Asquith
Diamond
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2005
- Location
- Somerset, UK
It’s four lathes in one. Note the canted headstocks and tailstocks to allow passage for the carriages.
I’ll quote from the 1870s(?) description, but with words in brackets substituted with something suited to today’s terminology. See if you can make sense of it:-
‘The carriages and beds are arranged for [machining] articles to forms determined by [templates], the carriages being made to hinge upon two centre ribs upon the beds, which are directly under the centre line of the headstock spindles. The carriages are provided with pointers at the back, which follow the outline of the [templates], and thereby actuate the carriages, raising the front of the carriages by the [templates], causing the tools to be canted inwards, and thus reducing the diameter of the articles being turned.’
The template would be bolted to the front of the bed, as represented by the rectangular plate, and the V-ended plate is the follower. I can see how the carriage would be lifted as it passed over the template, but it seems an odd way of altering the tool position. Any thoughts?
It was used for repetitive work like reducing the diameter of studs inboard of the threaded portion, making tapered plugs, etc.
I keep coming across these examples of simple machine tools made in the 1870s for repetition work, presumably using unskilled operators, probably boys, who would attend several machines at the same time. Operating this one must have been like musical chairs.
This was made by Shaw, Hossack & Co of Openshaw, Manchester. The demand for large batches of similar components must have been huge in Manchester at that time, with all the engine, boiler and machinery makers around.