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Guess What? May 2006

Guess What Article for May 2006
By Bob Cahn, “The Primitive Man”
Form and function, function and form – they go hand in hand… and this month’s GUESS WHAT is loaded with both. A cylinder cage is formed by a circle of vertical steel rods loosely anchored top and bottom in square end platforms – acting as semi-rigid restrictors. There is no rigidity, but rather a loose discipline – allowing the rods to twist in place by grabbing the top and bottom bases (as shown in the second photo.)
What we have is an action and reaction. It’s patented in 1928 by the Miller Co., Fort Worth, Texas. (Stands 7-1/2 inches tall by 3 inches square, top and bottom.)
We’ve come up with our usual deceptive possibilities – with the correct answer among them. Which one?
Is it:

  1. Self snuffing safety cage candle holder
  2. Desk top pen and pencil holder
  3. Flour sifter/ de-lumper
  4. Fisherman’s floating cork and bobbin storage holder
  5. Soda fountain straw container
  6. Barber’s straight razor stand
  7. One size fits all nut cracker
  8. Artist’s paint brush organizer
  9. Numismatist’s silver dollar stacker
  10. Hot apple cider cinnamon stick holder.

Pick the right answer – and shorten the suspense time till next month’s answer. Till then!*
*Thanks to Mike Goodman, the King of Stuff, for his ever-eagle eye. Townsend, VT.

Answer to April’s Guess What?

Number 4 was the correct explanation…but actually, the right answer was number 11 which we never listed – April Fool!
This deliciously deceptive design was conceived as part of a monthly fantasy feature of Science and Inventions magazine. This was a highlight of the July 1928 issue complete with do-it-yourself instructions for the reader to build and duplicate to perpetrate pranks on the unsuspecting– like me and you!
This spoon was designed for crushed ice to be placed in the funnel with the melting droplets cooling off too hot soup. The music box was planned to cover up the impolite “slurping” sound that etiquette disapproved of. Did we “gotcha?” Till next time!
*Thanks Nancy for the tongue-in-cheeker!

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