Patent ID: 6125727
Filing Date: 2000-10-03
Classification: B23B,B23Q,Y10T

Abstract:
On an engine lathe having,a) a bed,b) a headstock with a chuck fixed on the bed,c) a tailstock slidable mounted on tracks on the bed, ande) a power shaft extending along the bed parallel to the tracks;in a method of operation which includesf) chucking a workpiece on the chuck,g) mounting a tool on the tailstock,h) sliding said tailstock along the tracks,i) contacting said tool to said workpiece,j) rotating said workpiece,an improved method of operation comprising:k) clamping a power unit to the tracks on the bed of the lathe,l) connecting a sprocket chain from a sprocket on said power shaft to a sprocket on said power unit thus transferring rotational energy from said power shaft to said power unit,m) moving a translating assembly on the power unit toward the tailstock byn) engaging a forward clutch on the power unit connected to said translating assembly by moving a stick shift into an operation position, andl) pushing said tailstock along the track toward said workpiece at a constant velocity with the power unit, therebym) advancing the tool against the workpiece.