What's this?

[Alan Rutherford]

The son of a friend of mine found this and had to have it, but we have no idea what it is. The nut is clearly intended to grip something againt the U-shaped piece. I suppose whatever is being gripped could be hung by the eye-bolt from something else. What do you think?
501219

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Cool old Iron! Some sort of strap puller? Someone will do an image search. Can you offer any hints?

[Alan Rutherford]

Tried Google and didn't learn anything. I have no hints.

[Bill Dufour]

I see the loop is not one piece forged or welded. That tells me not for high loads.
Bill D

[mike calabrese]

you might try this app. I could not get my phone to scan but maybe yours will

https://lens.google/#cta-section
calabrese55

[Michael Weber]

Nothing shows on google lens that’s similar. The date looks like Jan 20, 1844. I know nothing about searching for patents but the date might narrow it down.

[Michael Weber]

Of the 7 patents issued in the US on that date this looks like it might be it. https://www.lens.org/lens/patent/144-417-872-197-812/frontpage?l=en Patent 3410A

[Michael Weber]

And then this as well https://patents.google.com/?q=(3410A+crimping+leather+Jan+20%2c)&oq=3410A+crimping+leather+Jan+20%2c+ second item down. Josiah Copland.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Michael, that is a very clever search tool! I am glad to learn about searching by patent number.

[Alan Rutherford]

That must be it - it's a Boot Crimp, for forming:the heel of a leather boot.

"I construction should for practical purposes be the frustum of a rectangular pyramid instead of having all its sides equal, or being, in other words, the frust'um of a'square, pyra-' 1nid--that is to say,.t hebase of the pyramidal frustum should have two of its. sides a very little longer than the other two, so as n B passes directly through acylindrical hole, bored through the...to make the block a little thicker from side to side in one direction than it is between its other opposite sides. This will enable the in- 'strunient to be readily adapted to leather of different thick"

The obtuse prose I copied was apparently produced by something automatically reading the document but the downloadable PDF is much more clear. An interesting object to solve a problem I had never considered, and we learned about searching patents. Thank you, Michael.

[Bill Dufour]

If it was round instead of square it would be useful for forming pump leather seals.
Bill D