Someone familiar with old galvanized pails might recognize such a component quickly.
For everyone else, removing it from the original container also removes almost all of the clues about its purpose.
## Simple Engineering That Worked
Old hardware like this is a good example of how ordinary problems were often solved with remarkably simple engineering.
There were no complicated mechanisms. A properly shaped piece of metal, securely attached in the right place, could survive years of lifting and carrying.
On its own, it may seem insignificant.
Attached to a hardworking bucket carrying water, feed, milk, or tools every day, however, it served a very practical purpose.
That’s part of what makes forgotten objects like this interesting today.
Sometimes the smallest pieces of everyday equipment become the hardest parts of the past to recognize.
