Mysterious box. Need help identifying.

[Heinle94]

My grandfather showed me this box and he and I have no idea what it is.
It is a wooden box but I don't know what type of wood.

It unfolds to lay flat and it has metal on the inside of the box and almost all of the metal on the inside has a number on it. I counted 1 through 19, there may be more but it is not there.


On the box it states "Patented 1889 February 19"

[talesofthesevenseas]

It is a sewing attachments box, to hold the "feet" that allow you to do things like create ruffles. I'll show a similar example...

[talesofthesevenseas]

More photos on this site:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/129651977/oak-puzzle-box-with-sewing-attachments

[Heinle94]

Thank you!

[bigwull]

and just to add my tuppence worth...its made of oak...

[greenacres]

Tales, is this box missing the tools? Or did they come separately?

[talesofthesevenseas]

You're welcome! Yes, the box is missing the attachments. The sewing machine "foot" that holds down the fabric unscrews from the machine and you replace it with a "ruffler" or other attachment.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Here is a scan of an old Singer manual showing how to use the attachments: http://www.treadleon.net/sewingmachineshop/atttachmentsmanual/attachments.html

[greenacres]

I get it now! They are sort of specialty attachments. You change the presser foot for the variations.

[mart]

Not entirely sure but that date looked like 1939 !!

[talesofthesevenseas]

I think the date is 1889

[mart]

Sure doesn`t look like it in the pic,, !!