Improvements in and relating to Engine Lathes and similar Machine Tools.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Engine Lathes and similar
Machine Tools.
A communication from abroad by the DRAPER MACHINE TOOL COMPANY, of 130,
Gold Street, Worcester, in the State of Massachusetts, United States of
America, Machinists.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, in the
County of Middlesex, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
In engine lathes and similar machine tools of modern construction, the presence,
in a single machine, of diverse attachments to which the attention of the operator
must be constantly directed, has become the source of considerable annoyance,
preventing, as it does, due application of the operator to the work in hand, with
consequent impairment in the quality of the latter, while the stoppage of the
machine to make frequent substitutions of gear and the like, cuts seriously into the
time during which the machine is available for work, and affects to a considerable
extent the earnings of machines whose size and complexity entails a high initial
expense.
In recent types of lathes, various expedients have been adopted to obviate
the necessity for these interruption, but the operator is still compelled at
times to leave the point at which the work lies, to adjust the regulating devices
provided, and these accordingly fall short of affording the desired relief, especially in
the case of the larger sizes of screw cutting lathes, where often, upon a single piece
of work, threads of different pitch must be formed, and the adjustment should be
effected instantly, and at times without stopping the work.
Accordingly, the object of this invention is to provide for increased flexibility
of adjustment between the various mechanisms in machine tools, and to accomplish
an efficient organization of the same, with the regulating devices under the control
of the operator at a central point adjacent the work, while provision has also been
made for rotation of the lead-screw with greatly diminished opportunity for
deleterious torsion.
One class of machine tool to which this invention may be applied is a screw
cutting engine lathe.
The machine has a base with bed; the tail stock; head, including live spindle,
cone of belt pulleys, and back gear; which may be of ordinary construction or
suitable desired construction, the power for the feeding mechanism being led out: in
any suitable manner, as to a convenient feed stud, or its equivalent, from a spindle
pinion, by means of the usual train of gearing preferably including reversing gears,
chiefly enclosed in the ordinary manner within the head, and for the sake of
convenience preferably controllable by means of an ordinary intermediate pull gear
and a reversing rod and lever all connected and cooperating.
In suitable bearings on the base or frame and extending across the front thereof
longitudinally, is mounted rotatably an actuating shaft to receive gearing in train

page_text: with the feed stud from which the shaft derives its power, through auxiliary variable
speed transmitting devices, composed in this instance of cooperating multiple speed
cones of gears, any pair of which may be brought into action, while the others run
freely.
A convenient manner to regulate the rate of transmission at this point is to mount
the gears of the cone loosely on the shaft, but retained thereon by a nut governing
the interior of their hubs respectively, to receive a feather carried by, and projecting
from, a pull spline, which latter is seated in a longitudinal groove of the shaft enlarged
to permit lateral play of the spline as the feather dodges under the rings provided
between the gears to normally prevent escape of the feather from the hub of the
gear selected, and also to prevent the spline from engaging with more than one gear
at the same time, a spring and screw or other suitable means serving to throw the
feather into engagement properly and hold it up to its work.
The spline is carried through the bearing to suitable controlling means, as the
handle located at a point to be conveniently reached by the operator who can, by it,
throw in any pair of the gears permitting for instance five different rates of
transmission from a given speed at the feed stud or from an intermediate feed
gear.
When cooperating with a cone of loose gears as just described, the gears of the
primary cone may be fast either together, or to a common quill with which the outer
gear may conveniently be formed as a quill pinion, said quill being mounted rotatably
on a stud, or the frame preferably, while the intermediate driving gear is provided,
as usual, to give greater possibility of adjustment and for this reason, it is preferably
mounted on an adjustable support permitting change of gears although it may be
omitted entirely, provided this connection between the feed stud or its equivalent,
and the auxiliary multiple speed changing devices can be properly effected by other
means.
Parallel with the actuating shaft extends the lead screw rotatably mounted in
suitable bearings.
The lead screw (preferably) is normally disconnected, and at rest, terminating at
the bearing with retaining collars, and only rotates while feeding during the operation
of the tool.
On the bed is fitted to slide longitudinally the tool carrier (say) as a "main
carriage," preferably having a cross slide with tool block, and any other attachments
while from the carriage, and movable with it, depends an apron.
The actuation of the tool carrier in work and the organization of the various
mechanisms with centralization of the regulating devices under the control of the
operator, constitute important features of the invention.
All or most types of lathes extant having rotatable lead screws, are universally
open to the objection that the lead screw is rotated from its end, and at such a
distance from the point of driving engagement with the tool carrier, that a strong
torsional force is exerted upon the intermediate portion of the screw frequently
destroying its ability to accurately guide the tool in cutting the finer pitches of screw
thread.
In carrying out this invention means are provided movable with the tool carrier,
to rotate the lead-screw, and this means may comprise a plurality of different sized
gears (say) rotatable about a horizontal axis and assembled in the form of a stack upon
a quill or support and which preferably surrounds the lead screw, but preferably
without deriving any support therefrom or in any manner interfering with normal
isolation thereof, and suitable provision is made for actuation of the stack at various
speeds by the driving shaft, and for connection of the stack at times with the lead
screw to drive the latter and thereby feed the carriage.
More specifically the features of my invention can thus be detailed:-The apron is
provided with bearings carrying the rotatable quill upon which are co-axially
assembled different sized gears, fastened in the form of a stack upon the quill, by
splines.
.
