Can you guess what this historic patent is for?

Here's an image from a patent filing made in 1931. Now, what do you think it is?

I'll give you a hint: It's a medical device.

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the science editor at BoingBoing.net. She writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine and is the author of Before the Lights Go Out, a book about electricity, infrastructure, and the future of energy. You can find Maggie on Twitter and Facebook.

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Dave Horton

Ohhhh… dirty Maggie Mae…
xzzy

Ribbed for the recipient’s pleasure, I assume?
gorfulator

Kinda looks a bit Kagelmaster-ish
http://twitter.com/Listener43 Listener43

Rectum? Hell, damn near killed him!
- DisGuest
  
  Some weak asshole probably bought it.
  - Felton / Moderator
    
    From an advertisement in the back of a comic book.
Lance Brown

One word: circumcision.
Joshua Ochs

Hmmm, 1931… is it a stent?
A: No, no it is not.
- Boundegar
  
  My guess too.
http://www.nothinginside.net mindysan33

I think it’s for a needle… [EDIT] I’M SOOO WRONG!!!
- http://lemoutan.blogspot.com/ Lemoutan
  
  Camels for the eye-passing through of?
nowimnothing

Just hover over the link and stand flabbergasted, also a little confused and scared.
- http://twitter.com/incarnedine_v Dan Hibiki
  
  hmmm… could have a market today.
  
  Excercise just one hour a day and get a Bunghole of Steel in under four weeks!
- Finnagain
  
  Wow, I know what those words mean, individually.. But egads.
mikei

“Darn it! I’m tired of having a weak rectum! Charles Atlas says he can give me a sphincter of steel! I’ll gamble a stamp and get his free book.”
- Quiche de Resistance
  
  You’ll never get sand
  kicked up your butt at the beach
  ever again, dude!
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  You only say that because you’ve never done an image search for “rectal prolapse”.
  - mikei
    
    I have now. I hope you’re happy.
    - Antinous / Moderator
      
      I know better than to do an image search for rectal prolapse.
  - http://lemoutan.blogspot.com/ Lemoutan
    
    Great. Thanks for that.
    - mikei
      
      I think we should try to get Antinous banned.
CrackWilding

Looks like one of those grip-strengtheners. Or a capo.
- Halloween_Jack
  
  It is, in fact, a grip-strengthener. Of a sort.
oasisob1

I’m guessing early model trans-vaginal ultrasound probe.
http://www.xradiograph.com/ OtherMichael

Try this one weird tip!
- voiceinthedistance
  
  #3 is the insertion tip, and #1 is the ergonomic handle. Amirite?
  - Antinous / Moderator
    
    Here is my handle, here is my spout?
ferd

“Paging Dr. Kegel, paging Dr. Kegel.”
- sisyphus321
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c6Vrnf99Ac
Caleb Lawson

Speculum?
- http://twitter.com/chrisjimson chris jimson
  
  My guess as well.
- Halloween_Jack
  
  Never met ‘em!
Ken.C

Thank you for sharing.
mrsoreto

Rectal exercise?
- mrsoreto
  
  Oh god.. that was meant as a joke. I didn’t.. I’d never..
jkg188

Oh yeah, uh, I was going to guess that… :^0
http://twitter.com/bazilisk Sylvia

My first thought was tampon applicator. Huh. I guess I wasn’t too far off.
http://www.geekforce.com Hugh Johnson

Ouchy wow!
haineux

http://www.amazon.com/How-Good-bye-Depression-Constrict-Everyday/dp/0595094724/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357926389&sr=8-1&keywords=goodbye+depression
dmc10

While I’m not a doc, my wife is, and there’s something to this. Some women have issues with the ‘integrity’ of their vaginal muscles after giving birth, or due to age, weight, or some other medical conditions, the results of which can range from embarrassing to discomfort, to serious health complications. Some of the current solutions like the vaginal mesh have caused major problems (you may have seen the ambulance chasers on tv lately). So the idea of strengthening the vaginal muscles through exercise isn’t really that crazy since it’s relatively non-invasive. I know, women sticking that up the vajayjay seems invasive, but I mean relative to surgery or permanent device implantation.

As far as the anal usage of the device, I’m gonna leave that one alone :)
- http://beautifulsynthesis.com Andrea
  
  I was going to say something similar. I’ve read that quite a few women suffer problems relating to damaged vaginal muscles, but since that isn’t something people feel they can talk about even with a doctor, well…
feetleet

Yeah, I work out. Thanks for noticing.
- Isaac Rinke
  
  Bro, do you even clench?
dave3

Looks like one of them whatchamajiggers.
timquinn

It has to be sex, or this wouldn’t be teh internets