Improvements in Lathes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1890-Accepted, 6th Sept., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lathes.
WILLIAM HENRY ASTBURY Altrincham Cheshire, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in self-acting sliding and surfacing lathes,
which may, or may not combine also, arrangements for screw cutting, chasing, &c.,
with guide screw and change wheels or other means.
The object of my invention is to provide quick and convenient means by suitable
mechanism for changing the rate of the sliding and surfacing feeds as from fine to
coarse and vice versa; also for reversing the direction of the same; the said changes
of feeds and reversing being effected instantaneously without the necessity for altering
the change wheels, belt, or other gear employed to transmit motion from the head-
stock to the traversing feed rod-
-or as it is commonly termed the back-shaft-when
such gearing has been set to impart any desired range of feed or feeds, to the saddle
and tool slide.
The said mechanism for changing the rate of feeds and reversing same being con-
tained upon or controlled from the saddle, or both saddles independently when more
than one.
The said mechanism may be arranged and caused to operate in the following
manner :-
To the saddle of the lathe, preferably at the back thereof, I attach a differential
motion, consisting of a suitable bracket carrying a combination of spur and worm
gearing. Within an arm of the said bracket revolves a sleeve upon which is formed
or keyed a pair of spur wheels, said wheels may be of different diameters; through
this sleeve passes the back shaft beforementioned, which having a continuous groove
or key way throughout its length or nearly so, transmits motion to the sleeve by
means of an internal key, or projection, sliding within the groove of said shaft.
The bracket beforementioned, carries also in near proximity to the sleeve and back-
shaft and parallel with same, a second shaft or spindle of short length. Upon said
spindle is a pair of spur wheels which may also be of different diameters said wheels
may revolve idle upon the spindle or be engaged to turn the same according to the
position of a controllable key or clutch, said clutch being contained within, or between
the hubs of said pair of wheels so as to engage with one or the other alternately, or
neither.
The said key or clutch is connected with and slides lengthwise upon said spindle,
and may be operated or controlled in a manner hereinafter explained, or in other
ways.
Upon the said spindle is formed or keyed a worm which gears with a worm wheel
upon a shaft extending across the saddle to the front thereof, parallel with the cross
surfacing screw.
The said cross shaft transmits motion from the differential gear to other gearing
actuating said surfacing screw, also a pinion gearing into a rack on the lathe bed to
impart a sliding motion to the saddle.
Now the pair of wheels on the sleeve driven by the backshaft and the pair on
worm spindle may be of different diameters, in which case, the largest upon one would
gear into the smallest upon the other, and vice versa ; therefore the effect of sliding
the clutch so as to engage with the largest wheel on worm spindle is to cause the latter
to revolve at a reduced velocity-whilst to transfer the said clutch to the opposite or
smaller wheel increases the number of revolutions of worm spindle the variations
corresponding to the difference in the diameters of the gear wheels employed.
The ratio between the fast and slow gearing may be still further increased by

page_text: employing an additional pair, or more of wheels of varying diameters upon an inter-
mediate spindle, or spindles parallel with, and between the sleeve and worm spindle
beforementioned, or in any other convenient positions, or said wheels may revolve
upon a fixed stud or studs.
The said intermediate spindles or studs being preferably contained upon the bracket
carrying the combination. The sliding key or clutch upon worm spindle before-
mentioned may be arranged to act upon the differential gearing as follows:-The
worm spindle is bored out part of its length to receive a draw out rod; to, or near
one end of which is connected the key or clutch through a slot in the spindle; the
opposite ond of said draw-out rod being connected in a suitable manner with a lever,
said lever having two arms at a right or other convenient angle, with a pin or stud
ixed upon the saddle for its fulcrum. One arm of said lever being suitably connected
with draw-ont rod beforementioned, the extremity of the other arm may take the form
of a toothed seginent, this segment gearing into a corresponding segment, keyed or
formed upon the end of a cross shaft. or rod upon the saddle, said rod extending across
the saddle to the front thereof-parallel with the worm wheel shaft, and surfacing
screw. The end of said rod opposite to the segment, and at front of saddle may be
formed to receive a handle knob, or other contrivance for partially rotating said rod,
which may also have a plate or collar keyed or formed upon it near the handle said
plate or collar having suitable grooves notches or other device to receive a stop pin to
secure or lock the said shaft or rod, also lever controlling the clutch, in its proper
position.
The worn wheel shaft beforementioned extending across the saddle, carries a
pinion at opposite end to worm wheel said pinion may transmit motion to other
gearing actuating the surfacing screw, or sliding the saddle beforementioned―
through the intervention of a reversing motion, consisting of a pair of pinions
revolving upon studs fixed to a tumbler plate in front of saddle, and operated
therefrom.
This reversing motion may be dispensed with if desired.
