What the heck is this farm tool?

[NM_Shooter]

My brother found this in an old barn.  It is rusted shut.  It appears to have two actuators on either side that can either press together or spring apart, and seems to have some sort of pulleys integrated into the assy. 

Anybody know what this is and what it does?  Bonus points for how it normally would operate.

[StinkerBell]

Looks like some type of pulley mechanism. Looks like a foot is used. Something to do with wool?

I need to ponder.

I want it noted, I was raised in the concrete jungle and only came to terms that beef did not magically appear in the grocery store in my early 20's.

[NM_Shooter]

There is a duplicate "foot" (?) lever like that on the other side.

[considerations]

Ow.  I shudder to think...

[StinkerBell]

Looks like some type of pulley foot pedal tool. For What, I do not know.

[Redoverfarm]

At first glance it appears to be some type of foot operated break for a rope line.  Maybe used when pulling hay into a loft of a barn where the operator could stop and hold the hay(loose) while the looft tenders would pull it from the loft window into the hay mound. 

[pagan]

What's the patent number?

[peternap]

John hit it pretty well. It's a block and tackle with a foot operated brake. The top end has two types of attachment. It can be attached bt the single point ot two separate ropes (either on another double block or just stubbed off)

The bottom two would lead to a single spool pulley.

My guess is just like John's. It allows hands free handling of the load.

[cordwood]

  I think it's a "Man Elevator" for hoisting yourself out of a hand dug well. After you dig a hole three feet around and 20' deep you will be plenty strong enough to use it too!

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

At first glance it appears to be some type of foot operated break for a rope line.  Maybe used when pulling hay into a loft of a barn where the operator could stop and hold the hay(loose) while the looft tenders would pull it from the loft window into the hay mound. 

That would've been my guess too.

[NM_Shooter]

We're not sure what the patent number is, as the numbers are distributed in the casting along with the model number 

I'll see if he can take a better look at it and get a patent number.

Weird, huh?

-f-

[Redoverfarm]

Frank if you can't find a home for it let me know. 

[MountainDon]

soak it in a can of good penetrating oil.   

[BobHHowell]

Its a thingamabob or a whatchamacallit.  I could never tell the two apart.  My dad always got mad because I couldn't find it.

[NM_Shooter]

Bob, that is no help. We had it identified that far; now we're trying to figure out if it is right or left handed.

[Redoverfarm]

Neither.  It is amdexterous .

[rick91351]

I thought we had decided that this was operated by the foot.  Therefore is it left or right footed?

[MountainDon]

Google (or somebody) needs to come up with an image search. Submit an image and it searches for similar items/shapes.

[Don_P]

So were the cast iron water skis that go with this there as well?

I don't have a clue but if there's anyone that might, I'd send a pic to these folks, we call it the Prarie Smithsonian;
http://www.pioneervillage.org/