Found a few of these at an estate sale in a cigar box marked "coils". Company went out of business in 1993. No information on exactly what they manufactured. Item is 2" in diameter, 1 1/2" tall. Marked "Ferrodyne Corporation" and "FSI-6".

 

At first glance they appeared to be similar to a Lift magnet !
But Ferrodyne Co (now defunct) appears to have specialized in producing antique tube radios, may have to open one up to see the design,
Tuning coil of some kind?

 

Probably an inductor or coil as said.
If it's a coil you should be able to read some resistance between the two leads.

 

Inductor or common choke judging by the label and two wires.

Ron

 

Try looking for just this on Google:

+"Ferrodyne Corporation"

Found bunch of leads, including possible links to engineers who worked there at the time-- and if you can talk to any of them, they may have databooks or other datasheet information they are willing to give away.

Apparently, they also were a DBA in California as 'Magnetika West'

- This might be their new identify/web-page:

https://www.magnetika.com/

 

Thanks!

 

It could be an inductance coil, but it could also be a "thermal detonator", or any of a number of objects.

 

I had a similarly shaped unit a few years ago that was a vibration sensor. The guts of it were a coil surrounding a spring mounted magnet.

 

if the bottom is not all steel, it might be a "Field Sensor," intended to detect variable magnetic fields. Use an ohm meter to measure the resistance.
Or do a Google search for that part number. Of the thousands of hits offering to sell you one, you may get a right answer. I have done that a few times.

 

if the bottom is not all steel, it might be a "Field Sensor," intended to detect variable magnetic fields. Use an ohm meter to measure the resistance.
Or do a Google search for that part number. Of the thousands of hits offering to sell you one, you may get a right answer. I have done that a few times.

The can is all steel. It weighs 11.2 oz, and is filled with a non-conductive tar. Google search was the first thing I tried. Part # came up empty, and there was only a single mention of the company-that it went out of business in 1993.

 

@Johnnie Boy , If you found a "few of them" it may be worth sacrificing one and forcibly opening it up to settle the question.
The potting could be some epoxy or other synthetic-hardened resin

 

It could be an inductance coil, but it could also be a "thermal detonator", or any of a number of objects.

 

I THOUGHT the ticking was speeding up!

 

@Johnnie Boy , If you found a "few of them" it may be worth sacrificing one and forcibly opening it up to settle the question.
The potting could be some epoxy or other synthetic-hardened resin

Yeah, that's my next move.

 

It could be an inductance coil,

 

If the black substance is actually TAR, and not some epoxy or thermosetting material, then it can be melted and drained out and then whatever is encapsulated will be more visible, and it may even be easy to see what it actually is.
Melting the tar out safely is not difficult, but because the stuff is so messy if spilled some careful handling is required.. A retired toaster oven would be the perfect heating system, and an empty can with a larger diameter that that item are the materials to support the device and to catch the the melted tar. AND it is important to do the melting outside because the warm tar does not smell nice. The other item is a source of stiff steel wire, such as a coat hanger or similar material, to bend into a shape to support the item tar side down above the bottom of the can. Once that is done, the whole thing can be put in the toaster oven and heated to about 300 degrees for a while, until the tar has all melted out. That may take an hour or so. And be very careful nnot to spill the hot melted tar.