As a convenient selector device or medium whereby to connect the actuating shaft,

page_text: with any of the gears, that the speed of the quill may be thus varied, I may use a
selector arm carrying an intermediate gear constantly in mesh with a pinion on the
actuating shaft if the stack is opposite said shaft, and adapted to he swung into
cooperative engagement with any of the gears constituting the stack.
The selector arm may slide with its pinion along the actuating shaft to the desired
point, and I may use a pinion splined in a groove and having a hub upon which is
seated and retained by a collar a hub of an arm and the latter I construct preferably
with an extension providing also a stud to receive the intermediate gear and a locking
bolt the head of which serves as a controlling handle for the arm, and the pitch
governing mechanism in general with suitable locking means.
To draw the locking bolt into locking position, a spring may be provided, seated in
an enlargement of the bearing and pressing at one end against a shoulder on the
bolt, while at its other end a bushing screwed into the arm member holds the spring
up to its work.
To operate the arm for a change of gear the handle is grasped and pulled out
withdrawing the bolt from the hole when the arm will be free then moved laterally
opposite the notch corresponding to the gear which will give the desired rate, when
upon reversal of the operation, the intermediate gear will be fixed in adjusted position
by locking of the handle.
Connection between the stack and the lead screw may be affected by an inter-
mediate member such as a suitable driving member formed integral with the hub of
the stack gear, while the driven member is splined into or rotatively connected with
the lead screw on which it is free to move both when being thrown in, and when
carried bodily by movement of the apron, the isolation of the lead screw being
preferably preserved as by the member deriving its support from the bearing through
the mere presence directly on the lead screw, of a clutch member or its equivalent, if
normally free would not be sufficient to hamper it to a great degree.
The members of this clutch may be enclosed almost entirely within the
hearing.
"open
The driven clutch member may be in close juxtaposition to the split or
and shut" nut eliminating torsion on an extended intermediate portion of the lead
screw.
The clutch connects up the screw, only when the feed is to begin and its
engagement is preferably effected concurrently with, and by, shutting of the nut
members to grasp the lead screw.
To throw on the nut, I employ preferably the usual handle disc having cam slots
to receive and actuate projections extending through slots of the apron outside
which the handle disc is free to rotate on a suitable support.
Rotation of the disc by raising the handle draws the pins toward the support and
the nut members together, embracing the screw, the usual slides serving in
co-operation with under cut rabbets to maintain the nut members in parallelism.
One form of means to transmit the motion of the lever handle to the clutch
member to secure the concurrent actuation are bell crank levers carried pivottally on
suitable supports on the apron and having respectively one arm connected to one of
the slides or other parts of the nut member and the other arin respectively opera-
tively connected to the clutch inember.
Simultaneous actuation of clutch and nut is thus ensured, but no interference is
made with rotation of the clutch member after it is thrown in, as the annular rack
will run freely between the teeth of the bell cranks.
Having thus fully set forth the preferred arrangement of the lead screw and the
parts which co-operate with it, is accordance with my novel arrangement, to effect
the feed proper, I will now describe the mechanis:n by which the tool carrier (which
term I use generically for the main carriage or its equivalent and the parts carried
thereby) can be actuated in various directions and for various purposes by the same
shaft which actuates the feed screw, but without disturbance of the latter.
The construction and manner of operation of the gearing employed, in general
differs but little from the ordinary, but novelties of arrangement and actuation will

page_text: be described and their presence and advantage be fully apparent to those skilled in
the art.
I prefer to remove the actuating worm from its ordinary position on the lead screw
and while the worm may be placed on the actuating shaft or in any other suitable
place on the carriage, I prefer to utilize a separate worm shaft and by suitable
connections secure for the worm the capability of actuation at all the different speeds
transmitted by a stack and such connection may be through the stack quill pinion to
a gear connected operatively with the worm shaft as by a clutch, of which the hub
seated in a suitable bearing may be arranged to serve as a member.
This clutch's driven member may be formed as a sleeve splined to the worm shaft
and capable of axial movement thereon to permit engagement or disengagement of
the member to throw the worm shaft in or out of connection with the stack.
To avoid breakage, it is necessary that the lead screw and the mechanical traverse
should not be in operation simultaneously at different speeds, and it is preferred to
obviate the chance for an accident through carelessness of the operator, by interlock-
ing the open and shut nut and a suitable part or parts of the power feed controlling
means, in this instance the worm shaft clutch, in such a manner that only one of
them can possibly be closed at a time.
To this end preferably the worm shaft clutch is brought under control of the
handle by the use of an actuating or interlocking device as a link or lever of suitable
construction connected to the controller of the worm shaft clutch suitably connected
to the clutch sleeve intermediate its connections with the sleeve and lever.
The interlocking lever has a bearing in a slot of the bearing and extends beyond
the same toward the handle disc, preferably having its end forked to bear on the post,
while operating connection between the lever and dise may be effected by a pin and
cam slot union, whereby rotation of the disc will cause longitudinal movement of the
lever one way or the other to throw the clutch member.
To ensure complete disengagement of the clutch members before the open and
shut nut can be closed, the slot has an inclined shoulder against which a lug impinges
with a quick throw of the lever immediately upon the commencement of rotation of
the disc and before the effect upon the pins has reached such a degree as to approach
the nut members to the point of engagement with the feed screw.
Similarly upon reversal of the operation, the lever "lags" until the nut members
have been thrown free of the lead screw.
To permit actuation of the cross feed by power, from the worm, a suitable train of
gears and pinions is used in mesh with a pinion on the cross feed shaft leading
to a convenient point for engagement at times by a rock gear itself in mesh with
a pinion deriving its power from a worm gear meshing with the worm.
