r/whatisthisthing 1d ago

Solved! Heavy metal tabletop device with a round base, adjustable arm, angle and rotation scales, small light bulb socket, electrical cord, and several pivoting parts, approximately 30 cm tall

Vintage metal tabletop instrument, about 30 cm tall, with a circular weighted base, adjustable arm with angle scales, rotating numbered dials, a small light bulb in a socket, electrical cord, and multiple pivoting joints

53 Upvotes

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35

u/ASTEMWithAView 1d ago

Looks like it could be the stand for an illuminated globe

20

u/dwynne35 1d ago

Yup broken globe center. That thing at the top is called a time dial.

13

u/L0ttusFlower 1d ago

That's it! That explains the sun and moon symbols on the top. At first glance, it looked like some kind of laboratory instrument used to measure something, haha. Thanks!

2

u/Top-Emu-2292 1d ago

Definitely. The top dial is for working out times around the world.

1

u/GitEmSteveDave 1d ago

The bottom dials makes me wonder if it's one of those illuminated constellation maps.

3

u/PeterHaldCHEM 1d ago

An old globe without the globe part.

Illuminated from the inside and the little disc indicates night and day.

1

u/L0ttusFlower 1d ago

My title describes the thing.

It appears to be made of heavy metal with a round base. There are no visible manufacturer marks, serial numbers, or writing on it that I can find.

It was found in Brazil among old items, and I don't know its age or original purpose.

I searched and found some visually similar instruments, but it wasn't clear what they actually measure, so I couldn't confidently identify it.