A Different Kind Of Robot Nine Picture Puzzle - Solution!

1

Several people came close guessing this was some type of device to make noise, and it is. Ah, but the puzzling clamp? This noisemaker was actually designed to clamp to a teacher's desk to bring the unruly children to attention.

2 Many guessed that this strange device was used in the kitchen but nobody really got it totally correct. Believe it or not times were so tight in the years following the Great Depression that housewives would clamp already thin slices of bread in this frame and cleanly cut them into two thinner pieces. Now that's a sure-fire diet plan!

3

Yes it winds up and yes the bizarre little wings move, but nobody accurately said why. Set this on the dining or picnic table, wind it up, and for fifteen minutes the arms would twirl and scare away the flies while you finished setting the table. Now you see. Feeling a lack of historical trivia knowledge? Don't worry, we went through the entire 100 in the book and guessed precious few.

4

Zobot, Douglas, and maybe a few others guessed something to do with a lock, and I gave at least a half-point as I dished points out rather leniently. But this 1900 era French lock is more interesting than just that. It is a combination lock that is designed so if someone pushes the pegs in incorrectly a loud bell rings alerting the owner of the lock. I like that.

5

One person guessed eclipse viewer and that was close. This actually is a viewer from World War I, bit it is designed to look at explosions! The author of the book points out that you would have to rise out of the foxhole to do this though. By the way, the answer of a Shaker designed spanking paddle for those leaning that way was, er, wrong.

6

Yes Beth, a fire extinguisher bomb designed to be tossed into the fire. Read the comments and Beth seems to be a collector of old fire extinguishers with her incredibly detailed answer.

7

Yes it is a camera, but it is designed to look like a pocket watch. Again Beth gave all but the serial number. Did I see her on The Antiques Roadshow?

8

Douglas guessed a hat dryer and got half a point. It hold a top hat, but not to dry, but rather while the owner get all wet drowning his worries at the tavern.

9

Binoculars you say. Nope. This is a 1920' era whiskey flask made to resemble binoculars so race goers could have a drink without raining the eyebrows of the more conservative teetotalers in the crowd. This one really puzzled everybody. Including yours truly!

The answers among the contestants were close and this week I have declared two winners. Beth and Zobot both win a FREE book from the Robot Nine Reading Room! Beth gave detailed answers and Zobot got an equal number right. Zobot's answers did not have quite the detail but her being a younger player I am impressed. Also, they both have good blogs so give them a visit.

The images are form the excellent book 'Ingenious Gadgets' by Maurice Collins. Check him out on Amazon with the link, he has several similar books, all excellent. My copy is now in the Reading Room available to any contest winners.

(I just found out how much the PO has raised international shipping prices. Whew! I hate to do it but I can only ship free books to the US. To ship a book to Canada is $11.00. In one of those stupid quirks of modern lift, to go much further to Alaska it would only cost about $3.00. My apologies, but from now on international winners receive a link on the page and unending respect of the other players!)

I usually try to have two posts today. I apologize as I was doing something more fun. Ordering a new computer! Who would have guessed that I was plodding along with literally 10% of the RAM and hard drive memory as the rest of you. It was getting hard to do the blogs with my calculator. Hopefully this will enable me to start the other 37 blogs I have in mind!

Good luck!