this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2025
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What is this thing?

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Let us help you identify that mysterious object you’ve found.

Currently in CHALLENGE mode: If you've got something obscure knocking about, post a picture, and let's see how we do. Please prefix such posts with "CHALLENGE:" so we know we've got a fighting chance.

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Some light hints that may point you in the right direction:

Hint 1The assembly is a part of a larger machine.

Hint 2Several assemblies are meant to move side by side in unison.

Hint 3The square-ish shaped piece is plastic that will wear down and be replaced.

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[–] soar160@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Piano wire hammer/striker...can't remember the technical term.

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 7 points 1 month ago

Hammer is the correct term, but that's not what they are. They come from a machine.

[–] gedaliyah@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Almost looks like the inside of a piano key

Edit: just read the hints and it kinda fits

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 4 points 1 month ago

Not for a piano. It's more industrial.

[–] kn33@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This has 3D printer adjacent vibes but I don't know if I can get closer than that.

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 3 points 1 month ago

Interesting guess, but no.

[–] Majorllama@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Is that angled wear piece running in a track or does it ride on top of something and it's only constrained by the bar it's mounted to on the other end?

I feel like this is a piece of a machine used for manufacturing, but I have not a clue what it would do specifically lol

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Closest guess so far! The track is correct. Not for manufacturing per-say, but definitely a complex machine.

[–] Majorllama@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Not for manufacturing per-say.... Does this wear piece that rides in a track press up on something? Are the tracks at varying depths? Is is a cam or perfectly round?

Is it made of plastic or aluminum?

I hate not knowing what it is lol

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

More of a "put all of this stuff together in one package" sorta machine. The wear piece does push something while riding in the tracks. Technically the tracks do have various depths, but that's not too important to the general function of the assembly.

There is no cam type function in the machine. The assembly is solidly attached to the bar that moves.

The bar is aluminum and the square ish piece on the left is low friction plastic.

[–] Majorllama@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Is this like a part of something off the marble machine x?

https://youtu.be/qjkIMxmSeIc

Is it playing music from a large drum? Haha

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Lol, that's a no. It's for an industrial machine.

[–] Majorllama@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Does this push paper along a track or converor by its edge? For like a newspaper or something?

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Spot on.

AnswerIt's for pushing mail into an envelope. Three or four of them work in unison to push a stack of papers/inserts into an envelope.

[–] Majorllama@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

God damn. That's the hardest one I've seen in a long time. Very nice.

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I figured it would be a tough one.

These are mail insertion machines I worked on for several months as a mechanic. It's a little blurry since that were moving, but here it is in action:

[–] Majorllama@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's cool. Never seen anything like that. I love big industrial machines that exist only to recreate an action a single human can do easily lol

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 1 points 4 weeks ago

Look up a Pitney Flowmaster if you're curious for more.

Collates the inserts into stacks, aligns and opens the envelopes, pushes the insert stack into the envelope, folds and seals the flap, flips the envelope, applies a stamp, prints addresses or data, reads the barcode, ejects any flagged envelopes, and finally stacks them all in a neat row.

[–] nezrock@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Brake caliper bracket, German.

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

I'm afraid not. The only attachment point is the round hole on the right.

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I don't know what the right word is, but some sort of cam follower? The left part slides along the cam, raising and lowering the lever and applying torque to the right attachment point. There could be multiple cams and levers on the same shaft.

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's actually getting pretty close. The main difference is that the roles are reversed: The attachment point controls where the assembly goes.

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

So some sort of latch? The attached mechanism pushes this thing to the left, where it ramps up over something, then falls down to hook into place? I can't imagine what would need several of these working side by side in unison though.

Hmmm, no, the ramp is on the wrong side. Does it push something?

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

Pushing is correct :)

[–] vivavideri@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Oh MF i swear i saw something like this in my subaru service manual to keep the timing sprocket in place while you have the belt off.

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

Lol. It's not car related. This is for a larger stationary machine.

[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Lifter assembly?
The right side clamps onto a bar and the left side rides on a cam and lifts the bar when the line passes under?

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

Other comment guessed the same thing. The bar controls where the assembly goes instead.

[–] kevin_alt2@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Is it a machine for folding envelopes or cardboard boxes?

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 3 points 1 month ago

Related to envelopes, but not for folding.

[–] sorter_plainview 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Since it is a challenge I'm not posting the name directly.

Found out using reverse image search

[–] vivavideri@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

-angry flaily puppycat.gif (voyager doesn't allow gif insertion rn apparently)

^^^^me after clicking the link

[–] sorter_plainview 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don't know the GIF. I guess you are angry with the name. Is that the case? If yes may I know why?

[–] vivavideri@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

It's moreso representing the exclamation about being bested by the thing, lol.

[–] SpoopyKing@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Looks like a gear ratchet. Slope on the left piece allows a gear to rotate in one direction. Clamp on a bar on the right allows the assembly to be lifted to allow the gear to rotate in the other direction as well. Like a sort of gear brake?

[–] Bubs@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

Not quite. The assembly moves around for other reasons.