[Boatanchors] Strange component

[William L Howard]

I have been stripping out a Japanese Type 94-2B radio set that was
beyond restoration. Someone in Australia or N.Z. had stripped out all
the original tube sockets and replaced them with octal sockets. The
original Japanese sockets were mounted by 4 machine screws. The
replacement octal sockets were smaller and mounted by 2 screws.

The revamped set had some sort of a sponge (?) rubber device that fit
into two of the original holes and the tube socket fit the third hole.

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Has anyone ever seen these items? Are they strictly Australian/N.Z. or
were they also used in American radio sets?

Bill Howard