60s. 

[Lewill2]

Isn't a quilt making rack like this too?

[john k]

A quilting rack, and I have made one for a woman that quilts is a wooden framed rack.  However there aren't any nails, as that is right where the hand sewing takes place.  Instead on a quilting rack, think of two six foot or longer rollers, one on each side, with a ratchet means of keeping the cloth wound between the two rollers tight.   The backing material is wound onto the two rollers, then the quilting squares are sewn on, then the roller advanced toward you to sew on the next row of  squares.  Between the rollers, is usually no more than 2-4 foot.  And that curtain stretcher, was for lace curtains, which could not be ironed, as my wife just told me. 

[vedubw]

Thanks for your help.   I been wondering what this was for 26 years!

[john k]

when assembled it should be the size of a dining table.