Lathebeddesign00hornrich PDF
Lathebeddesign00hornrich PDF
Lathebeddesign00hornrich PDF
BY JOSEPH G. HORNED
NUMBER 111
CONTENTS
The Sections of Lathe Beds - ... 3
The Longitudinal Forms of Lathe Beds - - - 37
i :
-
;
"
CHAPTER I
it, and threw the headstock, tailstock, and rest out of alignment.
The first all-iron beds were of triangular section, the form prob-
ably originating with Henry Maudslay. The bed was built of two bars
of triangular section, secured in brackets bolted onto the legs. There
was a very good reason for the adoption of this form of bed in pref-
erence to any other. There were no planing machines at that period
in the latter part of the eighteenth century so that it was an impor-
tant consideration to be able to reduce the chipping and filing to a
minimum on a single bar. Besides, if the two upper faces were true,
it made no difference whether the bottom one was true or not, because
there was clearance between it and the tailstock and rest.
Lathe beds with a single shear of triangular section have often
been built, although they are seldom seen now, except in the lathes
used by watch- and clock-makers. These beds are sufficiently rigid for
light duty, and chips do not lodge on them. The triangular-section
lathe bed also possesses the virtue of insuring self-alignment of the
tailstock and rest, which bear on the upper edges only. The essentials
of the triangular bar section have been revived and perpetuated in the
Pittler bed referred to later but in a modified and stronger, stiffer,
and steadier form. The Pittler bed consists of a bar of trapezoidal
section. The bar is hollow, and the lead-screw, passing through the
hollow section, is thus protected. In some watchmakers' lathes, the
essential features of the triangular bed are retained, but the lower side
is of convex form. Some lathe beds are of cylindrical cross-section,
either solid or hollow. All these types are simply variations of the
single bar type, and are illustrated later in this treatise. Mention may
also be made of square and rectangular beds, the latter being employed
in a few of the peculiar French lathes used for screw threading.
347577
LATHE BED DESIGN
Hi
II
fee?
s o
V
If
^^
3*
SB
M
LATHE BED DESIGN
Early Development of Lathe Beds
Since a single triangular bed was not stiff enough to resist the
torsional stresses of heavy cuts, which produce vibration and cause
the bed to spring, an early development was that of using two deep
parallel bars orbeam sections, cast separately and bolted together. In
the next stage the two bars were cast in one piece with connecting
ribs. It was still, however, necessary to reduce the labor of chipping
and filing to the least amount consistent with the practical require-
ments of the time; hence the form shown in Fig. 6, in which the top
vees of the triangular bars were still retained, represented standard
practice, with or without the internal stiffening ribs which were cast
to increase the rigidity in the lateral direction. Then modifications
of the design in Pig. 6 were introduced as shown in Pig. 7, where one
vec is dispensed with, but the other retained for guidance. In Fig.
Machinery
Fig. 6. Early Type of Lathe Bed Fig. 7. An Early Lathe Bed with a
with Doable Vee Vee and a Flat Way
8, the width of the bearing surface is increased. This type of bed
flat
also made it two vees to fit the parts to a nicety.
easier than with
This construction is, for the same reason, employed instead of two vees
in many lathes and grinding machines to-day. At last both bearing
faces were made flat as shown in Fig. 9, and the longitudinal means
for guidance offered by the vees was, therefore, abandoned. The lateral
play was then prevented by making tenons on the heads fit between
the edges of projecting internal ribs, as shown in Fig. 9. All finished
surfaces were still kept narrow, however, until, after the invention of
the planer, they developed into the present forms.
As the slide-rest developed, the battle of the vees and flats became
intensified. The older upstanding vees are still retained with modi-
fications as the only guiding elements in standard American practice.