The sliding and surfacing motions are further controlled by friction clutches in
front of the saddle and operated therefrom.
As a modification; the worm wheel driven by the differential motion may drive
the surfacing screw by engaging direct with a pinion upon said screw at back
of saddle, said pinion engaging with screw by a controllable friction clutch or other
device.
Dated this 18th day of October 1889.
WILLIAM HENRY ASTBURY.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lathes.
I, WILLIAM HENRY ASTBURY, Altrincham, Cheshire, Mechanical Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this said invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in self acting sliding and surfacing lathes
which may or may not combine also arrangements for screw cutting chasing &c., with
guide screw and change wheels or other means.
The object of my invention is to provide quick and convenient means by suitable
mechanism for changing the rate of the sliding and surfacing feeds as from fine to
coarse and vice versa also for reversing the direction of the same; the said changes
of feeds and reversing being effected instantaneously without the necessity for altering
the change wheels belt or other gear employed to transmit motion from the headstock
to the traversing feed rod or as it is commonly termed the backshaft when such
gearing has been set to impart any desired range of feed or feeds to the saddle and
tool slide.

page_text: The said mechanism may be arranged and caused to operate in the following
manner :-
To the saddle of the lathe, preferably at the back thereof, I attach a differential
motion consisting of a suitable bracket carrying a combination of spur and worm
gearing. Within an arm of the said bracket revolves a sleeve upon which is formed
or keyed a pair of spur wheels said wheels being of different diameters through this
sleeve passes the backshaft before mentioned which having a continuous groove or key-
way throughout its length or nearly so transmits motion to the sleeve by means of an
internal key or projection sliding within the groove of said shaft. The bracket before
mentioned carries also in near proximity to the sleeve and backshaft and parallel with
same a second shaft or spindle of short length. Upon the said spindle is a pair of
spur wheels which are also of different diameters said wheels may revolve idle upon
the spindle or be engaged to turn the same according to the position of a controllable
key or clutch said clutch being contained within or between the hubs of said pair of
wheels so as to engage with one or the other alternatively or neither. The said key or
clutch is connected with and slides lengthwise upon said spindle and may be operated
or controlled in a manner hereinafter explained or in other ways. Upon the said
spindle is formed or keyed a worm which gears with a worm wheel upon a shaft
extending across the saddle to the front thereof parallel with the cross surfacing screw.
The said cross shaft transmits motion from the differential gear to other gearing
actuating said surface screw also a pinion gearing into a rack in the lathe bed to
impart a sliding motion to the saddle.
Now as the pair of wheels on the sleeve driven by the backshaft and the pair on the
worm spindle are of different diameters the largest upon one gears into the smallest
upon the other and vice versa therefore the effect of sliding the clutch so as to engage
with the largest wheel on the worm spindle is to cause the latter to revolve at a
reduced velocity whilst to transfer the said clutch to the opposite or smaller wheel
increases the number of revolutions of the worm spindle the variations corresponding
to the difference in the diameter of the gear wheels employed.
The ratio between the fast and slow gearing may be still further increased by
employing an additional pair or more of wheels of varying diameters upon an inter-
mediate spindle or spindles parallel with and between the sleeve and worm spindle
before mentioned or in any other convenient positions or said wheels may revolve upon
a fixed stud or studs said intermediate spindles or studs being contained preferably
upon the bracket carrying the combination.
The sliding key or clutch upon the worm spindle before mentioned may be arranged
to act upon the differential gearing as follows:
-
The worm spindle is bored out part of its length to receive a draw out rod to or
near one end of which is connected the key or clutch through a slot in the spindle, the
opposite end of said draw out rod being connected in a suitable manner with a lever
said lever having two arms at a right or other convenient angle with a pin or stud
fixed upon the saddle for its fulcrum, one arm of the said lever being suitably con-
nected with the draw out rod before mentioned the extremity of the other arm may
take the form of a toothed segment this segment gearing into a corresponding
segment keyed or formed upon the end of a cross shaft or rod upon the saddle the said
rod extending across the saddle to the front thereof parallel with the worm wheel
shaft and surfacing screw. The end of said rod opposite to the segment and at front
of saddle may be formed to receive a handle knob or other contrivance for partially
rotating the said rod which may have also a plate or collar keyed or formed upon it
near the handle said plate or collar having suitable grooves notches or other devices to
eceive a stop pin to secure or lock the said shaft or rod also the lever controlling the
clutch in its proper position.
The worm wheel shaft before mentioned extending across the saddle carries a pinion
at the opposite end to the worm wheel, said pinion nay transmit motion to other
gearing actuating the surfacing screw or sliding the saddle before mentioned through
the intervention of a reversing motion consisting of a pair of pinions revolving upon
tuds fixed to a tumbler plate in front of the saddle pivoted around the centre of the

page_text: wheel o and operated therefrom. This reversing motion may be dispensed with if
desired. The sliding and surfacing motions are further controlled by friction clutches
placed in front of the saddle and operated therefrom.
