[Closed] Mystery object id please. Electrical/mechanical?

Does it say "on" and "off" on the side we can't see?

The original machine had a base plate of prefabulated aluminite, surmounted by a malleable logarithmic casing in such a way that the two main spurving bearings were in a direct line with the pentametric fan. The latter consisted simply of six hydrocoptic marzlevanes, so fitted to the ambifacient lunar waneshaft that side fumbling was effectively prevented. The main winding was of the normal lotus-o-delta type placed in panendermic semi-bovoid slots in the stator, every seventh conductor being connected by a nonreversible tremie pipe to the differential girdlespring on the “up” end of the grammeters.

(© vinnyeh of this parish. Deep joy.)

Flux Capacitor

It's either a BOAT or a POACH

That'll be a electro-mechanical electric engine switching actuator, likely from Pat Mustards milk float.

Or from a tram or electric train.

Flux capacitor was my first guess! I have a new photo!

I was going to guess variable speed controller for an electric motor but Wade got there first. Looks a bit like a high current reversing switch but more complicated, hence my guess.

Well i am going to guess its some kind if starter...

Pipes with red and blue tape coming out of it - hot and cold water for keeping it cool?

Red blue and yellow is likely to be 3 phase connections, so AC something or other rather than a DC motor speed control.

Starter solenoid for a big ass engine?

Dr Who is missing a few bits from her Tardis.

Could it be a miniature tap changer? Nor sure why a consumer would need one other than if the grid wasn't outputting correctly.

Actually, no, I still reckon speed controller is more likely, it could have come off something that belts and gears wouldn't make sense on. A pump maybe?

Butter churn innit.

Immersion heater element.

Actually, no, I still reckon speed controller is

Its cast into the casing thats its a starter.

Could it be a miniature tap changer?

Pipes with red and blue tape coming out of it – hot and cold water for keeping it cool?

But what about the yellow one? Luke warm water?

Given the big crank handle, and the word STARTER cast into the housing, I'm going with a manual crank starter motor/capacitor for something very big. Like the national grid. Or the economy.

Oh and that handle has obviously seen a lot of hands over the years, look how smooth and shiny it is. So it's something that needs starting regularly.

Yep, definitely the economy.

No ID plates with manufacturers name or part numbers? Probably on the missing cover over the phase connections I suppose.

Turbo encabulator.

Maybe a manual electrical exciter then?

Yep, definitely the economy.

Best put it somewhere safe, we'll be needing that in a couple of months

Given the big crank handle, and the word STARTER cast into the housing, I’m going with a manual crank starter motor/capacitor for something very big. Like the national grid. Or the economy.

Possibly something like a big starter capacitor? Can't think what the handle would be, maybe it adjust the timing of the phases to get the motor to turn over or it controls the speed by adjusting the capacitance? The gearing would make it way too small to actually crank over a motor big enough to warrant components that needed submerging in an oil bath (I presume that's what it is).

Possibly something like a big starter capacitor? Can’t think what the handle would be, maybe it adjust the timing of the phases to get the motor to turn over or it controls the speed by adjusting the capacitance? The gearing would make it way too small to actually crank over a motor big enough to warrant components that needed submerging in an oil bath (I presume that’s what it is).

The crank looks like it's connected to the 3 'rollers' at the bottom which move them over the 7 different contacts, with the current position being off as its not connected to a coil. So yeah, moving the crank would swap the contacts to different coils and provide different amounts of current.

So, a speed controller for a big electric motor?

5th reply had it I reckon.

Its cast into the casing thats its a starter.

Couldn't see that on my phone screen. I don't think too much should be read into that, it's very obviously some sort of controller using resistance, the question is more what it was controlling. Again, a starter would be a set speed so can't see how it's relevant (and motor starters would only switch between two modes of operation, star and delta which are wiring configurations). It's bloomin big though.

Unless its inly a part of the starter and in actual fact it even bigger!

Its clearly a 5G interupter built to be electronically secure so the lizard overlords cant sabotage it using the modified 4G deathray from the nearest "wind farm".

Makes you think

Isn't it the winding mechanism for the credits at the end of Trupmton/Chigley/Camberwick Green?

I'm tempted by the starter thing but I'm wondering if it's for controlling the temperature of something.  The 'coils' don't really have enough turns for induction I would have thought.  It does look like switch as well though

Could there have been a fan to blow the air as the wires are bare so couldn't be fluid (unless that fluid is insulating e.g. oil)

Edit: I think it is some sort of bad ass heating element.  Three phase supply via the big 'wires' coming out the top, the handle on the top rotates the bit inside to select different elements for different powers.  The cores are connected together in series in pairs with taps off at several points which suggests variable resistance.  Could also be a brake on a big generator but that wouldn't match with 'starter' on the front

all good fun

Makes you think

I'm more resistant to thinking than you assume.

I stripped something like that out of an old electroplating works in Fareham a few years back, seem to remember it had different settings for various plating types & thicknesses.
It was 3 phase but low voltage high current & was in a casing on top of the electrodes that were immersed in the tank.

I'm going with tap changer - the pipes could be for oil and not water.

I think they're busbars not pipes, and it's a starter for a big electric motor, where it has a bank of resistors that are switch in and out as it takes up the load. I'm a structural engineer not electrical so I don't know the details but it's to do with the way the motor works when it's starting to rotate under load, such as an overhead workshop crane. I remember we were concerned about the load v time function because it if the load was snagged, or way too heavy, we wanted to make sure the crane didn't pull the building down before anyone realised, and the electrical engineers explained it had the bank of resistors.

Its the main drive unit from The Symbian.

Can you connect to it by Bluetooth? And when you do does it start buzzing? Did you buy it from Wish?

I think @greybeard might be right. That would make good sense with what's there and what's written on it. I thought it might be for braking but it could also be used to start up a big three phase motor a bit more slowly. More resistance=more slip so that would start it slower

A wind-up flux capacitor.

Brings back memories.

I haven't seen one of those since 2115.

Have you attached a battery yet?

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I think it's an auto transformer type motor starter...

It controls Iggle Piggle's dance/story carousel.

I thought it might be a welding pot the type used in shipyards years ago some had handles to change amperage but I am sure some older ones had winder mechanisms.

But does it blend?