This is in the category of pitters and seeders and many examples were available by the middle of the 19th century, each an attempt to improve on what was available. Pitters and seeders were an inventor's dream. This ingenious little machine was used to take seeds out of raisins. Today most of the grapes and raisins variants are grown seedless, but only a few decades ago this was not the case. In the 19th and very early 20th century, raisins came with seeds. To extract them you needed a seeder, which was used in the home. The instructions embossed on metal frame of this seeder are "wet the raisins." The seeder is meant to clamp onto the edge of a table. Then the raisin was placed in the "cup" on top, the handle was turned to move two wheels that moved in opposite directions. One wheel has small spike-like extrusions and is of metal, the other is made of what looks like a hard rubber. The last patent date on this seeder is 1895. The seeder appears at left with a box of "Easter Brand Seeded Raisins from California." There isn't a date on the box, but being able to purchase seeded raisins would have been a new development.
