Anyone know what this Cincinnati Time Recorder Whatsmagig is?

I was thinking this was the guts to an antique time machine, but there are a couple of things which make me not sure. First it is 19" tall, second it looks like it was made to bolt down to something substantial, and last the label on the front. Any ideas? BTW the last pics are pieces that came with it I believe the small piece at least was made for it. I actually have two of the main pieces.




TIA, Bryan

 

Heck that one is 34" tall and the guts look tiny. If it was for a bigger one it would look like a grandfather clock!!! I was thinking the same thing, but I have yet to find pictures of the insides

 

It is a major component for a timed activation system for lights or other electrical processes.

I am assuming the barrel rotates. I assume the clock movement is to drive the barrel. Pins in the barrel (some are visible) would make or break circuits as the slowly rotating barrel brings them past a switch bar. Varying the position of the pins controls the time of activation. It is a simple programming device, mechanical rather than electronic.

An example this complicated could be used to control a variable advertising sign, in the pre-computer era. Those signs with moving arrows, etc, had to be operated somehow.

I have had smaller but similar devices with impulse control from Pulsynetic and similar master clock systems. There would be commonly used to control school bells to indicate breaks and lesson changes, with possibly 30 bell rings per day.

 

As the OP said, "a time machine."