The brass strip fastened near the middle of the jig is a lid restraint used on boxes to keep the lid from opening to far.  The trick in mounting the strip is to first hold the restraint about 18 to  20 inches from the hinge pin, and by trial and error locate the screws where the legs can be spread all the way open and closed again without letting the strip pass through the plane of the right edge of the jig. If it does the jig will be limited in the range of tapers that can be cut.  Fasten the brass strip using the hardware provided with the lid restraint.
 

A Taper Jig is used to cut long slender tapers on table legs and other furniture parts.  The one shown above was made from a few scrap pieces of maple.  You can use any hard wood to make one of your own that will last for many years.
 

Drill a hole in the end of each leg, one for hanging the jig on the shop wall, the other for mounting a post to hold on to when pushing the jig and stock through the saw. 

Make a mark at exactly 2 feet from the hinge pin for use in setting the taper angle.  In use the taper per foot is doubled and that distance is measured between legs at the two foot marks.

 

The Hardware for the hinge determines the width of the two pieces used to form the legs of the jig.  The hinge show here is about 4-1/2" long.  Joint and plane two pieces of hardwood a little wider than the distance from the center of the hinge to the end of the hinge. Fasten the hinge on the end of the two pieces as shown.  The hinge pin should be located at the joint between the legs.