Similarly, alternative engagement by the rock gear may be caused with an oppo-
sitely placed gear in train with a longitudinal feed rack on the frame, through
suitable gearing, which serves to enable the operator to throw the pinion stud into
or out of engagement with the rack, chiefly that the usual handle pinion and its
handle may be disconnected when idle.
In the preferred form of supporting means for the rock gear, and connection with
the worm gear the gear rotates upon a stud carried by a rocking plate or support
which is seated upon and rotatable about a suitable projection from or part carried
by the apron, in this instance an inward extension of a bearing box, screwed into an
aperture in the apron and traversed by a bushing or rotatable sleeve-like member in
turn carrying a shaft.
Seated on the said sleeve within the apron are the worm gear and the pinion of
which the first is free to rotate, while the pinion is splined to a groove in the sleeve
and, is in mesh with the rock gear which on its support is capable of limited revolu-
tion about the pinion, remaining always in mesh therewith.
To connect the worm gear with the sleeve at such times as the operator may elect,
thus placing under his control the instantaneous starting and stopping of the power
feeds even during constant rotation of the worm I interpose a clutch, in which the web

page_text: of the worin gear is recessed to receive a bevel nut or clutch member, the latter
having a central threaded aperture to receive the threaded end of the shaft which is
further provided at its outer end with suitable controlling means, and at both ends
with retaining nuts.
The intermediate connection between the sleeve and bevel nut is by providing the
sleeve with a terminal shoulder or ring preferably integral with the material of the
sleeve, and having a lug or projection the shoulder and lug entering a correspondingly
shaped recess in the bevel nut which, upon turning of the handle one way or the
other, is drawn against, or forced away from, the worin gear, the general relative
position of the sleeve, bevel clutch nut and shaft being preferably maintained by an
annular shoulder on the shaft, or by equivalent means.
For convenience in manipulation of the rock gear support, the stud is extended
through a curved slot in the apron, threaded, and provided with a controller nut or
handle which may be reduced a trifle at its inner end to enter when screwed in and
to be locked within any one of the three intersecting circular holes forming the slot.
A lever of usual construction is splined to a groove in the reversing shaft its hub
entering the apron bearing and having a groove to receive a pin by which it is caused
to travel with the carriage, and is always at hand for reversal of the carriage or
stoppage thereof.
Cams cooperating with adjustable can stops serve to cause automatic stoppage or
reversal of the carriage at the respective ends of its predetermined range of
movement.
Interlocking means between the power feed mechanism and open and shut nut, or
the equivalent of the latter, are important.
This interlocking mechanism is applied in part to the interlocking lever in the
form of shoulders and partly to the rocking plate in the form of arms or projections
extended from the plate adjacent to and adapted to cooperate at times with the
shoulders.
When the parts are in position that the lead screw being thrown out and the worm
shaft connected, the projections will clear the shoulders, if the plate be rotated either
to the right or to the left, either the power cross feed or longitudinal feed may be
thrown in.
When, however, the handle is turned to throw on the open and shut nut, the
movement of the said interlocking lever to the left will carry its shouldered portion to
such a position that upon an attempt to rock the plate to the left, the arm will
engage the shoulder and rocking movement in the opposite direction will be prevented
by engagement of the arm and shoulder thus effectually stalling the rock gear and
power feeds when the lead screw is in mesh.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Engine Lathes and similar
Machine Tools.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, in the County
of Middlesex, Chartered Patent Agent (communication from the Draper Machine
Tool Company, of 130, Gold Street, Worcester, in the State of Massachusetts, United
States of America, Machinists), do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"Improvements in and relating to engine lathes and similar machine tools" and in

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
In engine lathes and similar machine tools of modern construction, the presence,
in a single machine, of diverse attachments to which the attention of the operator
must be constantly directed, has become the source of considerable annoyance, pre-
venting, as it does, due application of the operator to the work in hand, with
consequent impairment in the quality of the latter, while the stoppage of the machine
to make frequent substitutions of gear and the like, cuts seriously into the time
during which the machine is available for work, and affects to a considerable extent
the earnings of machines whose size and complexity entails a high initial expense.
In recent types of lathes, various expedients have been adopted to obviate the
necessity for these interruptions, but the operator is still compelled at times to leave
the point at which the work lies, to adjust the regulating devices provided, and these
accordingly fall short of affording the desired relief, especially in the case of the larger
sizes of screw-cutting lathes, where often, upon a single piece of work, threads of
different pitch must be formed, and the adjustment should be effected instantly, and
at times without stopping the work.
Accordingly, the object of this invention is to provide for increased flexibility of
adjustment between the various mechanisms in machine tools, and to accomplish an
efficient organization of the same, with the regulating devices under the control of
the operator at a central point, adjacent the work, while provision has also been made
for rotation of the lead-screw with greatly diminished opportunity for deleterious
torsion.
Figure 1, is a view in perspective of a screw-cutting engine lathe equipped with
mechanisin embodying my invention, part of the apron being broken away to reveal
the operating parts carried thereby;
Figure 2, is an elevation of the gearing at the head of the lathe ;
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the bearing a¹² and adjacent
operating parts, Figure 1;
Figure 4, is a view in rear elevation of the apron and parts carried thereby,
Figure 5 being a plan of the saine, and Figure 6 a vertical transverse section on the
line xx, Figure 4, looking from right to left;
Figure 7, is a longitudinal vertical section of the stack of gears with the lead screw
shown in elevation, the view being taken on the line y-y, Figure 5, looking from
rear to front of the apron ;
Figure 8, a detail of the interlocking lever with the mechanism which it connects,
and
Figure 9, is a vertical sectional detail on the line 2-2, Figure 4, showing the
controlling devices for the ordinary mechanical or power feed, longitudinal and
cross, while Figure 10, is a view in elevation, of the worm-gear, in place, with the
bevel nut omitted, looking from left to right, Figure 9.