At a comparatively recent date slight modifications have been made
in some forms, in which a flat is combined with the vees; but the
principal difference which exists even now is that of using either two
or four distinct vee-ways. In the latter design, Fig. 3, the two inner
No. Ill LATHE BED DESIGN
vees guide the sliding tailstock, and the two outer ones, the carriage
or saddle of the slide-rest. The inner vees are frequently sunk below
the level of the outer ones to increase the swing of the lathe, and to
enable a greater thickness of metal to be put into the carriage. Both
vees are truncated or flattened more or less on the top. The type hav-
Machinery
Fig. 10. Early Type of the Richard Roberts Lathe Bed with Front Slide
Some of the early lathes with vees anticipated the modern forms
of front-slide lathes. Figs. 4 and 10 illustrate beds of this type, as
constructed by Richard Roberts, of Manchester, from about 1817 to
1820. They were probably the first of that type, and they do not differ
Machinery
Machinery-
Tig. 12. Type of English Lathe Bed, Standard for a Long Period; Lead-
screw and Feed-rod in Unsatisfactory Positions
The transition from the upstanding vees to the flat ways has been
a gradual one. The adoption of one flat with one vee, which dates a
century back, has gone through various phases of development, besides
those shown in previous illustrations. In America, an old type of bed
by the Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co. (who do not now make ordinary turn-
Maohinery
ing or "engine" lathes) was substituted for the beds with four vees.
In this case the vee was employed for guidance, in conjunction with
a suspended weight. The carriage was also gibbed on the square edge,
which was situated at the back of the lathe. The Pratt & Whitney
Co.'s tool-room lathe has a bed of the vee and flat type, as shown in
Fig. 14. This design is also interesting because of the use made of a
coiled spring in place of the suspended weight, which, through its
inertia, is liable to cause vibration.
The battle between the vees and flats has given occasion to much
fruitless controversy, since both types are retained tenaciously. There
is much to be said in favor of the guiding qualities of an upstanding
vee, and much also for the greater durability of a broad flat surface,
and of the solidity of the carriage employed in conjunction with the
latter. That these differences were recognized at an early period is
evidenced by the frequent combination of a vee with a flat, and also
by the use of two sets of vees, the outer set being reserved for the
slide-rest or carriage. This not only divides the wear due to the move-
LATHE BED DESIGN 9
xnents of the tailstock and the carriage between two sets of vees, but
also affords a broader base for the carriage, with corresponding gain in
its stability. The self-aligning property of the vees is too obvious to
require demonstration. In the flat beds self-alignment is absent If
the tenons of the tailstock wear, a loose fit results. In many lathes,
however, provision is incorporated for clamping the tongue of the tail-
stock against the edge of one way only, thus not attempting to make
a fit against the other. As a rule, the headstocks are then not fitted at
Machinery
Fig, 14. Bed of Tool-room Lathe built by the Pratt & Whitney Co.,
Hartford, Conn.
all, but are adjusted by means of screws passing through the tenons.
Though the wear on the vee-ways is uniform, they lack the advan-
tage which the flat ways with vee-edges possess, namely, that of pre-
venting the saddle of the slide-rest from being lifted during cutting.
Hence all the early beds were commonly united only at the ends, leav-
ing the entire length clear for a holding-down device, frequently con-
sisting of a center-weight suspended from the carriage, and traveling
with it, as shown in Fig. 15. When increased duty was demanded,
10 No. Ill LATHE BED DESIGN
and the beds were with cross-ribs, the snspended weight
tied together
could not be used. Then clamping or gib-plates were introduced under-
neath the edges of the bed, as in those English designs which have
square edges. Sometimes the gib or gibs are fitted underneath the
internal edges. An example of this, taken from an Italian lathe, is
shown in Fig. 16, where one gib strip is located on the outer lip of the
back shear, and another on the inner lip of the front shear, this
arrangement being adopted because the construction of the carriage
does not provide room for a strip at the front edge. Gibs bearing
against both the inner and outer lips are also employed.
The points in favor of vee-shears may be summarized as follows:
The wear is uniform, and loose fits cannot develop as in flat ways with
Machinery
square edges; the chips fall off freely; the rapidity of the wear can be
largely minimized by increasing the length of the carriage; and the
clamping of the heads on the vees helps to tie the sides of the bed
together and stiffen them. The risk of damage to the edges of the vees,
which might be mentioned as an objection to vee-shears, can be lessened
by rounding them. The arguments in favor of flat ways and against
vees are briefly: Wear is so long delayed that little account need be
taken of it; its effects can be counteracted by fitting the tenons of the
tailstock to the edge of one shear, and as regards the saddle by the
setting-up of the gibs; the elevation of the vees permits of less swing
than do the flat ways.