As a modification the worm wheel driven by the differential motion may drive
the surfacing screw by engaging direct with a pinion upon said screw at the
back of the saddle said pinion engaging with the screw by a controllable friction
clutch.
And in order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will describe the accompanying five sheets of drawings reference being had to
the figures and letters marked thereon.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
Fig. 1 is a back end view partly in section of a portion of a lathe saddle to which
my improved differential gearing for driving the sliding and surfacing motions from
the backshaft is attached and Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the same on the
line A B Fig. 1.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 represent a plan sectional end and front view respectively of a lathe
saddle fitted with my improved differential gearing and other gearing on a smaller
scale than in Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 6 is a front view of a lathe saddle with my improved reversing motion and
Fig. 7 is a sectional end view of part of the same.
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 represent à plan, end and back view respectively of a lathe
saddle with a modification of my improved differential gearing and Figs. 11 and 12
show part of the plan and back view of another arrangement of gearing applied to a
lathe saddle.
Figs. 13, 14 and 15 represent plan, end view and back view respectively of a lathe
saddle to which another modification of my improved gearing is applied and Fig. 13"
is a detailed view of part of Fig. 13.
Fig. 16 is an end view of Fig. 13 with a reversing motion of gearing indicated on
the front of the saddle and Fig. 17 is a similar view to Fig. 16 without the reversing
motion.
Figs. 19, 20 and 21 represent a plan, end view and back view respectively of a
further modification of my improved differential gearing.
As a lathe is a well known machine tool I have confined my drawings to that portion
of a lathe to which the invention relates.
In Figs. 1 and 2 A is the saddle of a lathe to which is attached a bracket B for
carrying my improved differential gearing, is a sleeve fitted and keyed so as to
move on and turn with the backshaft D which has a keyway cut in it from end to
end, the sleeve C which revolves in bearings in a bracket B has keyed on its boss three
spur wheels c¹² c³ gearing into three wheels e e e fitted loosely on an intermediate
shaft E also carried by the bracket B on this shaft E is keyed a worm F which gears
into a worm wheel G keyed on a cross shaft H. which extends across the saddle A
The differential speed is obtained by causing one or other of the wheels e¹ e² e³ to
transmit the motion from the driver or backshaft D) to the worm wheel G and this
I effect by means of a sliding key f on a spindle f' fitted in the hollowed end of the
shaft E and a clutch ali governed from a cross shaft L pinion toothed segment &²
mounted on a stud and an arm K the lower end of which is connected by a clutch
collar m to the spindle the collar m being free to slide on the shaft E; the collar m
and pinion have clutch teeth m¹ on their contiguous faces. The wheels e¹ e² have
narrow annular recesses cut in their bosses as well as keyways to permit the key f to
lie idle when in the recess or to drive when in the keyway according to its position
in either boss. In Fig. 1 the clutch m is in gear with the wheel e the key / being
inoperative consequently as e is the largest wheel and the driver the shaft e will be
caused to rotate at its quickest speed.
To change the speed it is simply necessary to partially turn the cross shaft L from
the front of the saddle, not shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to move the arm k and
slide the clutch collar m out of gear with e simultaneously bringing the key f into
the keyway of e¹ and changing the speed from the quickest to the slowest motion; if

page_text: it be required to obtain the middle speed the cross shaft L is moved further to carry
the key across the annular recess in e² and into the keyway therein when the
wheel e becomes the driver.
It will be understood that so long as the backshaft D is in motion the nest of
gears c c² ³ and ele² e³ will all be in motion but the shaft E remains stationary
or is driven at the desired speed according to the position of the clutch or key as
explained.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 give a little more detail than the views already described and they
show also the gearing for sliding the saddle A on the lathe bed A'; in these views
the whole of the cross shaft L is shown also the screw I for actuating the cross slide
carrying the turning tool; on the front end of L is fitted a collar 12 in which are
notches or holes to receive a spring stop pin 13, when the square end of the shaft
is turned to move the clutch m and key f.
The saddle A is traversed along the bed A' by means of the pinion on the cross
shaft H this pinion gears into a wheel O mounted loosely on a shaft P' on the saddle A
a pinion p fast on the shaft P gears into a wheel Q on a short shaft to which is
secured the pinion which gears into the rack R on the lathe bed A'. The wheel O
also connects the driving pinion to the pinion on the screw L. By this arrange-
ment of gearing the slide carrying the cutting tool and the saddle A can be actuated
either independently or together at either of the speeds from the differential gearing
the whole being controlled by the shaft L.
