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Jones & Shipman 540
Surface Grinder

540 Surface Grinder Continued Here - Page 2

Jones & Shipman Home Page


A complete Data Pack for all years of the 540 is available
together with a Spares Manual

First manufactured during World War Two, in 1941, the Jones & Shipman 540 surface grinder was to become the company's most widely sold individual type with over 25,000 examples made. In comparison to many similar grinders the 540 was particularly easy and comfortable to use, many toolroom employees telling the writer that, of all the types at their disposal for smaller work, it was their model of choice. Its design was based on the general arrangement and capacity of the 1930s American Brown and Sharpe Model No. 2 - itself a very popular and widely exported machine. Although the Brown & Sharpe used a mechanically driven table, from the outset the 540 employed the hydraulic power as seen earlier on the 540's predecessors, the Types 608 and 450. At a stroke the use of oil-driven slides greatly reduced production costs - by eliminating whole trains of gears - enhanced reliability and gave the machine a reputation for having an absolutely smooth, steady table movement that did much to ensure a particularly fine surface finish and improve accuracy. Although the 540e was altered in detail over the years - the appearance cleaned up, more powerful motors fitted, feed rates altered, the appearance of the control levers and dials modernised and electronics fitted - its major components remained virtually unchanged and a testimony to the skill of the original designer.
Occupying a floor space of just 65" x 32.5 inches ( 1650 x 825 mm) and with an 18" x 6" (450 x 150 mm) table capable of moving 19 inches (480 mm) longitudinally and 6.75 inches (170 mm) in traverse the 540 grinder was ideally suited to most smaller toolroom jobs. The table ran on a V and flat way and, although highest feed rate on early types was set at 40 feet per minute, the vast majority can be set to run at between 5 and 60 feet per minute (1.5 to 18 mm). The cross slide was supported on two V ways with a feed rate of 0.007" to 0.07" (0.175 to 1.75 mm) per minute at each reversal of the longitudinal stroke. However, early machines had a very much coarser feed, from 0.01" to 0.07" (0.25 to 1.75 mm) - though in practise these are entirely satisfactory for the majority of jobs. The head had a vertical travel of 11 inches (280 mm) and the depth of the largest work piece that could be accommodated on the table (assuming the use of a standard 7-inch (178 mm) diameter grinding wheel) was 9.5 inches ( 240 mm). In later years the option of an extended height column was offered (Model 540L) , this allowing version allowing some 16 inches (406 mm) clearance beneath the wheel. Both the cross-feed and vertical-feed micrometer dials were graduated in increments of 0.0001"  (0.0025 mm). With a 50 cycle motor the wheel rotated at 3,000 r.p.m. and on 60 cycles (for the American and other markets) 3.600 r.p.m. The 540 was, like all other J & S grinders of the 1940s, fitted with a super-precision plain-bearing spindle. However, from the early 1950s, the option a ball-bearing supported spindle had been offered and, from the late 1960s this type (being cheaper to produce) became standard. To placate customers who considered the plain-bearing type to be smoother-running this could still be ordered, but at extra cost. The plain-bearing spindle required lubricating with Mobil Velocite No. 3 (or an equivalent) and was intended to run at a temperature of either 38 centigrade above ambient or at 62 centigrade, whichever was the lower. The oil temperature was measured by inserting a thermometer through the oil filler cap on the top of the wheelhead. Each slideway - and the hand-traverse wheel bushings - were lubricated automatically from the hydraulic oil supply, though if prolonged hand use was undertaken the makers cautioned against running with the pump motor switched off--when no oil would be circulated and the slides damaged.
By the late 1960s the 540 was being fitted with more powerful motors - a 2 h.p. main replacing the 1 h.p. original and that driving the hydraulic pump being upgraded from 0.5 to 0.75 h.p. A version with a greater vertical capacity was also introduced, the 540L. This used a lengthened main column allowing a larger diameter, 9-inch wheel to be fitted and, with greater clearances, taller jobs to be mounted on the table.
Options:
A popular addition was power rise and fall to the head (Model 540P) - though this is often found with a further extra (it could not be incorporated separately) - automatic downfeed to the head (Model 540PF). Fitted with these units the vertical feed adjustment micrometer dial was engraved at intervals of 0.00005" (0.001 mm) with the automatic feed rate adjustable between 0.00005" and 0.0003" (0.006 mm) per pass.
Accessories:
In addition to the usual dust-extraction and coolant units a wide range of useful accessories was eventually to be made available including: a Wheelhead-mounted Wheel-dressing Attachment; a High-speed Grinding Attachment; a Precision Circular Grinding Attachment - mounted on an inclinable sine platform and a 13,000 r.p.m. Vertical Grinding Unit - able to be swivelled up to 10-degrees in either direction. In addition various accessories by third-part suppliers was offered: the "Mayform" self-contained, Motorised Cylindrical Attachment complete with tailstock; ; a "Bowers" Inclinable Rotary Table unit - mounted on a sine table and with a self-contained motor, gearbox and drive unit that enabled circular components to be rotary ground at angles from 0 to 45 degrees whilst under the "Diaform" brand three popular additions were the Head-mounted Wheel-forming Attachment and the Tangent/Radius and Radius/Angular wheel-forming units. Profile grinding was also possible using the "Copiform" Surface/Profile device where a stylus traversed over a template by manipulating the cross traverse and rise and fall movements of the machine whilst maintaining "zero" on the indicator to which the stylus was attached..