Jlachinery
Machinery
Fig. 18. A WMtworth Lathe Bed with a Central Lead-screw and Web
similar to the standard English bed, in so far as the fitting of the
sliding parts to flat ways and vee-edges at front and back is concerned ;
but the lead-screw is protected under the front shear in a recess pro-
vided specially for it. An inverted vee underneath the back shear is
used to clamp the tenon of the tailstock against the vertical edge of
the back shear, instead of trying to make its tenon fit between both
shears permanently, which is not practicable. Messrs. Sellers & Co.
adopted this method in order to retain the same advantage of align-
ment (notwithstanding wear of the tenon or tongue of the tailstock)
as is secured by the use of vee-ways, thereby taking advantage of the
durability of the flat ways without suffering from the disadvantage due
to thewear of the tenons.
The experience with the beds having vee-edges at front and back,
as shown at the sides in Fig. 19 demonstrated that almost the only
wear which occurred took place on the top faces, and not on the
LATHE BED DESIGN 13
Tig. 19. A Type of Bed used in a Lathe built by Wr Sellers ft Co., Inc.,
Philadelphia, Pa.
Machinery Machinery
Fig. 20. Lathe with Inverted Vee Fig. 21. Box Lathe Bed of a
Closed
for Clamping, built by G. Birch & Co., Type Manufactured by Thomas Ryder
Manchester, England & Son, Bolton, England
Fig. 22. Inverted Vee Lathe Bed for Clamping: Turret Base, made by
De Fries & Co., Dusseldorf, Germany
miniumiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiifnmrrnnn.
IIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiniiin
Machinery
centers, or by the stress of heavy cutting near the center of the bed.
In some American beds the standards or legs have been set a certain
distance inward from the ends in order to shorten the length of the
unsupported portion. Sometimes the beds are cambered or fish-bellied;
long beds have legs in addition to those at the ends or in heavy lathes, ;
Machinery
type of beds, with the same amount of metal in each. The box casting
proved much stiffer laterally, and thirteen times more rigid against
torsion.
J 1
XaoMnery
cross-ribs along the bottom with broad flanges. Holes cast in the top
casing permitted the chips to fall through. The holes were surrounded
by a rib to prevent loss of strength due to the cutting of the holes.
Otherwise in its general design, the bed is of ordinary English type,
with flat ways, vee-edges, and a gap.
In Pig. 21 is shown a section of the beds of the lathes manufactured
by Messrs. Thos. Ryder & Son, of Bolton, England. These beds are of
solid box section. In this design the practice of bringing the lathe
centers considerably behind the center of the bed is adopted, in order to
afford additional support to the cutting tool when turning large diam-
eters. The depth of the rear guide strip of the bed is also deepened to
increase its durability.
Dr. Nicolson has stated that if the same amount of metal put into
Machinery
Fig. 26. Section of the Circular Bed for Lathes made by Drummond
Bros., Guildford, England
the ordinary beds were put into the box-shaped or the circular form,
these types would be from six to ten times as strong to resist twisting.
This is not so high an estimate as that given many years ago by Prof.
Sweet, but it is amply high enough to justify that departure from the
old practice which several lathe makers now have adopted. The solid
box form is practicable, and easily manufactured but the circular form
;
is not, except in light lathes, such as those used by watch- and clock-
makers, amateurs, and scientific workers. For such purposes, several
examples of this type are built. The circular bed must have a longi-
tudinal guide or guides for the headstock and slide-rest or carriage,
and it is here that the difficulty arises in massive designs. In fact, for
heavy designs, the circular bed may be dismissed as nearly impractica-
ble, or at least undesirable, in face of the fact that boxed beds of rec-
tangular section can be and are constructed better and more cheaply,
and of equal strength.
