Abstract:
An adjustable wood lathe includes a platform which has two ends holding respectively a head and a tail seat and also holds a cutter dock in the middle. The head and the platform may be spaced from each other by wedging a plurality of pallets of different thickness between them. The platform and the tail seat also may be spaced from each other by wedging a plurality of pads of different thickness between them. The cutter dock has the top portion couplable with sleeves of different lengths. Thus the cutter rack located on the cutter dock is movable to adjust the elevation corresponding to a working piece to do cutting operation. By increasing the distance of the platform and the center line of the head and tail seat operation range can be flexibly adjusted to do cutting operation of different working pieces.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a wood lathe and particularly to a structure that can flexibly adjust the elevation of the center line of a head and a tail seat from a platform of the wood lathe. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A conventional wood lathe, referring to  FIG. 1 , generally has a platform  1 , a head  2  at one end of the top portion that has one end to generate rotation through a motor and a pulley (not shown in the drawing) and another end with a head mandrel  3  located thereon, and a tail seat  4  located at another end of the platform  1  with a tail mandrel  5  located thereon opposing the head  2 . The head mandrel  3  and the tail mandrel  5  are positioned on straight line to jointly clamp a rod type working piece to rotate between them. There is a cutter rack  6  in the middle of the platform  1  that allows user&#39;s hands to straddle thereon reciprocally left and right so that a cutter held by the hands can perform cutting operation on the working piece to form curves of different diameters and lengths on the surface of the working piece. The elevation of the head  2  and tail seat  4  cannot be altered. Hence the diameter of the working piece is limited to a selected range. If the diameter of the working piece is too large, it will hit wooden chips accumulated on the platform  1 . Hence the wooden chips have to be cleared frequently. Due to the conventional wood lathe has a limited working range its application also is restricted and cannot handle the working piece of a greater size. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Therefore the primary object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable wood lathe that includes a platform which has an axial dovetail trough in the middle, a head fastened to a head end of the dovetail trough and a tail seat fastened to a tail end of the dovetail trough. There is also a L-shaped cutter dock located in a middle portion of the platform. The head has a bottom which can be spaced from the platform by wedging a plurality of pallets of different thickness between them. The tail seat also can be spaced from the platform by wedging a plurality of pads between them. The cutter dock has a duct at the top to be coupled with a first sleeve or a second sleeve of different lengths so that a cutter rack located at an upper side of the cutter dock can be adjusted at varying elevation to allow user&#39;s hands straddle thereon to perform cutting operation on a working piece. By means of the construction set forth above the elevation of the center line between the head and tail seat can be increased to do cutting operation of the working piece of varying diameters to prevent the working piece from hitting the wooden chips accumulated on the platform. 
         [0004]    The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional wood lathe. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention with a first and second pallets and a first pad in an assembled condition. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the invention with a first, second and third pallets and a first and second pads in an assembled condition. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0009]    Please refer to  FIG. 2 , the adjustable wood lathe according to the invention includes: 
         [0010]    an elongate platform  10  which has an axial dovetail trough  11  formed at the top thereof and four bores  12  formed on a head end thereof; 
         [0011]    a head  20  which straddles a head end of the dovetail trough  11  and has an axial head mandrel in the center and an aperture  21  formed at each of four corners of the bottom thereof to be run through by a bolt  22  to be fastened to the bore  12  of the platform  10 . The head  20  further has a latch ridge  26  at the bottom formed in a shape mating the dovetail trough  11  so that the latch ridge can be slid from one side of the platform  10  and fastened thereon; 
         [0012]    a first pallet  23 , a second pallet  24  and a third pallet  25  that are mating the profile of the bottom of the head  20 . The third pallet  25  has a thickness greater than the first and second pallets  23  and  24 , and is hollow. The first pallet  23  has a jutting retaining ring  231  in the middle of the top portion thereof and a fisheye opening  232  at each of four corners thereof to allow the bolt  22  to run through from the upper side to the lower side to fasten the first pallet  23  to the bore  12  of the platform  10 . The first pallet  23  further has a first latch member  233  at the bottom to wedge in the dovetail trough  11  from one side. The second pallet  24  has a second coupling opening  241  in the center to be coupled on the periphery of the retaining ring  231  of the first pallet  23 . The second pallet  24  can be fastened to the retaining ring  231  by screwing a screw  242  from an outer side with a distal end thereof pressing an outer wall of the retaining ring  231 . The second pallet  24  also has a screw hole  243  at each of four corners thereof, and a second dovetail trough  244  in the middle of the top surface to be coupled with the latch ridge  26  of the head  20 . The third pallet  25  has a third coupling opening  251  running through up and down in the center and a screw hole  252  at each of four corners thereof to receive the bolt  22 , and a third dovetail trough  253  at the top portion thereof to be wedged in by the latch ridge  26  of the head  20 ; 
