Mystery Item

[lptools]

Hello, All. This is another piece that I dragged home, not sure of function, or maker. There are raised numbers on the casting that look like 1788878 or 178887 B or something close to that, lots of rust & scale. Not sure if used in the horizontal  or vertical position. I searched around, nothing came up with those numbers for a patent, I am still looking. Thanks, Lou

  Overall dimensions; base is approx. 6" x 6-1/2" , from the back of the base to the top (looking at the second photo) it is approx. 10-1/4" tall. The black piece on the left in first & third photo is just there to hold it up.

[Lostmind]

I'll make a wag , it's a release for a hay bale lift

[lptools]

Hello, I received the following from shavehook ;

"It is a Railroad Switch Lock, one would be on each side of the switch handle
When the switch handle was lifted out of one of the slots and rotated to the other side ,your piece latched,
 then a padlock was put through the hole to prevent lifting,
preventing operating by unauthorized people."

I found a similar item on ebay, here is the link; http://www.ebay.com/itm/201413787105

Thanks to all, Lou

[turnnut]

now look for an old RR lock for it,  cleaned up and mounted would make a neat lamp base.

if you had the other one, they could be book ends.

yes, there is still old stuff out there. good thing they do not still have war scrap drives.