What did this machine do?

I love the way electrical stuff looks. So when I found this machine in the garbage at Tufts (yes, while I was attending there), I had to take it home with me.

I didn't even bother trying to get it to work because I had absolutely no idea what it was or what it did. I just took it apart and took pictures of it! Too bad the digital camera I was using was one of the first generation consumer models and didn't have a very high resolution.



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The question remains: what did this machine do?