Whatzit?

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Is its use related to agriculture or animal husbandry?

[chuck]

Nothing to do with agriculture.

Roger's suggestion that it's an early form of a snorkel is pretty ingenious but it's not that either. When I was looking at the image objectively it does look something like a concrete mixer chute.

This is a highly background redacted image of what the collar protects:



I had to redact or the background gives it away.

[webenda]

Shield for inflating truck tires?

[chuck]

Getting closer. It's a shield but not for inflating.

Those tires are actually silver in color. I had to switch to greyscale to redact but the tire looks like that in color.

[webenda]

Used for pressing a tire onto the wheel?

[chuck]

No, tires are already on the wheels.

The leather collar is for protection, of the tire(s).

[MYmoo]

A grain silo filler/unloader/distributor?
Device for loading /unloading covered hoppers?

You said it was not used in agriculture, though.
I am Wild A** guessing.

[webenda]

All these clues...

Close to size and shape of a beer keg
You are looking up at it.
The red stuff is leather (looks like steel on the inside.)
It is a collar for protecting these tires.
Not for inflating tires.

The tires are silver colored.
The collar is 50-60 years old (1958,) other parts are a little over 100 years old (1918.)
There are doors that close.
Nothing to do with agriculture.
Tires are already on wheels.

and I still have no idea what it could be.

[chuck]

The "container" these special/specific collars are in are also only 60 years old. The containers/compartment go back about 100 years but they never needed protective collars until 60 years ago. In total, there were only 96 of these special compartments made. There were/are tens of thousands not so special compartments made and they are in use daily.

The early "vehicles" did not need these "containers" and those go back to 1903.

[Roy]

Just what, exactly, are these collars protecting the tires from? Does this have to do with the necessity of balancing the wheels?

[webenda]

Is it nothing more than a tire carrier? Maybe carries 4 mounted tires.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Maybe it caries large cream filled donuts masquerading as tires...

[chuck]

Protects them from extreme heat, sustained extreme heat.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Airplane wheel compartments?

[chuck]

The container/compartment is a landing gear bay/wheel well. They started making retractable landing gear in 1911 but it wasn't until the 1930's that the need to "gear up" became a reality for speed/performance.

This is an unusual bay because it's in a very unusual plane. Almost everything about this plane is "unusual", exotic fuel, exotic engines, even the tires are weird.

I build model airplanes as a hobby, mostly military because civilian aircraft aren't that interesting. When I go to an air show I will prowl around a plane on static display and get pictures of things like landing gear, closes ups of weapons mount points, paint schemes, and an occasional "beauty shots" when the crowd dissipates. I've never seen a landing gear bay where the wheels/tires were protected. Then again no other plane does what this plane used to.