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Atlas Shaper Index Centers

R

RLamparter

Hot Rolled
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Location
Central PA
I picked this indexing device up so many years ago that I can't remember where I got it. No doubt it looked useful to me at the time. Until recently when I ran across a picture of an Atlas Indexing Center for their 7" shaper I didn't know what I had. When I went to read about it on the web, there weren't any pages and only rare images, so I thought I'd post some pictures of mine. It was listed in the Atlas Shaper catalog as S7-400 Index Centers as seen in this grab from a catalog. The indexing plate on mine is not the correct plate. There were two plates that originally came with the device. Each had two circles of holes - 30 and 36 holes in one plate and 28 and 48 holes in the other plate. Indexing was via a pin that was pulled back and pushed into the next hole. That's missing from mine, but would be an easy lathe project. You can see the place in the casting where the pin would line up with the holes. I've got two more photos that won't fit in this post - 5 picture limit, so I'll continue the thread in another post. How many of you have one of these or have seen one?
Index Centers in Atlas Shaper Catalog.jpg01c yellow removed & slightly lighter (Large).jpg02 Oblique view - lighter (Large).jpg03 End with handle (Large).jpg04 End showing where pins would go (Large).jpg
 
OK. Last two photos.
You can see a keyway used to align the device to the shaper's table in the bottom of the one rail.
05 Bottom (Large).jpg

In the other you can see that the handle to spin it has a lock collar that you can hand tighten. The index plate has a keyway that locks it to the spindle.
07 Handle with knob unscrewed (Large).jpg
 
I've got some parts for that sucker, I've got everything you have shown ,with the exception of
the clamp dog and driver, I believe the cast iron base has broken T-slot. I have the 30-36
and 28-48 plates and the spinner casting, crank,and aligning pin. there's also a bunch of T-bolts in the same box. All yours for postage if your interested. Been meaning to throw it all out for darn near 50 yrs. Dave [acme thread]
I've also got a small manual turn;5-1/2" rotary table. Believed to be off the same Atlas 7"shaper. But it's promised to someone else.
 
Wow! 3 inquiries for this junk, It will depend on the OP if he wants them,then I'll go down the list by time arrival. dave [acme thread]
 
I'd be glad to have the indexing plates, but Dave Vincent spotted your offer first. If he doesn't take them, I will.

To those who messaged me off line. I posted this out of general interest because you don't find information about these on the web. It admittedly doesn't fit the table on my South Bend shaper, but if I need to cut a gear for which I don't have the proper involute cutter, the shaper and the indexing center is the solution.
 
I have a set of Southbend shaper indexing centers
and a set of Brown & Sharpe grinder indexing centers.
Both are pretty neat. They are similar to the Atlas
centers pictured. I thought the Atlas centers used
the change gears from an Atlas lathe to do the indexing.
Maybe they have both types.

-Doozer
 
A couple of extra photos now that I have the correct index plates for this and the locking pin. To the best of my knowledge, there were only two plates ever supplied with these devices, one with 28 and 48 holes and one with 30 and 36 holes. The index plate is keyed to the spindle via a pin in the outboard end. In working more on cleaning it up today, I discovered that the headstock center moves. The handle screw in the outboard end pushes on the rear of the center and puts pressure on the work arbor between centers. At the other end of the spindle there is a pin at the bottom of the hole for the bolt in the dog driver. When the dog driver is tightened, its bolt bears on this pin and locks the center. To move the center in or out the dog driver should be loosened slightly. I don't think the handle on the outboard end was really intended to turn the spindle since it loosens too easily despite its locking collar. It appears that the best way to turn the spindle when using it is to turn the index plate or the dog driver. There are a few degrees of slack between the spindle and the index plate, so whatever method you use to turn this in use, do it the same way every time.
01 Oblique view w headstock toward middle (Large).jpg
15 Closeup of pair of index plates (Large).jpg 13 Pin fixing keyway in index plate (Large).jpg
 
Qt:[ I don't think the handle on the outboard end was really intended to turn the spindle since it loosens too easily]

likely it holds going one way. If so then it may be intended to spin the part held between centers so to act like an OD grinder.

Still from here it looks like a jam nut could be set in front of the handle to lock it up for going forward or back.
 
In response to the original poster, I have a few of these fixtures in my inventory. Also have the rotary tables and angle plates. Will be selling complete systems sometime down the road. Always looking for these accessories, whole or parts. Gary R.
 
acme thread said:
I've got some parts for that sucker, I've got everything you have shown ,with the exception of
the clamp dog and driver, I believe the cast iron base has broken T-slot. I have the 30-36
and 28-48 plates and the spinner casting, crank,and aligning pin. there's also a bunch of T-bolts in the same box. All yours for postage if your interested. Been meaning to throw it all out for darn near 50 yrs. Dave [acme thread]
I've also got a small manual turn;5-1/2" rotary table. Believed to be off the same Atlas 7"shaper. But it's promised to someone else.
Click to expand...
That's the aamco (Rockwell) 7 shaper center index not atlas
 
Going by memory here, so verify, but I am pretty sure the Aamco unit uses a spud that fits the hole in the table, and is based on a single tee slot on a larger single long base.
mystery-bench-center-type-tool.385580
[1662687087197.png

from https://www.practicalmachinist.com/forum/threads/mystery-bench-center-type-tool.385580/

That the leading picture in the OP, describes it as "Index Centers for an Atlas Shaper". Probably a clincher, really...
 
Last edited:
Jim Christie said:
For comparison I have attached a screen shot from a scan I have of an Atlas indexing head setup.
My original scan file was too large to upload .
you can see another one here on page 11
Jim
Click to expand...
I have about 80+ percent of one of those sets, and they were for the little miller, a bit different rig than the Shaper one, but still a handy little tool.

Thanks for posting the link to the full scan!
 
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