         [0013]    a tail seat  30  which has an axial tail mandrel opposing the head mandrel and a jutting rail  31  at the bottom corresponding the dovetail trough  11  to be wedged in from the tail side of the platform  10  for anchoring thereon; 
         [0014]    a first pad  32  with a first rail  321  at the bottom to be wedged in the dovetail trough  11  from one side. The first pad  32  has a first sliding trough  322  at the top and four corners to receive respectively a bolt  34  upwards to run through the bottom of the platform  10  and the first pad  32  to be fastened to the surface of the platform  10 ; 
         [0015]    a second pad  33  which is hollow from a front side through a rear side, and formed at a thickness greater than the first pad  32 . The third pad  33  has a second rail  331  at the bottom mating the dovetail  11  of the platform  10  and is fastened to the platform  10  through the four bolts  34  from the bottom of the platform  10  to the top surface thereof. The second pad  33  has through holes  332  at the four corners of the top side each engages with a bolt  333  running through the second pad  33  upwards to be fastened to the bottom of the tail seat  30  so that the second pad  33  and the tail seat  30  are bonded together. The second pad  33  further has a second sliding trough  334  at the top portion to be coupled with the jutting rail  31  of the tail seat  30 ; 
         [0016]    a cutter dock  40  which is formed in a L-shape and located between the head  20  and tail seat  30  with a horizontal bottom wedging in the dovetail trough  11  of the platform  10 , and has a duct  41  at the top; 
         [0017]    a first sleeve  42  which has the bottom formed at a diameter smaller than the top thereof. The bottom is couplable with the duct  41  and fastened thereon through a screw  43  from an outer side of the duct  41  with a distal end of the screw  43  pressing an outer wall at the bottom of the first sleeve  42  to fasten the first sleeve  42  to the duct  41 ; 
         [0018]    a second sleeve  44  formed at a length greater than the first sleeve  42  and a bottom at a diameter smaller than the top thereof such that the bottom is insertable in the duct  41  and also is fastened through the screw  43 ; and 
         [0019]    a cutter rack  45  which has the bottom insertable into the duct  41  or engageable with the top of the first sleeve  42  or the second sleeve  44 . The cutter rack  45  has an axial top portion relative to the platform  10  to allow user&#39;s hands to straddle thereon. 
         [0020]    By means of the construction set forth above, when in use and the size of a working piece is greater than an allowable range, the head  20  can be raised at a higher elevation by fastening the first pallet  23  to the top of the platform  10 , or further stacking the second pallet  24  at the top portion of the first pallet  23  as shown in  FIG. 3  with the head  20  straddling the top surface of the second pallet  24 . Then the head  20  can be fastened to the platform  10  by screwing the four bolts  22  through the apertures  21  downwards through the second pallet  24 . Hence the distance between the head  20  and the top surface of the platform  10  can be increased. The first pad  32  also may be fastened to the tail end of the platform  10  to increase the distance of the tail seat  30  and the platform  10  so that the tail mandrel of the tail seat  30  and the head mandrel of the head  20  can be positioned at the same horizontal line to prevent the working piece from hitting wooden chips accumulated on the surface of the platform  10 . 
         [0021]    With the center line of the head  20  and the tail seat  30  is raised at a higher elevation, user&#39;s hands straddling on the cutter rack  45  also have to be positioned higher. To accomplish this, the first sleeve  42  may be selected to couple with the duct  41 , and the cutter rack  45  is inserted in the first sleeve  42 . 
         [0022]    The third pallet  25  may also be stacked on the first pallet  23  as shown in  FIG. 4  with the retaining ring  231  of the first pallet  23  running through the third coupling opening  251  of the third pallet  25  so that a fine tuning can be made to match the working piece. 
         [0023]    The tail seat  30  can be raised even higher by fastening the second pad  33  to the platform  10  with the second sliding trough  334  coupling with the jutting rail  31 , while the duct  41  of the cutter dock  40  is coupled with the longer second sleeve  44 . Then the cutter held by user&#39;s hands can be positioned horizontally against the center line of the working piece to do cutting operation. 
         [0024]    Of course the first, second and third pallets  23 ,  24  and  25  also may be stacked over one another to allow the head  20  to be fastened to the top surface of the third pallet  25 . And the first and second pads  32  and  33  may also be stacked over each other and fastened to the lower side of the tail seat  30 , while the second sleeve  44  can be coupled on the first sleeve  42  with the duct  41  of the cutter dock  45  mounting thereon to further raise the elevation thereof to do cutting operating for the working piece of a greater diameter. 
         [0025]    It is to be noted that the head  20  can be fastened inversely to the first pallet  23 , or second pallet  24  or third pallet  25 . The head mandrel of the head  20  may be replaced by a chuck (not shown in the drawings) to clamp the working piece of a greater size without being constrained by the surface elevation of the platform  10 . 
         [0026]    As a conclusion, the invention can adjust the distance of the platform  10  and the center line of the head  20  and tail seat  30  according to requirements in response to a greater working piece which exceeds the original diameter setting of the wood lathe. Thus the working piece can be cut as desired without hitting the wooden chips accumulated on the top surface of the platform  10 . User operation also is smoother and easier. 
         [0027]    While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.