Help solve the mystery of the Vexing Veeder cyclometer.

[Les Newcomer]

My wife found this in a keepsake box of her grandfathers. He may have used it, he may have bought it at a church rummage sale. Whether he did it, or someone else, there's no question, they cyclometer got around! Or did he?

Now the mystery:
From a Veeder manual an M28S (Model 28 Short) should make 72.8 revolutions per 1/10 of a mile.

Mine makes 16 per 1/10. Not a typo: sixteen revolutions per 1/10.
So if this measures in miles, then the wheel comes closer to 2.8 meters in diameter! (actually 10.46ft,)
and assuming it was measuring kilometers doesn't fit either.
and I can't find a unit of measure equal to 1172.8ft

The obvious answer is "it's not a bicycle cyclometer, it was geared for a machine." But then why is it marked M28S? Shouldn't it either not be marked or marked 'Special' or "160:1" ??

If a true 28" tire gets 720 revolutions per mile and this one 160, then we have a 4.5:1 ratio. Does that fit any bicycle crank-to-hub ratio? Could this be mounted on the crank? (Yeah, I know, not practical, and certainly not with the standard hub style bracket.)

So, two questions:
a. When was it made?
b. Why the odd ratio?

 

[WetDogGraphix]

After a little searching on the World Wide Web.........I found this, on all places, The CABE. @Les Newcomer

Veeder Manufacturing Co. - Research/History | Antique Bicycles Pre-1933

I thought it would be interesting to provide a thread on Curtis Veeder & The Veeder Manufacturing Co. Addition information is always appreciated. Curtis Veeder Curtis Veeder, an inventor, was born on January 31, 1862 in Pennsylvania, but later moved to Hartford, Connecticut where he opened...

thecabe.com

 

[JChapoton]

did you actually mount this to a bike and spin the bike wheel 72 revolutions to get your answer. My guess is the striker will have to hit the cog on the cyclometer to make the cog turn a full 16 revolutions at its axis.

 

[MrReece7]

I got a great looking one for sale

 

[New Mexico Brant]

Mine makes 16 per 1/10. Not a typo: sixteen revolutions per 1/10.

I am curious where are you coming up with 16 per 1/10? Are you deriving that from the numbers in the top dial which reads 16.1? The top dial is a resettable trip mileage meter and has nothing to revolution sets of the cyclometer. The "M28S" = M for miles (K for kilometers), 28 for 28" tires; I do not know what the S represents.

These were made and sold from the 19th century into the 1920's (and maybe later).