As an example of one class of machine tool to which my invention may be applied
with great advantage I have selected for illustration and description a screw cutting
engine lathe, of a well-known type, equipped with mechanism embodying my improve-
ments in their preferred form.
as
The base A with the bed a; the tail stock a¹; the head a², including live spindle a³,
cone a of belt pulleys, and back a³, may be of ordinary construction
illustrated, or of suitable desired construction, the power for the feeding mechanism
being led out in any suitable manner, preferably as usual to a convenient feed-
stud as, or its equivalent, from a spindle pinion a', by means of the usual train of
gearing as, preferably including reversing gears, chiefly enclosed in the ordinary
manner within the head, and for the sake of convenience preferably controllable
by means of an ordinary intermediate pull-gear a and a reversing rod a¹ and

page_text: lever a, all connected to, and co-operating with, the mechanism already referred
to, in well-known fashion.
In suitable bearings a12, 13, on the base or frame A, and extending across the
front thereof longitudinally, is mounted rotatably an actuating shaft B, preferably
projecting beyond its bearing at the head of the frame to receive gearing in train
with the feed-stud a, from which the shaft derives its power, (preferably as
illustrated) through auxiliary variable-speed transmitting devices, composed in this
instance of co-operating multiple-speed cones of gears b, bl, any pair of which may
be brought into action, while the others run freely.
As a convenient manner in which to regulate the rate of transmission at this point,
I mount the gears of the cone 6' loosely on the shaft B, but retained thereon by a
nut 6, as best seen in Figure 3, grooving the interior of their hubs respectively, as
at 62, to receive a feather 63 carried by, and projecting from, a pull-spline 64, which
latter is seated in a longitudinal groove of the shaft B, enlarged at 6º to permit
lateral play of the spline as the feather 63 dodges under the rings provided between
the gears to normally prevent escape of the feather from the hub of the gear selected,
and also to prevent the spline from engaging with more than one gear at the same
time, a spring 68 and screw 15 or other suitable means serving to throw the feather
into engagement properly and hold it up to its work.
The spline is carried through the bearing 2 to suitable controlling means, as the
handle 6º, located at a point to be conveniently reached by the operator who can, by
it, throw in any pairs of the gears, of which five are shown in the drawings, permitting
consequently five different rates of transmission from a given speed at the feed
stud a, or rather from an intermediate feed gear 610 in this instance.
When co-operating with a cone of loose gears arranged as just described, the gears
of the primary cone 6 may and should be fast either together, or preferably to a
common quill, (see Figure 2) with which the outer gear may conveniently be
formed as a quill pinion, said quill being mounted rotatably on a stud a¹, on the
frame preferably, while the intermediate driving gear 610 I provide as usual to give
greater possibility of adjustment if desired, and for this reason it is preferably
mounted on an adjustable support 612, permitting substitution or interchange of gears
in well known manner, although it may be omitted entirely, provided this connection
between the feed-stud a or its equivalent, and the auxiliary multiple speed-changing
devices b, b, can be properly effected by other means.
Parallel with the actuating shaft B, in this instance above and slightly behind
it, extends the lead screw C, rotatably mounted in suitable bearings which, for the
sake of accuracy and ease of assemblage, are preferably integral with the shaft
bearings a 13, as illustrated.
In the preferred form of my invention the lead screw is normally disconnected, and
at rest, terminating at the bearing 2, with retaining collars c, and only rotates
while feeding during the operation of the tool, as will be more fully explained
hereinafter.
"main
On the bed a is fitted to slide longitudinally the tool carrier D, shown as a
carriage," of usual form and preferably having a cross-slide d, with tool block d', and
any other attachments of usual or desired construction, while from the carriage,
and movable with it, depends the apron E, secured by suitable means, as lugs 35 and
similar in general contour to those in use at the present day.
The actuation of the tool carrier during and for the purpose of the work, as
well as at other times, and the organization of the various mechanisms by which
this is accomplished, with centralization of the regulating devices under the control
of the operator, constitute important features of my invention, and before describing
in detail the mechanism which I have selected to illustrate my novel method of
operation, I desire to outline briefly the features wherein ny invention departs
radically from the principles of operation heretofore adopted by others in their efforts
to accomplish the same end.
So far as my coarespondents are aware all types of lathes extant having rotatable
lead-screws, are universally open to the objection that the lead-screw is rotated from

page_text: its end, and at such a distance from the point of driving engagement with the tool
carrier, that a strong torsional force is exerted upon the intermediate portion of the
screw, frequently destroying its ability to accurately guide the tool in cutting the
finer pitches of screw thread.
In carrying out my invention I provide means, moveable with the tool-carrier, to
rotate the lead-screw, and in the preferred form of construction illustrated, this means
is shown as comprising a plurality of different sized gears of the type common to a
number of lathes of this class, preferably rotatable about a horizontal axis and for the
sake of compactness assembled in the form of a stack upon a quill or support on
which they are all fast, and which preferably surrounds the lead-screw, but preferably
without deriving any support therefrom or in any manner interfering with normal
isolation thereof, and suitable provision is made, on the one hand for actuation of the
stack at various speeds by the driving shaft, and on the other hand for connection of
the stack at times with the lead-screw to drive the latter and thereby feed the
carriage.