18 No. Ill LATHE BED DESIGN
The circular bed is cheaply made for small lathes of, say, from 6- to
10-inch swing. It is used for these, not so much because it happens to
be the stiffest form, but because of the advantage which it offers for
swivelling the rest to different angles, thus making it a kind of uni-
versal tool for all kinds of cutting. This design is adopted in the recent
lathes of that type built by Messrs. Drummond Brothers, Ltd., of Guild-
ford, England. The bed, of cast iron, 3 inches in diameter, is of hollow
form, ground on the outside to a limit of 0.0001 inch, and on it the
heads and saddle fit. As seen in Fig. 26, there is a slot in the under
side of the bed which receives a tongue or bush secured to the bolt that
passes up to transmit the motion from the lead-screw. By tightening
Machinery
the nut on this bolt the swivelling portion A is locked. The range of
swivel is indicated by the radiating center lines. Fig. 27 shows the
complete tool-rest, with the upper part held in the split socket of the
saddle, thus permitting of a horizontal swivel movement which enables
the tool, or the top of the rest, to be moved in a universal manner.
This lathe, in its swivel action, resembles the Pittler lathe, although
the latter is designed in a different way. In the Pittler lathe, the longi-
tudinal guidance is provided for by a section of trapezoidal shape, with-
in which the lead-screwpasses. The form of this bed is plainly indi-
cated inFig. 28. The swivel motion is provided for by making
the outside of the sliding carriage circular, and fitting the saddle
of the slide-rest to it. In this way the sliding movement is com-
bined with a circular movement through a complete circle. The stem
of the tool-rest can be swiveled in the socket in the split saddle. The
LATHE BED DESIGN 19
Fig. 28. The Pittler Trapezoidal Bed used by the Leipziger Werkzeug-
maschinenfabrik, Leipzig- Wahren, Germany
HI .a
*
&
g.g
11
ill
gfc
_O ^H
-T Q}
.? s a ^> S
0) bo
s
-SS
d ^
5 2 a
<M 3
S *
d rd ,
^5 w oa
"
j<
-
02 ^as -
03 ** m
'5 O
>>
EZJ ^
5 a 2 a
^ 5
1 s
ri^ 'O
U) JH
-S m P<
"3
f s ;
s
__. JH '^
jg CO
pq fl -*j +j
9 S
*^
S_rt C?
"oJ CQ
E "H +J *i
F-^
S2
*^^ LT
<
o,
01 p, 02
* <u
ej
d C6 *0 d
ll-sl
4S * O M
LATHE BED DESIGN 21
Fig. 34 illustrates the Lang bed with its saddle. It is possible with
this design to obtain a length of guide of as much as ten times the
Machinery
Fig. 33. The B. K. LeBlond Machine Tool Co.'s Design of Lathe Bed
width between the guiding surfaces, which has the effect of producing
a very steady movement, with a much greater amount of freedom from
twisting than is the case when the saddle fits on the front and rear
outer edges of the shears. The setting-up of the taper adjusting-strip
can have no possible tendency to spring the sides of the bed inward,
as it might possibly have in the ordinary type of lathe bed.
In conjunction with the narrow guide, it is also the practice to
bring the lead-screw as close as is practicable to the guide-ways, and
No. Ill LATHE BED DESIGN
the twisting tendency and friction caused by the old-style construction
is minimized. Thus, the location of the lead-screw in Pig. 12 is just
where it ought not to be with relation to the saddle slides, and this
example of what was at one time standard English practice contrasts
Machinery
Fig. 34. The John Lang & Sons, Johnstone, Scotland, Type of Lathe Bed
Machinery
Machinery
Tig. 86. Belgian Design of Lathe Bed with Raised Narrow Guide as used
by Le Progres Industriel Societe Anonyme, Loth near Brussels
1
l
'4*- -t>-
PT.I
-=====--
Machinery
AA,
u
Gap Bed
26 No. Ill LATHE BED DESIGN
5
^8 08
5
t
frfii
u
fy
*"*
i
|sj
j
i:
WobT^tfw
_!
i AI I J ;
^i -E3
p, o> c
S * o
s
I
LATHE BED DESIGN 27
Machinery
Fig. 42. Bed for 20-inch Lathe with Strip at Front, designed by
Smith & Coventry, Ltd.
and 42. The two views here given illustrate the method of fitting the
saddle and the tailstock. The front shear constitutes the narrow guide,
with its take-up strip on the front face. The horizontal bearing is
amply provided for by three ways; on the two at the rear the tailstock
slides, as shown by Fig. 41. Gib strips are located under the front and
rear edges.
