mystery (non-antique) item - may be part of a tool

Asking for help on an item belonging to an acquaintance who has had this in her rural consignment shop for years where nobody has been able to identify it. She doubts that it's worth much, but would still like to know what it is ... or what it belonged to. I thought maybe you guys could figure it out since you are so good at figuring stuff out!

Height: 1¾" (4.5 mm) not including small bail handle
Diameter: 1¼" (3.1 mm) across bottom
Diameter of hole in bottom: about 7/16" (1.2 mm) or just under ½"
Weight: heavy for size - about 4.6 ounces

Looks like aluminum on the outside with a short brass "sleeve" at the entrance of the hole in the bottom. There seems to be a copper (retention?) ring inside the hole beyond the brass piece, and a fitting of some sort at the very bottom of the hole.

Only the handle and the small fitting deep in the hole are magnetic.

The dark dot on top looks like it would be an indicator light or something, but it isn't translucent ... it appears to be plastic or some type of composite material.

Since it isn't mine, I haven't cleaned it (which is obvious from the photos) or fiddled with it too much.

Thanks for any and all help. I'd like to get this back to her with a positive ID.

 

Pressure cooker jiggler thing?

 

I agree with wenna !

 

Well .... I'll be! That was fast! Thank you wenna and coreya!
Here's a photo of one attached to the pot. (I've never used one - to be honest ... they scare a little me since I've heard too many stories of how things can go very wrong from people who've had issues with them.)

 

What do they call that thing? Is it a regulator, or is that a different part?

 

That's the technical term for it, right?

 

Haha ... further googling has shown me that it really sort of is the correct term for it ... funny.

 

Yes, they are called pressure regulators.
I do believe they start rocking at 15 lbs of pressure (which is what you want to cook at) and let out excess pressure to keep it at 15 so no KABOOOOM!!