To more specifically describe the illustrated embodiment of this feature of my
invention, upon reference to the drawings, especially Figures 1 and 4-7, the apron E
is seen to be provided with bearings e, e¹, carrying the rotateable quill e², upon which
are co-axially assembled different sized gears fastened in the form of a stack ex upon
the quill, by splines e³, et, and in this instance ten in number, and designated accord-
ingly in Figure 7, not including the quill-pinion e.
As a convenient selector device or medium whereby to connect the actuating-
shaft B with any of the gears, that the speed of the quill may be thus varied, there
is adopted the well known expedient of a selector arm carrying an intermediate gear
constantly in mesh with a pinion on the actuating shaft, inasmuch as I have in this
instance shown the stack opposite said shaft, and adapted to be swung into co-
operative engagement with any of the gears constituting the stack.
I have illustrated a form of selector arm which slides with its pinion along the
actuating shaft to the desired point, and I prefer to use (see Figure 6), a pinion e
splined at e in the groove 65 and having a hub es upon which is seated and retained by
a collar e (see Figure 4) the hub e¹0 of the arm ell and the latter I construct preferably
for convenience of manufacture, with an extension e12, providing also a stud e¹s to
receive the intermediate gear e14, and a locking bolt F, the head of which serves as a
controlling handle for the arm ell and the pitch governing mechanism in general,
while any suitable locking means may be employed as the locking plate e¹s of ordinary
or desired form, having positioning notches e¹e and locking holes e17 in series cor-
responding respectively to the gears of the stack and to permit the arm to be locked
with its gear e¹ in engagement with any of the gears 1-10 as desired.
To draw the locking bolt into locking position, a spring ƒ may be provided,
seated (see Figure 6) preferably in an enlargement f¹ of the bearing f2, and
pressing at one end against a shoulder f³ on the bolt, while at its other end a
bushing, screwed into the arm member f, holds the spring up to its work.
To operate the arm for a change of gear, it is only necessary to grasp and pull out
the handle F, withdrawing the bolt from the hole e7, when the arm will be free, to
be depressed and thereby released from the corresponding notch, then moved laterally
opposite the notch corresponding to the gear which will give the desired rate, when
upon reversal of the operation, the intermediate gear e¹ will be fixed in adjusted
position by locking of the handle.
Passing now to the connection between the stack and the lead-screw, this may be
effected most conveniently by means of an intermediate member or clutch, and one
form of such a connection accordingly I have shewn in the drawings, where h (see
Figure 7) designates a suitable driving member formed, for strength and compactness,
integral with the hub of the stack-gear 1, while h¹ designates the driven member
splined at h² into a groove c¹ of, or otherwise suitably rotatively connected with, the
lead-screw, upon which, however, it is free to move longitudinally both when being
thrown in, and when carried bodily by movement of the apron, the isolation of the
lead-screw being preferably preserved absolutely, as illustrated, inasmuch as the

page_text: member h¹ derives its support from the bearing e, though the mere presence directly
on the lead-screw, of a clutch member or its equivalent, if normally free, would not
be sufficient to hamper it to a great degree.
The members of this clutch are shown as both enclosed almost entirely within the
bearing e, thus not only promoting stability, but also aiding to permit the confine-
ment of the operating parts within the limits of a relatively small apron.
Of greater advantage still is the close juxtaposition of the driven clutch-
member h¹ to the split or "open and shut" nut, absolutely eliminating, as I have
already noted, all deleterious effects from torsion on an extended intermediate portion
of the lead-screw, of which scarcely half an inch intervenes between clutch and nut
in the instance illustrated.
The clutch is thrown into operation to connect up the screw, only when the feed is
to begin, and its engagement is preferably effected concurrently with, and by,
shutting of the nut members k, k, of ordinary or desired form to grasp the lead-
screw.
To throw on the nut, I employ preferably the usual handle-disc 2 (best seen in
Figure 8) having cam slots to receive and actuate pins or projections extending
through slots 25 (see dotted lines, Figures 4 and 7) in the face of the apron, outside
which the handle disc is free to rotate on a suitable post or support 5.
Rotation of the disc by raising the handle K from the position illustrated draws the
pins toward the post, and the nut-members k, k¹ together, embracing the screw,
the usual slides serving in co-operation with under-cut rabbets 7 to maintain the
nut. members in parallelism.
As one form of suitable means to transmit the motion of the lever-handle K to the
clutch-member h¹ to secure the concurrent actuation mentioned shortly above, I
provide bell-crank levers, carried pivotally on suitable supports * on the apron
and having respectively one arm connected to one of the slides or other parts
of the nut members k, k', as by a slot receiving pins 10, and the other arm
respectively operatively connected to the clutch member h¹ as by teeth taking into
or engaging a circular rack or similar peripheral projection h³ on the enlargement
preferably made on the exposed portion of the clutch member.
Simultaneous actuation of clutch and nut is thus ensured, but no interference is
made with rotation of the clutch member h after it is thrown in, as the annular rack h
will run freely between the teeth of the bell cranks 18.
Having thus fully set forth the preferred arrangement of the lead-screw and the
parts which co-operate with it in accordance with my novel arrangement, to effect the
feed proper, I will now describe the mechanism by which the tool-carrier (which
term I use generically for the main carriage or its equivalent and the parts carried
thereby) can be actuated in various directions and for various purposes by the same
shaft which actuates the feed screw, but without disturbance of the latter.
