That electrical wiring is a way to hard wire the system without using a cord block. I've run into that on several very old machines and a couple of newer ones. It works, but there is a way better method that that Rube Goldberg disaster.
Electrical wires are one thing I won't jury rig.
As for the timing thing, some folks have no idea what they are doing and should be forever banned from any place that tools might be exist.
Joe