Messrs. Ward, Haggas & Smith, of Keighley, England, fit their lathes
with a narrow guide of the type shown in Fig. 43. This design is of
the inverted type, the take-up strip drawing the saddle against the
inside sloping face of the hanging lip of the front shear. These sur-
faces are thus out of the way of the chips, and a great proportion of
length to width of bearing surface is secured. The lead-screw and
rack are brought very close to the guiding area. Fig. 44 illustrates
the method of tightening the tailstock by a clamping plate which
presses against a sloping face on the inside of the rear way, thus draw-
No. Ill LATHE BED DESIGN
I
11
EH o>
ft
.9
g-S
11
MS
il
I
LATHE BED DESIGN 29
ing the tailstock against the back vertical edge of the shear. As this
edge is not subjected to wear from the saddle, which clears it, the
alignment is preserved indefinitely. Another example of an under-
hanging lip employed as a guide is that of the high-speed lathes built
by Messrs. George Swift & Sons, of Halifax, England, as shown in Fig.
55, which shows the saddle without its apron.
In certain types of lathes one shear is employed alone to guide
and support the carriage. This design is met with in a certain type
of boring and turning lathe, where two duplicate carriages are run
each on its own way, and are entirely independent of each other. A
JtfocMnery
Fig. 48. Double.tier Bed with a Raised Narrow Guide on Lathe built
by Darling & Sellers, Keighley, England
lower slideway or tier takes the overhang of the carriages. In another
instance, that of the Libby turret lathe, made by the International
Machine Tool Co., Indianapolis, Ind., the carriage fits over the front
shear, as shown in Pig. 45, and a lower vee-guide opposes the tilting
tendency of the carriage.
The principle of affording support to the carriage at some point
situated below the general level of the bed surfaces is met with in
several designs. One of the most successful examples is that of Messrs.
Darling & Sellers, Ltd., of Keighley, England. A bed section of one
of their lathes is shown in Fig. 48. The auxiliary or "lower-tier"
bed is made in the form of a strong lip,projecting out from the
front of the bed near the bottom. The saddle has a bearing on this,
as well as on the top surfaces of the bed. The overhanging weight
of the saddle is thus supported in a very satisfactory manner, and
k will be seen that the actual effective width of the bed is increased
30 No. Ill LATHE BED DESIGN
"
ft d
"" .2
a
o *
s*
OJ T3
M -? 9-
.2*
>i <?
< <>j r a; ,
s3 5
-!:^ ;
Ifw kHi( ** +j
S
W
g c3
1
rt
s1
6-i S 3 -o t
5
S "
6 o
- g I
A 11 aS3 fe
PH Q? ,, ,
02 -5
M c3 O 2 o .
J S -g
5
a a S 60
. I
^aI
""
^
Hi
SI -2 a? W 4 *O ^
** ii ! 1
j t;
s s
rt
-o
"S
2
31 5 S ^
^ ~
."
V rrt
So
(H C?
9
^ 9
03
rf ]
S- S 9
3 *s M
S
C
.
o?
So
| gg.ga;
S1 ! gi11
i* 5 ! i 1 1 1
^
*-"
>. ^J
f n, -Q 02
e
S
**
-2
M CS
g
LATHE BED DESIGN 31
ledge, which helps to resist the forces tending to separate the gears
and rack and pinion, while under heavy duty. With a similar object
in view, some makers support the rack-pinion by the metal of the
saddle, in order (see Fig. 5) to prevent the springing away of the
pinion. Another device is to alter the position of the rack and
pinion to a vertical location, and support the pinion shaft in bearings
on both sides of the pinion. A design of this kind is shown in Fig.
50, showing the construction in a lathe made by Messrs. Joshua Buck-
ton & Co., Ltd., Leeds, England.
A different kind of lower-tier bed is made by Messrs. Drummond
Brothers, Ltd., of Guildford, England. This bed is employed for their
lathes having 15- and 18-inch swing. The gap is permanently open,
and the saddle is guided by two lower tiers or slide-rails, so that it
can be brought along on these past the gap and close up to the
largest faceplate, with a minimum of tool overhang.
