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Gibson Manufacturing machine tools

Elam Works

Aluminum
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Location
Pennsylvania, USA
Hello all,

A bit of a tough one. I have a picture of a machine tool (left, foreground)

factory-09.jpg

that I am trying to figure out what process is being done. It was taken in the Gibson tractor factory, Longmont, CO, circa 1948. When I first saw a lower resolution image of this picture, I thought it might be the end of something like a Barber-Coleman gear hobber. Evidence was being sought that they had in-house gear cutting capability. But now I have a better view and I see what I though might be a gear case cover has a gap in it. In the gap I see what looks like a table or bed. Most odd, it seems to be sitting on a stack of boxes that seem modular, though the top one has some t-slots. At the other end on second base is a headstock? On top of which appears to be an electric motor. Beyond the motor may be a second 'case' like on the near end. Unfortunately there are no workpieces laying around the machine to give a hint as to what was being machined, and therefore what this machine tool might have been. They did have production machines in the factory like double sided millers, so this may not even be a 'conventional;' machine I am just failing to recognize.

Anyone recognize it from this end view?

-Doug
 
I don't recognize the machine specifically, but it might be some type of double-ended boring or planetary mill for machining the ends of axles or other shafts. You'd mount the axle on the table and feed it toward each end in sequence. Or maybe the table is actually fixed and the two spindle heads both move in toward the center.
 
Consult "machinery" magazine back issues (their on google books) look for adverts of Excello machines.
The base with the "racing stripes" looks like theirs.
 
Definitely Ex-Cello twin spindle boring machine. At one time GM had these by the thousands. Fixed spindles table moves. Base is definitely Ex-Cello. The cover you are seeing in the foreground is over spindle(s) that are the same as the ones on the back side of the machine. Coming out of a tractor factory my guess it was boring bearing bores for a gearbox or final drive. The semi finished casting would be mounted on a fixture on the table. The operator would cycle the machine and it would rapid close to the boring tool switch to fine feed and bore one side of the casting. Then rapid to the other end of the table go in to fine feed bore then rapid to the center position and stop. This was all controlled by a large cam in the base.

The machine in the background of the picture is a horizontal spindle production milling machine with a large fixture on the table.
 
Thank you for those replies. Based on the information provided, I went searching for Ex-Cell-O boring machines and eventually found this image from a 1954 Ex-Cell-O brochure which I think shows the same machine.

1954 Ex-Cell-O boring machine.jpg

Gibson had no need for gun drilling, but they did have parts that needed boring.

The machine in the background of the picture is a horizontal spindle production milling machine with a large fixture on the table.

Yes, I noted that and in the original photo you can just see the end of a spiral plain milling cutter on the arbor projecting from between the parts. I cropped some of it away so it would not be a distraction! The concave cone shaped parts sitting upright on the fixture are the rear axle housings for the smaller Gibson tractors. Maybe they bored these on the Ex-Cello-O since the machines are adjacent, except they only needed a bore for a bearing race in one end. They did not need it for transmission cases as one suggestion because those were purchased T96-1 Warner-Gear 'boxes (and prior to that 2nd hand mid-thirties 3-speed GM transmissions!) They did built a full size farm tractors that used a transaxle gearbox of their own design that would be a candidate for boing from both sides, however I do not know if they were yet making those at the time of this photo since I do not see any parts laying around that I can identify. Of course, just because it it can bore from both sides does not mean they were using bosh sides. Or they may have been using it for something else that I am just not thinking of. Also I know from another photo they did have a pair of large and new looking horizontal boring mills. Maybe I should post that to see if anyone recognizes the manufacture.

Thanks,
Doug
 
I did some design work on one about 25 years ago, converted it to a special purpose gun drilling machine. Drilled a hole about 1" diameter by about 8" deep. Parts were about 1-3/4" dia. x 8" long. Machine did two at a time, day in, day out. We did conversions on two machines for his customer. As far as I know the machines are still in use, probably well worn out, but for their needs, they just a hole in the forging before heat treating and machining. Ken
 
Next challenge picture. I know it they are horizontal boring mills, but does anyone recognize the make? Well, I think they are boring mills. Maybe they are very large open bed horizontal millers? Again, these pics would be circa 1948.

factory-06a.jpg

Next, a pair of turret lathes. No bar feeders and the farthest one looks like it might have an air cylinder on the end of the spindle. Again, does anyone recognize the make? Perhaps the handwheel on top of the headstock is a distinctive feature. There looks to be a name on the head stock within a square boarder, but I have not been able to enhance it enough in Photoshop to get a read on it.

factory-01.jpg

The nearest operator I think is running some sort of small horizontal miller. He has his hand on a long lever (capstan mill?) and I think I see what is part of the overarm. The bars loading the carts are axles, and the operation being done could well be milling a keyway on the shaft for a brake drum. The shafts also get a spline on one end, but I see no sign of an indexing head and it looks like the axle is right down on the table. Two more carts of axles are side on by the turret lathes. There are also brake drum castings on the one cart, so either or could be getting machined on the lathes.

-Doug
 
Jim,

I think you nailed it both times. I completely forgot about Gisholt when I was randomly casting about for turret lathe pics. Found this picture which dates to the same time period.

Gisholt-No3-turret-lathe.jpg

Ditto Hydro-Tel, which I did not realize came in a horizontal version. Comparing photos, the handwheel is a definitely a match for what Cincinnati were using on the Hydro-Tels. I think both are horizontals, because if the nearer/right-hand one were a vertical the column would be on the far side of the machine and visible. Found this catalog picture of a horizontal 36x72 Cincinnati Hydro-Tel. The ones Gibson were using lack the outboard overarm support and have the overarm fully retracted.

Cincinnati_36-72-horizontal-Hydro-Tel.jpg

Thanks!
Doug
 
O.k., last two that I have and I expect these might be more difficult. First picture is a duplex miller, and behind that is a second one. Given the recent identification of Cincinnati Hydro-Tels I looked at Cincinnati's offerings in duplex millers and it does not seem to be one of their machine tools. I am hoping the hood over the pulley and counterweight makes it recognizable to someone.

factory-06b.jpg

And now for the bonus challenge! In the background of this picture beyond the tractor being assembled and the parts bins (hence not in focus) are a row of four very tall machines. They seem to be staggered at and angle and the nearest one has a large bar feeder. So I am thinking some sort of multi spindle machine.

factory-04.jpg

Acme Gridley, Davenport and maybe Bostomatic? Of those, I was able to find some pictures of older Acme Gridleys and they did have a large motor on top.

-Doug
 








 
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