Hello, Please Help Me!

Hey there!

I'm new to the boards and it's something that has proven a myster to me that has brought me here. I am desperately seeking an answer as to what the object in the photo I have added, is!

When we were at our daughter's play I noticed these all over the auditorium, and I had never noticed them before. I'm assuming they are some kind of vent system for heat or maybe some kind of ground lighting, but they are placed all over the auditorium floor randomly. They follow no pattern or rhyme or reason, which is leading me to question my assessment.

Some details...the school was originally constructed between 1880 and 1920, but I couldn't get exact dates. The units are situated under random chairs all throughout the audio room and are made of metal. They are very solidly built and seem to be made of a cast at least a quarter inch thick.

Please help me! This has been driving me insane ever since I noticed them!!!!

 

I would venture ventilation or possibly some sort of early audio system. What appears random may not be when viewed on a large scale.

 

I agree, but when you look at it from the stage and the room as a whole, there's still no pattern. They are literally just scattered around the room. I'm sure if I could get under the floor it would all make much more sense. But I can't. :-(

 

Cooool

They seem to be sitting on or covering some kind of cast iron grate or trivet...

Have you attempted to open(?) one?

Ask the maintenance person - I'm sure someone knows w what they're for...

 

I agree - A maintenance person will know.

 

The only maintenance guy I know that works here has no idea.

 

The best I could do was stick my fingers under it and it appears to be some sort of hood over a hollow core.

 

When was the school originally built?

Is the auditorium with these "contraptions?" on the ground floor with only a "crawl space" below or is it over a "basement" or "cellar"?

Are the "contraptions" "fixed" in place or movable?

 

They are fixed. Very securely. They almost look like they've been lacquered over several times. I am not sure if there's a basement but I do know there is a lower level that has some hallways and classrooms.

 

Possibly a deflector for piped in heat? We don't have steam heat here, but you may...

That maintenance guy is missing a chromosome... Or three. What kinda guy can't work up a good old fashioned gizmo detective steam?

 

Lol.

 

so far all I can come up with is that these are mushroom vents....but mostly used on boats.......

but that would mean this space would be on a ship.....and that's nuts !

 

There must be a county records department.
If you go there, you should be able to get the year the school auditorium was built. Also maybe who designed it, possibly a layout of the auditorium.

I would think there must be some records available. If you have the date, I'm sure there are probably newspaper articles writing glorious reports of all the new innovations to be had in the school's new auditorium.

 

Return vents
Air must be returned to the heating/cooling chambers to work efficiently. The theatre features several rows of return vents located under seats on the house floor to accomplish this task.

 

You've solved it! At least I think you have. The whole time I was thinking it was for heat exchange like blowing vents. But I never considered return!

 

But i couldn't find any with a cap - the image I posted shows round caps, but your example is really unique...

 

those are designated seats for the most flatulent