Another example of a lower-tier bed is that used in a lathe built
by Schaerer & Co., of Karlsruhe, Germany, in which the advantages
previously mentioned regarding the support of the carriage below the
top level of the bed are obtained. There are two lower-tier vee-ways,
as shown in Fig. 52, set at different heights (by which it is claimed
that twisting is eliminated), and directly underneath the regular ways,
so that chips cannot fall into them. The top of the bed is arranged
with a vee and a flat to carry the headstock. The carriage has no
bearing on the top, but only in the vee-ways. The position of the
lead-screw and rack should be noted.
32 No. Ill LATHE BED DESIGN
Methods for Protecting the Ways of Lathe Beds from Chip
Afew instances are met with in which lathe beds are modified
specifically for the purpose of protection. The bed is either cast of
such a form that the slides come below the top surface, as in the
example just noted, or extra covering plates or guards are fitted to
keep the chips away from the bearing surfaces. A bed made by the
London firm George Richards, Ltd., Fig. 51, has a top portion A. which
serves as a cover over the slides, and at the same time guides the
saddle at the front, forming a narrow guide between its inner face
and the outer front edge of the main bed. The surfaces B, on which
the carriage slides are, therefore, absolutely protected from chips, and
Machinery
Fig. 53. A German Type of Lathe Bed with Guard Plates over the Slides
the lubricant does not become dirty. At the top of the portion A.
the saddle clears this casting.
Fig. 53 shows a German bed section which has the slideways ar-
ranged a little below the top surface. Steel covering plates, screwed
on as guards, prevent chips from falling onto the ways. The tail-
stock slides on the top part of the bed, between the inner edges of
the covering plates.
Messrs. John Lang & Sons build a range of surfacing and boring
lathes (chucking lathes) without tailstocks, in which curved cast-iron
guards, supported on short studs at each end, extend from the tail-end
of the bed up to the chuck, so that chips cannot fall upon the flat ways
of the bed, but are deflected by the guards and thrown off to one
side. The section of a bed with its saddle cored to pass the guards,
is shown in Fig. 54. It will be noticed that the saddle bears against
the vertical edges of the front shear only, giving a narrow guifle-way
with a relation of length to width of about 7 to 1. The cross-slide (not
shown) also fits on the same principle, being gibbed to the two edges
of one slideway.
LATHE BED DESIGN 33
A rather curious type of bed is shown in Fig. 56. This type re-
sembles an English bed at the back shear, but has a double "vertical"
vee at the front edge. This lathe is made by H. Wohlenberg, of
Hanover, Germany.
Double- way Type of Lathe Beds
Among the lathe beds which are made to but a limited extent are
those of the double-way type, that is, beds with separate ways for
the carriage and the tailstock. They are useful for work where it is
required to move the carriage rapidly out of the way, and bring the
tailstock up to the head without having to remove the carriage each
time. The illustration Fig. 57 shows an example of this class, con-
structed by Henry Milnes, of Bradford, England. The tailstock slides
on a back shear, below the carriage ways.
Machinery
Fig. 54. John Lang & Sons' Lathe Bed with Covers over the Ways
A special type of double-way bed, Fig. 60, the speciality of Messrs.
Dron & Lawson, Ltd., of Glasgow, Scotland, comprises a flat-topped
way carrying the tailstock, the tongue of which has a tapered adjust-
ing strip to maintain the fit in the groove, and a loose bed A, resting
on two extensions B which project from the main bed. The auxiliary
bed A can be swivelled on the extensions for taper turning, and can
be adjusted to and from the centers. The slide-rest is carried on bed
A, and is fitted by a narrow guide at the front The slide-rest can be
moved past the tailstock, and the center of the latter need not over-
hang. Motion is conveyd to the screw of the slide-rest, for feeding,
through a universal-joint shaft, from the gear box in front of the head-
stock. Graduations indicate the amount of taper when the bed is
swivelled. A similar principle is employed in the Niles lathes for
turning printing-press cylinders, paper-machine rolls, etc., there being
Sm
N
It
LATHE BED DESIGN 36
Machinery
Fig. 60. The Dron & Lawson, Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland, Lathe with
Extensions carrying Supplementary Bed for Carriage
stock, gradually tapering off towards the ends. A great many turret
lathes have their supports placed some distance inward from the
ends of the bed, and the under side of the latter is often tapered or
curved upward from the outside of the legs to the ends of the bed.
