I Would like to know what this tool is

[Roy]

This tool was found in an old canal store in Northern New Jersey. It is 28" tall,has a 12" diameter wheel and has a small box attached to the top that contains small nails. The base is embossed with, Frank W. Cann New york. I would like to know what this tool was used for ,its age and if it has any value. Any information would be much appreciated.

[KC]

Frank W Cann of Brooklyn, NY  also noted of Newark NJ  holds the patent for a Anode-Hook....year, 1903, Patent Number 745,479 which is electroplating items.

He was a piano tuner and repairman doing business under the name of Practical Piano Maker at 112 Brunswick Street, Newark, NY; as related in an article he wrote on "Tuning Contracts" in the Standard Player Monthly  See article as published in Vol 2 No7 of Standard Player Monthly July 1917  http://books.google.com/books?id=NfosAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA3-PT142&lpg=RA3-PT142&dq=Frank+W+Cann,+newark+NJ&source=bl&ots=sux3-TlG5g&sig=BDYTLRkcYg0EMv-jAKNhjXE2nWg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qA0BT_aMIY6rsALjj-XOAQ&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Frank%20W%20Cann%2C%20newark%20NJ&f=false
 He was also a member of the American Electrochemical Society.

Makes me wonder if he plated piano strings?!!!!   Would this machine have something to do with piano strings?

[cogar]

Roy, can you post a picture of 3 or 4 of those nails.

[KC]

If you have ever looked at the insides of a piano, there are "tuning pins" or a "hitch" that the strings are attached to......

Would like to see the pics!

[fancypants]

First impresion is that it's some sort of auto-dispensing nail/brad machine (tipping 'box' appears to be integral to the flywheel) .

Cool old bench-mounted machine that looks like it could use a good cleaning/lube job .

As others posted , would love to see a close-up of the 'business end' of the machine (head of the mechanism @ the base table) & the nails mentioned .

[cogar]

That's what I was thinking, Fancypants.

One turn of the wheel would lift the box, to feed 1 nail or rivet down to the punch mechanism at lower left ........ which would "drive it" into whatever material (cloth, leather, metal or wood) was placed on that platform ...... with the nail or rivet possibly being "clinched" (bent over) on the underside.

[KC]

I was thinking metal.....for the piano board.  However...who knows!