Guess what this is

[e-richard]

Does anyone know what this is ?
Its not specific to Austin, but you would know if you had bought your A7 brand new when it was built.


  wotisit.jpg (Size: 28 KB / Downloads: 522)

No prize for guessing correctly other than the honour.

[Martin Prior]

I have one of these, although mine was bought new in the States in the 'seventies. I've never needed to use it!

[Derek Sheldon]

Haven’t got a clue

[Martin Prior]

Clue:  The pale grey bit is a hollow tube.

[JonE]

is it for fuel somehow?

[squeak]

I too think this is a later iteration. The example shown was in use in the sixties on small round sealed cans of oil, as refillable bottles were being phased out.
I have one from the  teens and twenties, it is a brass and steel stirrup that lodges under the corner of the 4 gallon square tin can. There is a handle which presses the spout into the top corner. These tin cans came as a pair in a wooden box for delivery into parts of the country where there was no pumped fuel supply.

[SneezerUSA]

When I worked in a gas or service station as a teenager these were used to pierce 1 quart cans of oil. The spout was then used to pore the oil into the crankcase. Oil cans at the time were constructed of thin sheet tin.

[Tony Press]

I too think this is a later iteration. The example shown was in use in the sixties on small round sealed cans of oil, as refillable bottles were being phased out.
I have one from the  teens and twenties, it is a brass and steel stirrup that lodges under the corner of the 4 gallon square tin can. There is a handle which presses the spout into the top corner. These tin cans came as a pair in a wooden box for delivery into parts of the country where there was no pumped fuel supply.

I think Russell is right - that is a sixties oil pourer for oil tins before plastic took over. Not sure they were around in the twenties or thirties in that form. 
Mind you I haven't seen the square tin pourer .

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Looks like something worn in a Shakespearean play!!

[Bill Sheehan]

Looks like something worn in a Shakespearean play!!

And here was I too thinking it was a cod-piece from an old suit of armour.   Cheers, Bill in Oz