Does anyone know what this is?

[Patze2294]

Hi, so I found a couple of these at a job site that was once a plating line.  It was found inside a lab and I just wanted to know if anyone knew what the name of it was.  Thanks!

[studiot]

Though the angled handle would suggest a tap, I ccan't see any through hole from you picture so I would suggest ground glass stoppers.

Perhaps the plating line had large banks of accumulators and the stoppers were for battery acid.

[Patze2294]

Yeah, there are no holes from what I can see either.

[Strange]

It’s hard to tell, but it looks to me like the hole up the middle does a right angle to the right about halfway up the ground section. But if you say there is no hole, then I am stumped (Stump the Chump)

[StringJunky]

1 hour ago, Strange said:

It’s hard to tell, but it looks to me like the hole up the middle does a right angle to the right about halfway up the ground section. But if you say there is no hole, then I am stumped (Stump the Chump)

Maybe it's filled up for some reason

[studiot]

1 hour ago, Strange said:

It’s hard to tell, but it looks to me like the hole up the middle does a right angle to the right about halfway up the ground section. But if you say there is no hole, then I am stumped (Stump the Chump)

Yes I can see the shadow now. +1

A ground glass stopper is gas tight so If this was an accumulator stopper perhaps it was a gas tap you turned to engage with a mating vent passage to vent the cells.
Ground glass is also battery acid proof, unlike metal taps.

[Patze2294]

3 hours ago, Strange said:

It’s hard to tell, but it looks to me like the hole up the middle does a right angle to the right about halfway up the ground section. But if you say there is no hole, then I am stumped (Stump the Chump)

Never mind, you’re right, there is a hole that goes into a right angle and out the narrow part of it. 

[Strange]

1 minute ago, Patze2294 said:

Never mind, you’re right, there is a hole that goes into a right angle and out the narrow part of it. 

So, presumably that would have lined up with a hole in the container that this stopper went into so it could act as a tab. Quite likely for gas, as studiot suggests. Beyond that, I have no idea what gas (or liquid) it would be for. It looks like quite a narrow hole, so it would be a limited flow. Although, as it was a plating line, it could have been for delivering controlled amounts of acids or other chemicals.

Just did an image search for "ground glass tap" and didn't see anything quite like this.

[Patze2294]

1 minute ago, Strange said:

So, presumably that would have lined up with a hole in the container that this stopper went into so it could act as a tab. Quite likely for gas, as studiot suggests. Beyond that, I have no idea what gas (or liquid) it would be for. It looks like quite a narrow hole, so it would be a limited flow. Although, as it was a plating line, it could have been for delivering controlled amounts of acids or other chemicals.

Just did an image search for "ground glass tap" and didn't see anything quite like this.

Yeah, I also image searched it and I can’t find anything that looks even remotely close to this, all I could read on the packaging was that one was 25mL and the other was 50mL

[Strange]

1 minute ago, Patze2294 said:

Yeah, I also image searched it and I can’t find anything that looks even remotely close to this, all I could read on the packaging was that one was 25mL and the other was 50mL

That's interesting. It made me wonder if it could be some sort of measuring device - you turn the tap to one position to fill the tube with liquid, then turn it to another to release exactly that volume. But it doesn't look big enough to hold 25ml.

[Patze2294]

4 minutes ago, Strange said:

That's interesting. It made me wonder if it could be some sort of measuring device - you turn the tap to one position to fill the tube with liquid, then turn it to another to release exactly that volume. But it doesn't look big enough to hold 25ml.

And this is why I’m here, because I’m completely lost on what it could be. 

[studiot]

Perhaps something like this

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/742147061/rare-german-drip-by-drop-apothecary?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=acid+bottles&ref=sr_gallery-1-5&frs=1

Edited January 23, 2020 by studiot

[Strange]

7 minutes ago, studiot said:

Perhaps something like this

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/742147061/rare-german-drip-by-drop-apothecary?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=acid+bottles&ref=sr_gallery-1-5&frs=1

I think that is kind of on the right track.

At first I though the long narrowing tube went inside a bottle or container. But now I think it is more likely that that is where the liquid/gas comes out and the ground glass bit goes through a tube. A bit like this: https://www.exportersindia.com/arth-enterprises/glass-stopcock-ambala-india-1948044.htm

Instead of controlling the flow along the tube, it lets it drip out of the bottom of this tap. Like this, but in glass (and for more controlled/precise delivery): https://www.morebeer.com/products/plastic-carboy-6-gal-spigot.html

You could try emailing a company like this: http://www.safetyemporium.com/laboratory/glassware/adapters/ to see if they have ever come across it.