Whatsit

[Shorty Cox]

I recently was at my 91 year old mother's house. While there I was going through the shed and found the item pictured. No doubt it is something my bother-in-law (who is now deceased) put there years ago. He collected all kinds of stuff/junk. I will try to describe it.

It is a electric motor (that runs on both 110 or 220 volts depending on which way the selector switch is flipped) the motor via belt and pully, turns what appears to be some type of centrifugal pump. The thing with all the holes (screen) in the bottom of the box is some kind of electrical device as it is connected to the electrical supply. Actually I going to let the pictures tell the story as this would get long.

Because it is housed in a wooded carrying box with handle it is some kind of tool used by a serviceman to transport from site to site where needed.

Any guess as to what it is and used for?

[Kwarstler]

The company was in the industrial safety business but I have no idea what that actual device is. Someone will know.

[WeRJuliian]

Wilson products in PA are a supplier of compressed gases and gas handling equipment... so my guess would be that it's a portable compressor.... or perhaps some kind of gas sampling device.
Does the pump suck, or blow, through that open pipe?
Is it possible to get a clearer picture of the gauge, so we can see what it measures?

If you contact them, they might be able to tell you, or interested from a historical viewpoint.

[JFlightRisk]

https://www.wilsonproducts.com/

Still in business for 70 years,. Their products probably have evolved over the years, but I'd contact them, with pictures, and see if you get an old timer that knows what it is, but how to use it. That would be cool!

[Screwby]

Almost looks like it would be a line pressure tester? Gas lines are always pressure tested for leaks after an install

[Shorty Cox]

I just sent an email to the company requesting assistance. When I took the photos, I was not anticipating doing a post on here or I would have took more detailed photos. The face of the gauge is so faded I could not determine what increments of substance it measured. I showed the photos to a couple career "oilfield" guys I know, one thought it was a vacuum pump. The mystery continues.

Shorty

[SloPoke]

looks to be the pump unit that is used to test gas line / piping in buildings. The gas company pumps the system to a set pressure and caps off the system for a specific period of time with a pressure gauge showing the ongoing pressure. If the pressure holds, the test passes.

[Danno]

It's definitely a vacuum pump. Look closely at the pump itself to see if it has any name cast on it. It looks to me like the pump itself was made by GAST. These can be used for vacuum or for low pressure.
This is the closest I could find.

[WeRJuliian]

OK, enhancing the image reveals an inventory label from the El Paso Natural Gas Co, so I'm beginning to think in terms of a line tester.

OP, You said that it runs on 110 or 220v? It looks like the perforated enclosure holds a heavy duty wound resistor to drop the voltage (and probably keep the operator warm !) - cheaper than a transformer or a more sophisticated motor.

The gauge is just to let you set a fixed flow rate of 1 CFM, it doesn't appears to measure anything else... but it's a flow rate, not a standing pressure So some kind of test equipment, but maybe not a static pressure test ?

I hope you get an answer from the makers, soon !!