The construction and manner of operation of the gearing employed, in general
differs but little from the ordinary, but certain novelties of arrangement and
actuation will emerge in the following description, and their presence and advantage
be fully apparent therefrom, and from an inspection of the drawings to those
skilled in the art.
screw,
I prefer to remove the actuating worm from its ordinary position on the lead-
and while the worm may be placed on the actuating shaft or in any other
suitable place on the carriage, I prefer to utilize a separate worm shaft N, and by
suitable connections secure for the worm the capability of actuation at all the
different speeds transmitted by the stack ex, such connection being effected in this
instance through the stack quill pinion e5 to a gear n connected operatively with
the worm shaft, preferably as shown, by a clutch, of which the hub n¹ (best seen in
Figure 8) seated in a suitable bearing 30, may be and preferably is arranged to
serve as a member.
This clutch may be of any suitable form, and when constructed as illustrated,
the driven meinber may conveniently he formed as a sleeve n² splined at n³ to the
worm shaft N and capable of axial movement thereon to permit engagement or
B

page_text: disengagement of the member 11 to throw the worm shaft in or out of connection
with the stack ex.
To avoid breakage, it is necessary that the lead-screw and the mechanical traverse
should not be in operation simultaneously at different speeds, and I prefer to
obviate the chance for an accident through carelessness of the operator, by inter-
locking the open and shut nut and a suitable part or parts of the power feed
controlling means, in this instance the worn-shaft-clutch, in such a manner that
only one of them can possibly be closed at a time.
To this end I preferably bring the worm-shaft-clutch under control of the handle K,
which may be accomplished to advantage by the use of an actuating or interlocking
device shown as a link or lever P, of suitable construction connected near one end,
as at p (see Figure 8) to the controller of the worm-shaft clutch, shown as a yoke p¹,
suitably connected to the clutch sleeve n² as by a screw or projection p² taking into
a groove of the sleeve, and pivotally mounted at p³, intermediate its connections
with the sleeve and lever.
The interlocking lever P as illustrated has a bearing in a slot e2* of the bearing e
and extends beyond the same toward the handle-disc k², preferably having its end
forked as at p to bear on the post k, while operating connection between the lever
and disc may conveniently be effected by a pin and cam slot. union, whereby rotation
of the disc will cause longitudinal movement of the lever one way or the other, to
throw the clutch member n².
In Figure 8, this form of connection will be seen, the disc having a lug or pro-
jection taking into a cam groove p³, preferably formed in an enlargement or
head of the lever P.
To ensure complete disengagement of the clutch members ¹, n² before the open
and shut nut can be closed, the slot p5 has an inclined shoulder, against which the
lug 5 impinges with a quick throw of the lever P immediately upon the commence-
ment of rotation of the disc and before the effect upon the pins has reached such
a degree as to approach the nut members k, k¹, to the point of engagement with the
feed screw C.
Similarly, upon reversal of the operation, the lever " lags" until the nut
members have been thrown free of the lead-screw.
To permit actuation of the cross-feed by power from the worm, a suitable train of
gears and pinions 81, 82, 83, 84 is shewn in mesh with a pinion s on the cross-feed
shaft S, leading to a convenient point for engagement at times by a rock gear t
itself in mesh with a pinion t¹, Figure 4 which derives its power from a worm-gear t
meshing with the worm N.
Similarly, alternative engagement by the rock gear t may be caused with an
oppositely placed gear in train with a longitudinal feed-rack w on the frame,
through suitable gearing such as the pinion stud 8, splined to the gear 85 and
moveable axially within a bracket bearing 50, by suitable controlling means, as a
handle 87, which serves to enable the operator to throw the pinion stud into or out of
engagement with the rack, chiefly that the usual handle-pinion and its handle 89,
Figure 1, may be disconnected when idle.
The rock-gear t which constitutes part of the controlling means for the power feed
mechanism is shown in the figures in its intermediate position, ready to be rocked
into engagement with the pinion 84 to give a power feed to the cross-slide d or into
engagement with the gear 85 to cause longitudinal traverse of the carriage for feed or
other purpose as desired.
The preferred form of supporting means for the rock-gear, and connection with the
worm gear 2 is best illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 wherein the gear t rotates upon a
stud carried by a rocking plate or support t, which is seated upon and rotatable
about a suitable projection from or part carried by the apron, in this instance an
inward extension of a bearing box to, screwed into an aperture 60 in the apron and
traversed by a bushing or rotatable sleeve-like member to, in turn carrying a shaft t.
Seated on the sleeve t within the apron are the worm gear t2 and the pinion t¹, of
which the first is free to rotate, while the pinion is splined at 18 to a groove to in

page_text: the sleeve and, as before stated, is in mesh with the rock-geart which on its support (+
is capable of limited revolution about the pinion, remaining always in nesh there-
with.
To connect the worm gear with the sleeve at such times as the operator may elect,
thus placing under his control the instantaneous starting and stoppage of the power
feeds even during constant rotation of the worm N, I interpose a clutch, following
in its general features a well-known form, in which the web t10 of the worm gear is
recessed at 1, to receive a bevel nut or clutch member 12, the latter having a central
threaded aperature t¹ to receive the threadel end t¹ of the shaft t', which is further
provided at its outer end with suitable controlling means, as the handle t¹5, and at
both ends with retaining nuts (16, 17.
The intermediate connection between the sleeve t and bevel nut 12 is accomplished
in this instance by providing the sleeve with a terminal shoulder or ring 118, preferably
integral with the material of the sleeve, and having a lug or projection (19, the
shoulder and lug entering a correspondingly shaped recess 20 in the bevel nut 12 which,
upon turning of the handle t¹ one way or the other, is drawn against, or forced away
from, the worm gear 12, the general relative position of the sleeve bevel clutch nut
and shaft being preferably maintained by an annular shoulder t21 on the shaft, or by
equivalent means.
