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E-MAIL   tony@lathes.co.uk


Bradford Lathes
30, 32, 36 & 42-inch Lathes
14-inch Stud Lathes   16 & 18-inch Lathes   21, 25 & 28-inch Lathes   30, 32, 36 & 42-inch Lathes
Carriage & Slides   Accessories   Factory   Headstock, Bearings & Friction Backgear
Bradford Home Page   1950s Metalmaster Geared-head Lathe   1941 Metalmaster     
Coarse Screwcutting Attachment

32-inch Bradford

36 and 42-inch Bradford

A genuine "triple-geared" headstock spindle with a conventional "backgear" mounted in front of the spindle with a second reduction taken from a point a little way along from its larger gear; a third reduction in ratio was created by the final drive to a gear cut on the inside rim of the faceplate. Some makers claimed "triple-backgear" status for lathes which had only two gear-driven reductions - their argument being that lathes with no backgear at all were often referred to as "single-geared", hence a conventional "single" installation of a backgear should be called double-geared, and one with two backgears awarded the status of "triple".

A simple "translation" gearbox to give three screwcutting ratios - and three sliding and surfacing speeds from one setting of the changewheels.

An instant reverse was fitted to the power feed by using two independent pinions, one at each side of the crown wheel. A slot in the leadscrew (there was, unaccountably no separate power shaft on the two largest lathes) drove each and as either could be swung into engagement with the crown wheel it could be made to rotate in either direction.
Separate clutches engaged  either power sliding (along the bed) or power surfacing (across it).

Apron front showing  the weighted carriage-traverse hand wheel, a (larger of two) capstan-handled clutch engagement knob for power sliding and, above it, a slightly smaller capstan-handled knob to engage power surfacing, a three-position swinging lever to select power sliding or surfacing and, on the far right, the leadscrew clasp-nut engagement handle.

Home   Machine Tool Archive   Machine Tools For Sale & Wanted     
E-MAIL   tony@lathes.co.uk


Bradford
30, 32, 36 & 42-inch Lathes
14-inch Stud Lathes   16 & 18-inch Lathes   21, 25 & 28-inch Lathes   30, 32, 36 & 42-inch Lathes
Carriage & Slides   Accessories   Factory   Headstock, Bearings & Friction Backgear
Bradford Home Page   1950s Metalmaster Lathe   1941 Metalmaster     
Coarse Screwcutting Attachment