a real big oldball dingee

[Brad in Wisconsin]

I'm thinking some kind of gas jet ? the upper cup is adjustable and the red handle adj. the flame??? the long pipe has a rod sticking inside it????? total length 7.6 inches long and cups are 1 and 1/4 dia.

[Chillylulu]

Can we some more pictures - perhaps inside the cups?

Chilly

[Brad in Wisconsin]

try this?

[oldgoaly]

are the cups rubber?  does it have a spot for 2 brass things with springs?

[oldtools]

I think you are on the right track, looks like small jet orifice,
maybe the cups are to catch leaking gas, light it to preheat the jet head, like the gas torches. Bunsen burner? shoots flames up..

[oldgoaly]

if the level rises it would lift the cups, so maybe inside a toilet tank or other liquid filled tank, animal water trough or cooling tower. Something Rube Goldberg may have sold?

[Brad in Wisconsin]

the cups are brass and both are threaded to the rod they are on. the red handled lever seems to adjust something inside the tube I believe it is some form of gas lamp.does anyone have a diagram of an gas street lamp?