Circa 1950 Jones & Shipman 540

Controls as used during the late 1940s and early 1950s

Controls as generally used during the 1960s and 1970s

The simple but highly effective hydraulic drive installation

Ball-bearing spindle assembly

Column power rise and fall controls

Column power rise and fall when fitted with automatic downfeed.

Stop for the automatic downfeed equipped with a micrometer barrel

540 Surface Grinder Continued Here - Page 2


A complete Data Pack for all years of the 540 is available
together with a Spares Manual

Toolroom Grinding Machines
Model 1014 Universal Toolroom

Model 1212 Precision Cylindrical

Model 1212 Precision Cylindrical (Newer)

Model 1310 Plain, Semi & Fully Universal

Model 1311 Cylindrical (Newer)

Model 1300/1305 Plain, Semi & Fully Universal

Model 1314 Universal Toolroom

Model 1314 Universal Toolroom (Newer)

Model 310 Tool & Cutter Grinder

Model 1600 Cone Centre Lapping Machine

Light Universal - Early 1920s Model

Model 520 Miniature Cylindrical

Surface Grinding Machines
Model 540  6" x 18"

Model 540H  6" x 18" hand-operated

Model 1540  6" x 18" Toolroom/production

Model 1400  8" x 24"

Model 1011  12" x 27"

Honing Machines
Model 150 Hydrohoner Horizontal
Model 738 Microhoner Production Type

Model 715 Hydrohoner 1" to 6" Capacity

Special Purpose Honing Machines

Production Grinding Machines
Models 1015 Super-S Hydrosine Precision

Models 1030/3 Plain Cylindrical

Models 1032/33 Cylindrical (newer)

Model   1040 Cylindrical (newer)

Models 1048/49 Plain Cylindrical

Models 1049/51/52/53 Cylindrical (newer)

Models 1054/55 Cylindrical (newer)

Models 1050/51/52/53/57/58 Cylindrical

Model   1070 Cylindrical (newer)
General Grinding Equipment and
Attachments

"Diaform" Wheel-forming Attachment

"Profiloscope" Form Grinding Equipment

"Optidress" Grinding Attachment

Radius & Angular Wheel Forming Attachment

Sine Bar Hob Grinding Attachment

PG Optical Dividing Head

Radius Wheel Forming Attachment

Radial Grinding & Wheel Forming Attachment

Coolant and Clarifier Units

Internal Grinding Spindles

Precision Machine & Sine Vices

Static Balancing Units

Relief Grinding and Fluting Attachment

Permanent Magnet Chucks