Guess you put the meat in the holder at the top, wind it up, and then the joint rotates in front of the fire. It's sort of like the great great great grandparent of the "elephant's foot" in a kebab shop.
😁 That would make it neccessary to plan a fireplace in about 2 m height, aside that the contents of the "holder" would likely fly around in the room due to high rotation speed.
The "holder" simply is a flywheel, which acts as a regulator. A spit is driven by a transmission belt via the wooden roller. The spit and transmission belt did not come with the device, but could easily be made.
Cheers, Bernhard
P.S.: By the way, in the 16th and 17th century every better household (10 employees upward) had a roasting jack in the kitchen. They were the main business of turret clock makers, since more kitchen needed to be equipped with roasting jacks than churches with clocks. In England they were common until into the late 19th century, but then often with a so-called turnspit dog instead of a weight-driven clockwork.
For a few years now, my friends and I have been doing a Xmas gift lucky dip for each other. Basic rules - nothing too expensive (around £10) and that's about it 😀
This year someone is going to get a tardigrade plushie. Bet they have no idea what it is 😁