For convenience in manipulation of the rock gear support 14, the stud 13 is shown as
extended through a curved slot eo in the apron, threaded, and provided with a
controller nut, or handle T which may be reduced a trifle at its inner end as at {* to
enter when screwed in and to be locked within any one of the three intersecting
circular holes forming the slot eo, and best seen in Figure 4 in dotted lines, and in
Figure 5 where the adjacent parts are slightly broken away.
M, see Figure 1, is a lever of usual construction splined to a groove 3 (only shown
in Figure 6) in the reversing shaft R, its hub m entering the apron bearing e90 and
having a groove m¹, Figure 4, to receive a pin m² by which it is caused to travel with
the carriage, and is always at hand for reversal of the carriage or stoppage thereof in
well known fashion.
I preferably furnish also cams m³, mt, co-operating with adjustable cam stops r, rl,
to cause automatic stoppage or reversal of the carriage at the respective euds of its
predetermined range of movement.
I regard the provision of interlocking means between the power feed mechanism
and open and shut nut, or the equivalent of the latter, as an important feature of iny
invention and various connections may be made therewith in addition to that described
above, as for example the connection I have illustrated in Fig. 8.
As illustrated, this portion of the interlocking mechanism is applied in part to the
lever P in the form of shoulders p³, p³, and partly to the rocking plate t in the form
of arms or projections 30, 31 extended from the plate adjacent to and adapted to
co-operate at times with the shoulders.
In the position illustrated, (the lead screw being thrown out and the worm shaft
connected) the projections will clear the shoulders, if the plate be rotated either to
the right or to the left, so that either the power cross feed or longitudinal feed may
be thrown in.
When, however, the handle K is turned to throw on the open and shut nut, the
movement of the lever P to the left will carry its shouldered portion to such a
position that upon an attempt to rock the plate to the left, the arm 30 will engage
the shoulder ps and rocking movement in the opposite direction will be prevented by
engagement of the arm 31 and shoulder p', thus effectually stalling the rock gear t
and power feeds when the lead screw is in mesh.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The use in a lathe; of a travelling tool-carrier; a lead-screw and power-feed
mechanism adapted respectively to actuate said carrier, each independently of the

page_text: other, and devices, under the control of the operator at the tool-carrier, to regulate
the rate of longitudinal feed of said tool-carrier by said power-feed mechanism, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a lathe; a travelling tool-carrier; its apron; a lead screw, and power feed
mechanism adapted respectively to actuate said carrier, each independently of the
other; and means movable with said tool-carrier and continually under the control of
the operator at said apron, to regulate the rate of travel of said tool-carrier and apron,
when actuated by said power-feed mechanism, substantially as described.
3. In a lathe a travelling tool-carrier; actuating mechanism therefor; including
power-feed mechanism and a lead screw adapted to operate independently of each
other; and devices under the control of the operator at the tool-carrier, to regulate
the rate of actuation of said tool-carrier by said power-feed mechanism and lead-screw
respectively, substantially as described;
4. In a lathe; an apron; a lead screw; power feed mechanism; and variable speed
mechanism movable with, and to permit the actuation of, said apron by said lead-
screw and power feed mechanism respectively, at different rates of speed, substantially
as described.
5. In a lathe; a travelling tool-carrier; actuating means therefor, including power-
feed mechanism and variable speed mechanisin; and means, under the control of the
operator at the tool-carrier to regulate the speed transmitted to the latter through
said mechanisms, substantially as described.
6. In a lathe; a travelling tool-carrier; actuating means therefor, including power
cross and longitudinal feed mechanism and variable speed inechanism carried by said
tool-carrier; and a selector device to govern the speed transmitted by said variable
speed mechanism and power cross and longitudinal feed mechanism to the tool-carrier,
substantially as described.
7. In a lathe; the bed; a rotatable lead-screw extended in parallelism with said
bed; a tool-carrier adapted to traverse said bed and screw longitudinally; and means
movable with said carrier and operative during traverse movement of the same to
rotate said lead screw, substantially as described.
8. In a lathe; a rotatable lead-screw; an apron adapted to be actuated by rotation
of said screw to traverse longitudinally; variable speed mechanism carried by said
apron; and means to permit rotation of said lead-screw at times by said mechanism,
substantially as described.
9. In a lathe; a rotatable lead-screw; an apron adapted to traverse said lead-screw
longitudinally; variable speed mechanism carried by said apron and adapted to be
operatively connected with said lead-screw at times to rotate the same and cause the
apron to traverse; and a selector device for said variable speed mechanism, substantially
as described.
10. In a lathe, a rotatable shaft or screw; an apron adapted to traverse said shaft
longitudinally; a plurality of different sized gears surrounding said shaft co-axially,
movable with said apron, and adapted respectively to be connected operatively with
said shaft to rotate the same at times, substantially as described.
11. In an apparatus of the class described; a rotatable lead screw; a stack of gears
surrounding said screw co-axially and normally free to rotate independently thereof;
an intermediate member adapted when rotated to rotate said lead-screw; and means
to govern actuation of said intermediate member by said gears, substantially as
described.
12. In an apparatus of the class described; a lead-screw; a stack of connected,
vari-sized gears surrounding said shaft co-axially; a clutch member adapted when
actuated to operate said screw; a co-operating clutch member adapted to be driven
by said stack; and means to operate said clutch; substantially as described.
