Antique Lathe Identification Help

[Bizzyrne]

Hello,

I recently purchases an antique lathe that I am having trouble identifying. I was wondering if anyone on the forum here has some experience with that? I've included a photo as a start. It has a 36" throat, its belt driven and I'd be happy to get other details

Thanks!

JB

 

[spaeth]

JB,
Cope's American Lathe Builders book shows a Muller that has the two knobs on the face of the apron and a handle on the right side of the carriage. Springfield and Bradford are close having those features as well. Their history puts the same guy, Ed Muller being an influence during late 1800's early 1900's.
spaeth

 

[Andy FitzGibbon]

More photos would be helpful. The lever operated tailstock is unusual for a lathe of this size/style.

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[L Vanice]

More photos would be helpful. The lever operated tailstock is unusual for a lathe of this size/style.

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True, but South Bend and Clausing sold kits to convert their screw-feed tailstocks to lever feed. It is reasonable to think other and earlier makers did the same. Hardinge, Mikron, Schaublin and some watch lathe makers sold separate lever-feed tailstocks as optional equipment. Lever feed tailstocks are handy for drilling and can also be used to hold a single turret tool, like a die head or knurling tool.

Larry

 

[Andy FitzGibbon]

True, but South Bend and Clausing sold kits to convert their screw-feed tailstocks to lever feed. It is reasonable to think other and earlier makers did the same. Hardinge, Mikron, Schaublin and some watch lathe makers sold separate lever-feed tailstocks as optional equipment. Lever feed tailstocks are handy for drilling and can also be used to hold a single turret tool, like a die head or knurling tool.

Larry

All very true, but it's still an unusual feature on a lathe of this size and style, and may provide a clue as to who manufactured it.

I also think I may see some bevel gears inside the headstock cone pulley... perhaps that's what drives the feeds. Another unusual feature that may help with identification. Bevel gear feed drives are also fairly rare.

More photos would help a lot.

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[Bizzyrne]

More Photos

Thanks for the replies. I'll be heading over and getting some more photos for you guys hopefully early this week. I just purchased it and still need to figure out how to move it. If moving it isn't possible or I just can't figure out where to put it, I'll probably have to sell it. I purchased this from an older gentleman who has decided to move on from collecting old tools.

 

[michiganbuck]

Be sure to get everything that goes with it and ask the oldtimer a lot of questions..that way he may remember where the other stuff is hidden.

 

[spaeth]

Andy,
Good eye on seeing the bevel gears. I increased the pic and they are sure enough there, and it looks like the drive is a big cone with no grooves or crowned steps for a belt. So perhaps an early variable speed tapered drive set up? The lever on the left maybe engages the bevel gears. Looks to be in nice condition for it's age.
spaeth

 

[dana gear]

The tailstock lever and the tool post are odd, I am probably mistaken but It looks like a Bradford.

 

[trevj]

Andy,
Good eye on seeing the bevel gears. I increased the pic and they are sure enough there, and it looks like the drive is a big cone with no grooves or crowned steps for a belt. So perhaps an early variable speed tapered drive set up? The lever on the left maybe engages the bevel gears. Looks to be in nice condition for it's age.
spaeth

Dunno. I take the bevel gears to be engaged and disengaged by the lever above and to the right of the spindle. Bevel gear Back gearing mayhapss? It looks to be a squeeze to unlock type of lever there.

I think the angle is making that step pulley blend in to being one smooth looking surface. When I zoom in, I can see a shadow line that looks like a crown or maybe the edge of the large pulley step. Dunno. Can't be a pile of guys used any bevel gears right behind the spindle nose like that.

 

[jim rozen]

Possible the bevel gears inside the large diameter cone pulley are effectively back gears. Looks to be some sort of mechanism to the right of the bevel gears that maybe clamps onto the spindle?

 

[jmm03]

It appears to be a basic enough machine that disassembly into component parts could be an option. Putting it up on 4 x 4's long wise and bolting it down or building a pallet and Egyptian rolling it would be preferable, extra help would be advised. You could rent an engine hoist of a suitable capacity and carefully sling it to lift it up, making sure you do not load the lead/feed screw and bend it. Looks like an interesting machine. Jim

 

[Robert Lang]

I don't know who's make the lathe is. Some components, such as the legs, look like Reed.
The beveled gears are for the power feeds.
From the style of headstock and the beveled gears, it looks like a swivel head like the Gage lathes,
but it does not look like any Gage lathe I have seen.

Rob

 

[Bizzyrne]

More Photos

Hello,

I have some fresh photos here -

 

[Bizzyrne]

 

[Jim Christie]

The new pictures help a lot .
It looks like that lathe is a special one for turning tapers by swiveling the headstock with the graduations on the base hence the need for the bevel gear drive setup to connect with the feed screws as shown in your picture here,
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/...ntique-lathe-identification-help-img_4386.jpg
I seem to recall there was another thread on this forum where there was another one or links to an old book showing this type of setup but I can't find anything in a forum search so far.
I have a different edition of this book and the page where it may be described is not clear in the on line version .
International Library of Technology; a series of textbooks for persons engaged in the engineering professions and trades, or for those who desire information concerning them : International Textbook Company : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
I'm not sure where my copy is at the moment but I'll take a look in a couple of days.
If not someone else may remember or turn up something.
Maybe doing a patent search will turn up more too.
Jim

 

[Robert Lang]

Just as I thought. A swivel head.
The two patents were used by Reed.

Patent Images

Patent Images

Rob

 

[Jim Christie]

Sorry I didn't Robert Lang's earlier post carefully enough about the swivel head .
Jim

 

[esbutler]

This is very interesting. A swivel head indeed. I agree with Rob in that there is otherwise little resemblance to a George Gage lathe.

Please do get any information you can with regard to this particular lathe's history.

Thanks, Eric