Identify this

[eng1er]

In a box with the easels in a lot of darkroom equipment I acquired. Plastic blocks fit inside frame and are held in place by plastic sheet that slides into tracks on edges of frame. Plastic blocks have + on one side and - on the other. Whoever can tell me what it is gets a solid pat on the back. Apologies for the crappy cell phone pic.

 

[Dr Croubie]

A darkroom variant in the Tri-Ominoes / Think-Ominoes series?

 

[Barry S]

It's an easel for printing multiple images on a single sheet of paper. The negative and positive symbols allow you to keep track of which sections have been exposed.

 

[eddie]

I think it's for making 4 4x5 prints on one 8x10 sheet.

edit: looks like Barry beat me to it.

 

[eng1er]

Ok, now it appears obvious. The guy also had a Saunders Multi-Print in there. Anyone know the manufacturer? It's Saunders colors, but doesn't seem up to their build quality. In almost 30 years of hoarding photo junk, this is the first one I've seen.

 

[snapguy]

You can expose 1, 2, 3 or 4 4x5 inch prints by using this gizmo.

 

[AgX]

Here is the Jobo "Varioformat" version. More refined, works with two flaps, two inlays and ejecting buttons. Or kind of.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/JOBO-Varioformat-Vergroserungsrahmen-18x24-Papier-/121372729655?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_77&hash=item1c4260e137

 

[Dr Croubie]

Here is the Jobo "Varioformat" version. More refined, works with two flaps, two inlays and ejecting buttons. Or kind of.

http://www.ebay.de/itm/JOBO-Variofo...55?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_77&hash=item1c4260e137

You know, I got one of those in a huge bundle of other darkroom stuff. And since then, I could not for the life of me figure out what the hell it was or how it worked (and obviously too lazy to google it).
Now I finally understand...

 

[AgX]

Seemingly its manual is scarce.