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overhead motor stand

if you review my web page and look at the sub pages for the London Machine tool lathe and the American Tool works lathe you can get the drift of a couple of ideas.

They are done quite differently.

On the LMT, a bracket is bolted to the back side of the bed and long legs extend upward and have a big flat plate hinged on top of them. A motor, a gear box speed reducer, a 4 speed automotive transmission and the countershaft are all on the plate. A lever allows you to rock the plate to release the flat belt-- or to change it, and the motor serves as the 'weight' to hold the belt tight. this solution gives you the full benefit of the various 'cone head' speeds as well as the automotive transmission speeds.

When you look at the American. It is done differently. Here the creative folks welded 'all thread' on the ends of the bolts that hold the spindle caps on, and then secured a mounting plate on the ends of the all thread legs.

the mounting plate is stationary and does not move. The motor is V belt driven to the front of the automotive transmission with a big speed reduction; then a Vee-belt sleeve was slipped over one of the cones and 4 Vee Belts drop down from the back of the transmission to the designated cone. There is no countershaft and threre are no speed options except those provided by the 4 speed automotive transmission.

so there you have the choices: --- Perch it on top by welding all threads on top the capscrews that hold the spindle bearings, or extend long legs up which are attached to the back of the lathe bed by drilling into the side of the bed.

If you have back gears you will need to position the legs so they don't conflict.

You will also note a height differential.
The LMT lathe 'tilt bed' is 'way up there and needs a high ceiling as it is probably 10 feet high. (plus the gear shift lever) and when I have had to thread on the machine and needed reverse to back out for another run (there is no thread dial on the lathe so you don't open the half nuts)--and the 1 phase motor doesn't reverse, I have put a ladder against the side of the lathe to get up to the shifter.

by contrast the ATW design is very low, and the automotive transmission is on its side with the handle sticking out about face high---sort of a safety hazard in my opinion.

I believe you can get more power through thte 4 v belts than the flat belt, but the benefits of the 3 cone speeds are gone.
 
Ps. if you look at another recent thread:

P. Blaisdell & Co Antique Metal Lathe on ebay

and follow the link to ebay and look at the photos
they have a very good photo of the fabricated single arm back leg and a very simple drive through an automotive transmission. --- again
without the countershaft, however.

If you are going to have a counter shaft up there
with a cone on it, you have to have a belt tightner with a quick release so you can change the belt. Gravity makes a nice tightner.

Frankly though I have seen few designs that retain
the movable flatbelt as my London M. T. lathe has.
 








 
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