The reversing motion shown on Fig. 6 consists of a plate N pivoted on the boss of
the wheel O on this plate are secured two studs n³n which carry two pinions n' n²
respectively for transmitting motion in either direction from the pinion on the cross
shaft H which receives a variable motion as already described from the differential
gearing at the back of the saddle. The drawing Fig. 6 represents the pinion ¹ gear-
ing into the pinion n² by which its motion is conveyed to the pinion n³ gearing into
the wheel governed by the friction plate o and handle o2; the wheel O drives
the cross screw I by the pinions of and the latter of which is governed by a
clutch 3. The wheel O is also geared to the rack pinion on the shaft ² as before
mentioned.
The plate N is locked by a lever nut n' and its position varied to reverse the motion
of the screw I and rack pinion ; the nut being slackened to allow the plate N to
be moved and bring either the pinion n¹ or n² as required into gear with the driving
pinion and connect it to the wheel O.
In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the differential motion is conveyed to the scrow I in the
following manner :-The cross shaft H is made hollow the worm wheel G being
secured upon it as before the shaft L passes through H and carries a disc to an
eccentric pin on which is connected one end of a rod the other end being connected
to a clutch collar m on the shaft E for controlling the clutch mand sliding key f when
the square is turned the stop pin 13 and other parts acting as before described. Upon
the hollow shaft H is keyed the pinion for driving the rack pinion shaft r by the
wheel Q.
The screw 1 which is hollow is driven by the worm wheel G gearing into the
pinion mounted loosely on I and controlled by a friction clutch governed by
a nut ³.
In Figs. 11 and 12 the worm F is mounted direct upon the backshaft D the worm
wheel G and the three gears c¹ c² c³ are connected together and mounted loosely upon
a stud g' secured to the saddle A; the wheels e¹ e ein gear with c¹ c² c³ are mounted
loosely upon the hollow shaft H to which is secured a wheel in gear with the
friction pinion for turning the screw 1. The rod f is free to be moved end-
wise in the hollow shaft H for the purpose of bringing the key f, not shown, into
either of the wheels e¹ e² e notches 3 st
8
are made in f¹ for a spring stop piece
as shown.
Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are very similar to Figs. 11 and 12 but the spur wheel T on
the shaft H gearing into the pinion for driving the screw I is dispensed with and in
its place the surfacing motion pinion is connected to the screw I in front of the

page_text: saddle by means of a friction plate 2 and bandle see Fig. 13. In these views the
worm F gears into the worm wheel G mounted loosely upon a stud gl carried by
the saddle A, the wheel G carrying on its boss the nest of wheels
c² c³ which
gear into the wheels e¹ e² e mounted loosely upon the hollow shaft H and under the
control of a key on the end of a rod f as before described. The detached view
Fig. 13 shows on an enlarged scale a sectional view of the shaft H rod f¹ and spring
stop piece for locking the sliding key and rod.
In Fig. 16 is an outline view showing the front end view of Fig. 13 with the
reversing plate N and gearing for giving motion in either direction to the screw I
from the shaft H.
Fig. 17 is a similar view to Fig. 16 without the reversing motion.
In Figs. 19, 20 and 21 the worm F on the backshaft gears into the worm wheel G
to the boss of which is secured a spur wheel 92 both running loose upon a stud g'
secured to the saddle, g gears into a wheel of the nest of wheels ccc loose
upon a stud 3 secured to the saddle the wheels c¹ c² 3 gear into the wheels e¹ e² e
mounted upon the hollow shaft H controlled by the rod f¹ as before described.
I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not limit myself to the details or
particular modes of applying the differential gearing precisely as shown as I can vary
the same in many ways without departing from the essential feature of my invention
which consists in the employment of two three or more toothed wheels which draw
out pin or its equivalent on the saddle for controlling the sliding and surfacing feed
of a lathe such mechanism constituting an intermediate motion between the backshaft
or equivalent driving shaft and the shaft conveying motion to the sliding and surfacing
feed gears.
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 and application of differential gearing for effecting from the saddle
changes of speeds in sliding and surfacing feeds on a lathe independently of the speed
of the backshaft or its equivalent and the cone pulleys.
2. The combination with a bracket carried on the saddle of a lathe, of the several
arrangements of differential gearing controlled by a sliding clutch and key or equivalent
for varying the speeds of the sliding and surfacing feeds substantially as herein
described and as illustrated by the drawings annexed.
3. In a lathe the combination with two series of differential gears of a sliding
key and clutch or their equivalents substantially as and for the purposes herein set
forth.
4. A reversing motion consisting essentially of a plate pivoted preferably on a wheel
mounted on the intermediate shaft between the cross shaft and the rack on the lathe
bed the plate supporting carrier wheels either of which can be moved so as to traverse
the lathe carriage in the direction required.
Dated this 17th day - TL 1900
H. B. BARLOW,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.