13. In an apparatus of the class described, the frame; a lead-screw rotatably
mounted in suitable bearings on said frame and an apron free to travel on the frame
lengthwise of the screw; a quill mounted in suitable bearings on said apron and
provided with a stack of vari-sized gears; said quill being of suitable internal diameter
to receive said lead-screw and permit free relative axial movement between screw and

page_text: quill, during travel of the apron lengthwise of said screw; an annular clutch member
co-axially arranged with respect to said screw and connected rotatively therewith, but
capable of free axial movement with said apron; a co-operating clutch member
connected with said stack; and means to operate said clutch, substantially as described.
14. In an apparatus of the class described, a rotatable lead-screw; an apron having
a device adapted to be operatively connected with said lead-screw, to permit the apron
to be fed thereby; and means mounted on said apron, to engage and rotate said lead
screw to feed said apron; said means being arranged in close juxtaposition to said
device, substantially as described.
15. In a lathe; a rotatable lead-screw; an actuating shaft; an apron arranged to
traverse said screw and shaft longitudinally, and means carried by said apron to
connect said screw and shaft operatively, at times, substantially as described.
16. In a lathe; a rotatable lead-screw; an actuating shaft; an apron arranged to
be actuated by said screw; and means carried by said apron to permit rotation of said
screw by said shaft, at different rates of speed, substantially as described.
17. In a lathe a rotatable lead-screw; an actuating shaft; an apron adapted to
traverse said screw and shaft longitudinally; and means to permit actuation of said
apron by said actuating shaft both by rotation of said lead-screw, and independently
thereof, substantially as described.
18. In an apparatus of the class described, an actuating shaft; an apron adapted to
traverse said shaft longitudinally, a lead-screw actuated from said shaft through the
medium of means movable with said apron and adapted to actuate said apron; means
to permit actuation of said apron by said shaft independently of said lead-screw; and
interlocking devices to prevent concurrent operation by said shaft of said lead-screw
and said independent means, substantially as described.
19. In a lathe a lead screw; an apron adapted to be actuated by said lead-screw
and also by independent actuating means; controlling devices to govern respectively
the actuation of said apron by said lead-screw and by said independent actuating
means; and interlocking devices intermediate said controlling devices to prevent
concurrent operation by said shaft of said lead-screw and said independent means,
substantially as described.
20. A controller of the class described, comprising a disc, provided with a suitable
handle and having slots to serve as actuating means for nut members; said disc being
also provided with a projection to receive and co-operate with a slotted portion of an
interlocking lever to actuate said lever directly, substantially as described.
21. In a lathe; a lead-screw; an apron adapted to be fed thereby and provided
with power feed mechanism; an open-and-shut nut for said lead-screw, and a nut
controller; a clutch device for said power feed mechanism; and an interlocking lever
or link connecting said nut mechanism and clutch, to permit said clutch to he
governed and operated by movement of said nut controller, substantially as
described.
22. In a lathe; an apron; power feed mechanism and variable speed mechanism
both movable with said apron and adapted to be connected operatively at times to
permit actuation of said power feed mechanism at different rates of speed, sub-
stantially as described.
23. In a lathe; an apron, and power feed mechanism carried thereby, including a
worm; variable-speed imechanism also carried by said apron and adapted to be con-
nected operatively with said worin at times to permit actuation of said power-feed
mechanism at different rates of speed, substantially as described.
24. In a lathe; an apron; variable speed mechanism and power feed mechanism
carried thereby; a clutch intermediate said mechanisms, and a controller for said
clutch; and an actuating shaft connected operatively with said variable speed
mechanism, substantially as described.
25.. In a lathe; a rotatable lead screw; an apron; variable speed mechanism carried
thereby and adapted to rotate said lead-screw at times; and actuating mechanism
connected operatively with said variable speed mechanism, and including co-operating

page_text: cones of auxiliary multiple-speed gears, any co-operating pair of which may be made
effective by the operator, at will, substantially as described.
26. In a lathe; an apron; a shaft; gears and independent separating rings thereon;
a feathered spline carried thereby; and a handle for said spline, said handle being
exended toward and arranged to move near the path of said apron; all constructed
and arranged to operate in the manner and for the purpose substantially as set
forth.
27. In an apparatus of the class described; a rotatable lead-screw; an apron having
a device adapted to be operatively connected with said lead-screw, to permit the
apron to be fed thereby; actuating mechanism for said lead-screw, movable with said
apron, and means intermediate said device and mechanism to ensure concurrent
operation of the same, substantially as described.
28. In a lathe; an apron; an actuating shaft; a rotatable lead-screw, and power
feed mechanism, actuated respectively from said shaft, and adapted respectively to
actuate said apron; and interlocking means to prevent concurrent actuation of said
apron by said lead-screw and power feed mechanism, substantially as described.
29. In an apparatus of the class described; a tool-carrier, an actuating shaft; a
rotatable lead-screw, and power-feed mechanism, actuated respectively by said shaft,
and adapted respectively to actuate said tool-carrier; controlling means for said
power mechanism; and interlocking devices co-operating with said controlling means,
to prevent concurrent actuation of said apron by said lead-screw and power feed
mechanism, substantially as described.
30. In an apparatus of the class described a rotatable lead-screw; an apron having
a device adapted to be connected operatively with said lead-screw to permit said
apron to be fed by rotation thereof; actuating mechanism movable with said apron,
to rotate said lead-screw, and means to control the actuation of said lead-screw by
said mechanism, substantially as described.
Dated the 25th day of January 1899.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.