Gap Lathes
The questionof forming a gap in a lathe bed has long been the
subject of controversy. A gap lathe bed is practically as common in
England as a straight bed. Theoretical considerations have been urged
against it, chiefly on the ground that the bed is weakened, because its
continuity is broken; but an English lathe maker would argue that
the metal which is removed can be more than compensated for by
extra metal placed underneath and beyond the gap, and in the heavier
lathes by metal brought down to the ground in the form of a broad
foot. The real objection to a gap is its unalterable dimensions it
is wider than is required for some jobs, and not wide enough for
others. The fitting of the bridge-piece is also liable to become slightly
inaccurate when a lathe has done much service, but this can be
rectified. Thirty or forty years ago such lathes predominated over
all others, but gradually, with the growth in specialization, they were
"Mi
40 No. Ill LATHE BED DESIGN
able within a wide range, or it may be closed up entirely, the object
being, of course, to support the carriage as close as practicable to
the cutting point of the tool under all conditions. The most serious
defect in gap lathes, perhaps, is the fact that the lead-screw has to be
kept low down to be out of the way. In the movable-gap lathes an-
other difficulty arises in the driving of the lead-screw, which has to
be done from gears at the right-hand end of the bed.
Fig. 37 shows the form of a good type of bed, supported on box
standards at both ends. The bed is equipped for the use of cutting
lubricant or oil, though not in such a perfect manner as some beds
shown later. A more elaborate type of bed for a 20-inch high-speed
lathe, built by Smith & Coventry, Ltd., of Manchester, England, is
Machinery
Wt
r
M\
J.
3
42 No. Ill LATHE BED DESIGN
s
o
|s
<l Is! -g ,2
o>
53
2
43 3 ^a
rj
r\
W f-(
^W
H^(
s j
k& i^ *1 9 ^
**
o
M -S -e 2 'S
M "S
ft
& a S
3
2|1:
^ ^ o .S
LATHE BED DESIGN 43
\
44 No. Ill LATHE BED DESIGN
y
I i
JU.
LATHE BED DESIGN 45
at the front and the rear, but also at the ends of the machine.
practice of casting the headstock in one piece with the bed is
The
becoming more and more common both in ordinary lathes and in those
of the turret type. It is not always cheaper than to make the head
separately and bolt it on, but it may be so if quantities of similar
beds are cast In this case the machining will be cheaper also, pro-
vided there are proper facilities for dealing with the work. The prin-
cipal idea, however, is to gain greater rigidity and strength and con-
sequent freedom from vibration. By carrying the webs up between
the two bearings, as in Fig. 73, the two bearings are firmly tied to-
46 No. Ill LATHE BED DESIGN
LATHE BED DESIGN ^vK^fF
A neat design of bed and head for a small lathe is shown in Fig. 69,
cast with a large tray around it. Fig. 72 shows the bed used in
some of the German Pittler turret lathes which are supported on a
single box base arranged as shown with a strainer and trough for the
lubricant and a receptacle for tools, etc. The cross-sectional view
shows the jointing of the bed on the standard, and the section of the
ways, which carry the turret saddle on vees.
Beds for lathes of large size embody the general principles which
have been stated, but they are subject to a number of modifications
which are not met with in those of medium and small size. Supporting
legs are necessarily absent, the under side of the bed resting on its
Fig. 73. Turret Lathe Bed with Head cast Solid with it
University of California -
Richmond, CA 94804-4698
TJ
f
VTENTS OP DAT\ fi"EET BOOKS
No. 1. Scrc.v Threads. 1 .;red Stat. s
T\'h<t
worth, Sharp \- and British Association
'
uncl ^ vvf a
^
usses etc
g8 ; B P-earings^ Clam'l'^Couplhlgs
pi
flange f" ^"Roller'
Couplings; Tootli Clutches: Crab Couplings
Cone Clutches; Universal
Joints; Crane Chain
Crane Hooks; Drum Scores.
Rope Drive;
.
Bending Stresses in
No. 9. Springs, Slides and Machine Details-
Formulas and Tables for Spring Calculations;
chine Slides: Machine Handjes and Levers:
Ma-
Collars-
Hand Wheels; Pins and Cotters; Turn-buckles.
No. 10. Motor Drive, Speeds and Feeds, Change
and Boring Bars. Power required for Resistance of Round vi
: