Reed Prentice Apron Feed Reverse "Clutch Dog" Missing or Not?

mmcdonald · Jan 21, 2020

Last night started working on RP Apron.

Can someone tell me if the right clutch dog (which seems to be missing in left photo) to reverse the feed is missing on this Reed Prentice apron? or do you simply use the reverse lever on the apron that works a reverse mechanism in front of the line shaft pulley.

The lathe was unloaded in my barn, disassembled, cleaned and moved to my basement. That was 3 months ago and I vaguely remember something hitting the dirt floor when I pulled the feed rod out.

Also how much backlash where feed rod engages the bevel gear is too much, seems very loose to me?

Please forgive my ignorance, very new at this.

johnoder · Jan 21, 2020

To use the feed you have to engage one feed rod bevel with the large bevel and to go the other way you have to disengage the feed rod bevel in use and engage the other feed rod bevel

All I have "pictures" of is the 1930 era apron - which does this like the thumbnail - where the feed rod bevel not in use is only visible on its shifting fork end

Common for the key in the feed rod bevels to wear thin and eventually fail. The 1904 L&S I worked on was so extreme that the whole length of the key way on the feed rod (lead screw on L&S) had to be remachined and new wider keys fitted

mmcdonald said:
Last night started working on RP Apron.

Can someone tell me if the right clutch dog (which seems to be missing in left photo) to reverse the feed is missing on this Reed Prentice apron? or do you simply use the reverse lever on the apron that works a reverse mechanism in front of the line shaft pulley.

The lathe was unloaded in my barn, disassembled, cleaned and moved to my basement. That was 3 months ago and I vaguely remember something hitting the dirt floor when I pulled the feed rod out.

Also how much backlash where feed rod engages the bevel gear is too much, seems very loose to me?

Please forgive my ignorance, very new at this.

mmcdonald · Jan 21, 2020

After spending some time studying the clutch/dog setup realize bevel gear on the left drives the cross slide lead screw, middle position is neutral, to the right engages longitudnal transverse feed, clutch/dog is sheared from the bevel gear on the right, and will need repair for longitunal transverse feed to work. Since I only have a single lathe guess I will need to make the part using manual feeds.

johnoder · Jan 22, 2020

mmcdonald said:
After spending some time studying the clutch/dog setup realize bevel gear on the left drives the cross slide lead screw, middle position is neutral, to the right engages longitudnal transverse feed, clutch/dog is sheared from the bevel gear on the right, and will need repair for longitunal transverse feed to work. Since I only have a single lathe guess I will need to make the part using manual feeds.

Sure about that? Usually (the two small and one large bevels) just REVERSE whatever feed (long or cross) is in use. Possibly RP had a different idea

mmcdonald · Jan 24, 2020

johnoder said:
Sure about that? Usually (the two small and one large bevels) just REVERSE whatever feed (long or cross) is in use. Possibly RP had a different idea

Think so, referring to attached picture. Cross shaft bushing, behind the shift fork, that is keyed to the shaft, selects a bevel gear. When "Power feed Lever" on apron front is selected left, the worm gearing (see picture) turns a gear train that engages the lathe bed rack. When "Power feed Lever" on apron front selected right engages a gear under the cross slide lead screw powering the in/out feed of the cross slide. When "Power feed Lever" on apron front is placed in the middle neutral nothing happens. Engagement dogs on the left bevel gear are missing and will need repair for the longitude transverse power feed to work.

Paolo_MD · Jan 24, 2020

Definitely, the apron of your lathe is somehow confusing. My interpretation is that, if the lever on the front has indeed three positions, you are right in assuming that the dog teeth on the second bevel gear are missing. However, given that both bevel gears are simultaneously engaged to the larger one mounted on the apron wall, the dog clutch only engages and reverse the direction of both longitudinal and transverse feed at the same time.
To actually "activate" the feeds you should have a knob to tighten or release a clutch (mostly conical plates) for each feed.

Missing that set of dog teeth, you do not have the ability of reversing the direction of the feeds on the apron.

Paolo

mmcdonald · Jan 24, 2020

"To actually "activate" the feeds you should have a knob to tighten or release a clutch (mostly conical plates) for each feed."

You are right, there are 2 knobs on apron front that engage the 2 feeds (longitude and cross slide), if you look at 2nd picture in my initial post you can see the knobs. Knob on left engages longitude feed, knob on right engages cross feed lead screw. At the bottom left of the apron should be a lever that reverses direction of the input line shaft pulley (currently not installed).

Lathe is some what obsolete, its designers were still thinking in terms of line shaft input vs a 3 phase electric motor. I am guessing lathe is dated 1910 to 1920 era.

The shift fork rod engages a mechanical brake to the threading half nut mechanism to prevent engagement of threading half nut while using the power feeds.

johnoder · Jan 24, 2020

Clutches are pretty easy to make. This one is a 9 tooth. They are always an odd number

Should be a duplicate of your existing one?

mmcdonald · Jan 24, 2020

johnoder said:
Clutches are pretty easy to make. This one is a 9 tooth. They are always an odd number

Should be a duplicate of your existing one?

Thanks for the good/positive news, with the RP lathe I also have a Brown&Sharpe no2 Universal Horrizpntal Mill but I need a dividing head. Would like to cut spirals some day, any suggestions for sourcing a dividing head?

johnoder · Jan 24, 2020

Rounded up two more in line with the early RPs

There is a much heavier gear head RP in the 1924 book - with apron showing three position lever

johnoder · Jan 24, 2020

mmcdonald said:
Thanks for the good/positive news, with the RP lathe I also have a Brown&Sharpe no2 Universal Horrizpntal Mill but I need a dividing head. Would like to cut spirals some day, any suggestions for sourcing a dividing head?

I see I am using a DH, but I sold it - about 10 years ago

If I made another I would just use my H/V rotary table

If yours is 5 tooth that is no problem - every 72 degrees

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