Whatsit

[lebaron]

Any ideas what this is. Marked Shannon Hilada (Philadelphia). Spike is 15" long. Tool is 3-1/2" wide with a 1/4" lip on bottom.

[Northwoods]

Looks like it grabs and by leverage pulls fabric or leather?
Are the two pieces linked by leather?  Looks like that would be too weak for the heavy work the rest of the device is meant to do.  I would expect light chain, instead.
Someone will know, and it will be cool.

[lebaron]

Yeah, its worn out leather. The tool is not spring loaded.

[wvtools]

I am going to go with carpet stretcher, even though those usually have teeth.  It could be a leather stretcher too, although the spiked handle looks more like a carpet stretcher.  There was a hardware dealer named Shannon in Philadelphia in the 1870s according to the EAIA book.