Dear experts. I need help with identifying this interesting 1800's machinery, lathe?

[Romak]

Dear antique machinery experts.

I need help with identifying this interesting 1800's machinery pictured on this photograph. Is it a lathe or something else? The machine is very ornate and have gears and other mechanisms.

Thank you very much!

View attachment 53275

 

[Ries]

Definitely NOT a lathe.
Who is the man?

 

[jlegge]

Looks to me to be a patent model of a multiple head planing manchine, or something similar.

 

[Joe Michaels]

I agree that it appears to be a patent office model. The side shaft drives sets of rollers at equal speed, so it is not a rolling mill. If it were some sort of rolling mill, as the rolls reduce the thickness/cross section of the material going thru them, the linear speed of the material increases. My guess is it is some sort of line of rolls that do a progressive forming operation, perhaps to sheet metal strip.

 

[lostclockmaker]

It appears to be the bed and trains of a small tower clock. Probably several different dials showing not only hours and minutes, but also date, moon phase, etc.,

 

[SouthBendModel34]

This is fun! I mean really fun, because we only have a side view and it's a very complex device.

My SWAG (Scientific Wild-A__ed Guess) is that it's a recording telegraph, possibly for a fire alarm telegraph system. This will be confirmed if the gentleman proves to be Samuel F. B. Morse or his cohort Alfred Lewis Vail. (I have no idea who invented the recording fire alarm telegraph. ? Gamewell ?)

I'm not buying the tower clock theory, because there are too many adjustment cranks. I could accept it as a patent model of a rolling line, which would of course explain all the cranks.

This forum will expose that photo to the eyes of experts in many fields of mechanical technology, including historians of technology. A correct answer will very likely be found. This process will be fun to watch.

Give it your best shot! - John Ruth

John Ruth

 

[kitno455]

Can we get a higher resolution scan of the machine?

allan

 

[L Vanice]

Can we get a higher resolution scan of the machine?

allan

The resolution is pretty good for an old (1860?) photo. Click on the thumbnail. Then click on the larger image. Then, if you have Windows 7, hold down the control key and press the plus key as many times as you wish. Each press will zoom in and you can back out with the minus key. Then use your direction controls to pan. Press control and the top row zero key to return the image to original size.

Larry

 

[Panza]

My first thought was some sort of musical instrument, like a music box you have to wind manually.
But the adjustment cranks makes that low probability.
It looks like the handle on the right legs pulls it all though, through a small belt and the driveshaft.

 

[peter]

The resolution is pretty good for an old (1860?) photo. Click on the thumbnail. Then click on the larger image. Then, if you have Windows 7, hold down the control key and press the plus key as many times as you wish. Each press will zoom in and you can back out with the minus key. Then use your direction controls to pan. Press control and the top row zero key to return the image to original size.

Great tip of the day. Cntl + works on window XP as well!

Now, if I was only smart enough to know what this machine was.

 

[Ray Behner]

Hey Larry,
Thanks for explaining that. What I don't know about computerizing would float a battleship. Works good!
Ray

 

[kitno455]

Larry, I write image processing software for a living Zooming in on the image does not provide more resolution. A higher resolution scan will.

allan

 

[imported_brian_m]

A wire sizing machine. Thicker stock is fed in from our right and the sized wire is stored on the vertical shaft/drum on the left. By the way, my wife who is interested in older dress fashions, dates the photo at 1845 to 1850 based mainly on the hairstyle.

 

[pieces en regalia]

Nah, you wouldn't need wide rollers for wire. I believe it is a mid eighteenth century wood planer mill in the style of woodworth mills. This pic looks similar in mechanism to the model sans the large rotary planer head.

VintageMachinery.org - John H. Lester - History

Michael

 

[Patrick Black]

I'm going to guess: coil winding machine?

Pat Black

 

[Romak]

Patent model.

Looks to me to be a patent model of a multiple head planing manchine, or something similar.

I think it is a patent model too. Not a mechanism of a clock tower because it is too complicated. It is probably around 1850-1860's for sure. Thank you for mentioning about clothes and haircut of an unknown gentleman.

I am puzzled about the center part of this machine. It seems like there are multiple small pieces inside that do not look like blades or anything to cut with. I was thinking about planer too, but it looks quite complicated in design. It is almost like small miniature machines that are operated with one gearing system.

Regards, Roman.

 

[John Hill]

I think the clue is at the left hand end where there is a horizontal turntable under a gantry frame. Note that each of the intermediate stages have a similar arrangement of what look like minitures of two handed handles for applying pressure.

My guess is that this is a model of a machine for producing armoured submarine telegraph cables.

 

[tlslights]

That's a freaky looking dude in the background... lol

 

[pieces en regalia]

Look at the link I posted, it shows a version of a wood planer from the mid 1800s with similar roller arrangment. I'm sticking with the planer mill guess. Some of these mills were made to plane, edge, and mold in one pass. This one looks like it does that. Maybe a flooring tongue and groover. The large rotary cutter is for rough thicknessing. The drive gearing suggests way too fast for metal. All rollers are driven the same speed, but are adjustable in thickness to handle the changing thickness of the wood. On the right you have two adjustable vertical saws to size the wood in width. Just in front of that are two opposed horizontal cutters that likely apply a tongue on one side and groove on the other. The middle two bits look like fixed blades for cleaning up the huge amount of tearout the rotary rougher would cause. They look bedded down at the 35-45 degree angle common to wood hand planes.
Michael

 

[pieces en regalia]

Lol tlslights, he looks like he is trying to mesmerize the audience..."You want to buy one of these, YOU WANT TO BUY ONE OF THESE!"