Salem Straub
Cast Iron
- Joined
- May 22, 2012
- Location
- WA, USA
Hi everybody, I have an option to buy a big old shaper locally... it's an Ohio Machine Tool Shaper, Heavy 28" model. It appears to be all there, including the vise, and everything I tried on it, moved... I may be able to power it up when I go back to look again.
I know some of you have Ohio shapers, but I can't find much out there about them, especially not the 28".
It's got an electric drive system, the like of which I've not seen before.
The input is 3 phase AC, which first goes to a knife switch.
After the knife switch, the power goes to a line starter, equipped with momentary run/stop buttons.
From the line starter, an armored cable goes to the motor housing.
From the motor housing also comes an ever larger armored cable, which runs over and down along the side of the machine to a box about 14" square on the machine base, with a vertical square post coming out of the top, with a lever that rotates it. It kind of resembles a big switch. There is no arm from the machine that actuates the switch; it's apparently either an on/off or reversing, or speed control of some sort. It doesn't click into positions, rather it feels "infinite."
The motor itself appears to be DC - there is a three ring commutator on one end, at any rate.
I've not seen a drive like this, I can only guess that it's an early AC over DC electric speed control of some sort. It does not have a smaller motor belt driving the large motor, piggyback style like on some lathes I've read about.
Any of this ring a bell?
I haven't even been able yet to suss out what the AC input voltage is set up to be.
Thanks for any thoughts, I need an education on early electric drives!
I know some of you have Ohio shapers, but I can't find much out there about them, especially not the 28".
It's got an electric drive system, the like of which I've not seen before.
The input is 3 phase AC, which first goes to a knife switch.
After the knife switch, the power goes to a line starter, equipped with momentary run/stop buttons.
From the line starter, an armored cable goes to the motor housing.
From the motor housing also comes an ever larger armored cable, which runs over and down along the side of the machine to a box about 14" square on the machine base, with a vertical square post coming out of the top, with a lever that rotates it. It kind of resembles a big switch. There is no arm from the machine that actuates the switch; it's apparently either an on/off or reversing, or speed control of some sort. It doesn't click into positions, rather it feels "infinite."
The motor itself appears to be DC - there is a three ring commutator on one end, at any rate.
I've not seen a drive like this, I can only guess that it's an early AC over DC electric speed control of some sort. It does not have a smaller motor belt driving the large motor, piggyback style like on some lathes I've read about.
Any of this ring a bell?
I haven't even been able yet to suss out what the AC input voltage is set up to be.
Thanks for any thoughts, I need an education on early electric drives!