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Patrick Lathes
Patrick Page 2   Patrick Page 3   
If anyone can provide photographs of an original Patrick, the Author would be very pleased
to hear from you

Manufactured at Penraevon Place and then Swinnow Lane, Bramley, Leeds, production of Patrick lathes was concentrated between the First and Second World Wars of the 20th Century. A wide range of both very simple plain-turning models - the "Wonder" - and more ambitious screwcutting models, such as the  41/2" x 16" gap-bed "Standard" and "Special" - shown on this page - were produced, the firm claiming that over 40 different styles of our 41/2" lathe are made to suit every requirement. The "Special" was particularly ambitious and, with 26.5-inches between centres, an apron the provided power sliding and surfacing (and a geared-down hand drive) backgear, screwcutting and an Acme-form leadscrew with clasp nut engagement this lathe enjoyed a specification that would have made it a genuinely useful in any repair workshop. Unfortunately non appear to have survived.
With numerous advertisements taken in the model-engineering press during the 1920s (they began appearing soon after the end of WW1 in 1918) the company appeared to enjoy some considerable success during that decade.
Steadily evolved to become stronger and more capable, all Patrick lathes were designed to suit the pocket of the (relatively) impecunious amateur and were of conventional specification and ordinary quality. However, in comparison with their competitors, Patrick did attempt to offer a slightly better specification than was usual in their class with, for example, the frequent use of split nuts to grasp the leadscrew instead of the more usual - and much cheaper - dog-clutch. Another feature employed on many screwcutting Patrick lathes was a second small swing bracket on the changewheel drive to allow the insertion of an extra gear to generate left-hand pitches. Another advantage of owning a Patrick was the range of accessories: while other makers of small lathes offered the usual fixed and travelling steadies few bothered to list, like Patrick, a robust swivelling milling slide, toolpost grinder, draw-in collets for the spindle, a capstan unit for production work, headstock-mounted collets and (almost unbelievably) a gear-cutting (wheel-cutting in clockmaker's parlance) attachment.
With its typically English-style, flat top and square edges the bed might have meant easy production and subsequent regrinds but the narrow, wingless saddle (only as wide as the cross slide) had a minimum bearing area against the rear shear and would have been both less stable under heavy cuts and likely to have promoted quicker wear than one designed along traditional lines. Also typical of English practice, the T-slotted cross slide was designed to allow the easy mounting of a milling slide or other accessories - a great advantage in a machine that would have been pressed into use for a wide variety of tasks. However, when using a vertical milling slide as much cross-slide travel as possible is required - yet the Patrick always had its cross-feed screw thrust plate flush with the end of the casting instead of being 'spaced out' - thus severely restricting travel. Both top and cross slide lacked any form of micrometer dial, making life even harder for the inexperienced operator. Interestingly, because the lathe had a rather generous centre height for its overall dimensions, the makers had to indulge in some creative engineering to get the cutting tool up to centre height. Their interesting solution, instead of using just a thicker cross slide castings, was to mount the top slide on a (square-based) raiser block fitted with a circular T slot that allowed rotation through 360 degrees. 
Screwcutting versions could be supplied with or without a backgear, the remarkably large 3/4"-bore headstock spindle running in simple, spilt plain bearings of which several have been discovered with white-metal (babbit) rather than bronze liners.
With a barrel-feed arrangement identical to that used on a Myford ML7, the No. 1 Morse tailstock, could be set over for taper turning - but the with barrel crudely clamped by the action of a screw bearing directly against it.
Other  types of Patrick lathe can be seen here and here

1921 and Patrick announce their basic "Popular" and "Special" models. The "Special" was a top-of-the-range offering with an unusually heavy stand, a proper geared apron (providing power sliding and surfacing) and an especially long bed. Note the robust swivelling milling slide and toolpost grinder.

Extremely rare in this condition, a beautifuly original and unrestored 4 1/2" x 16" gap-bed screwcutting Patrick from the 1920s. This model is without backgear, an omission that, whilst it saved the original owner money, resulted in a compromised lathe that lacked versatility.

Treadle stand. Although small electric motors were widely available pre-WW2 they were expensive, often adding 25 to 40% to the cost of a new machine. One slightly cheaper option - and essential where there was no electricity supply - was the ubiquitous treadle drive.

Although of sound construction - and heavy build - the lathe was still built with an eye to economical production and penny-saving: no micrometer dials on the feed screws, only three gib strip adjustment screws on the top slide and a solid tailstock barrel.

In many respects the Patrick resembled the equally utilitarian lathes manufactured in London by the Relm Machine Company

Almost certainly built in the late 1920s or early 1930s, and showing some improvements over the earlier model, this 4" x 16" gap-bed, backgeared Patrick has cap-type instead of split headstock bearings, a headstock pulley to take inch-wide flat belt in place of a round-rope "gut drive", a more robust, rectangular-form apron with a geared drive direct onto the leadscrew and a heavier changewheel bracket. It has also been neatly adapted to carry a Boxford top slide--the carriage and leadscrew handwheels are also not original. Note the swing bracket on the changewheel drive to allow the insertion of an extra changewheel

The top slide is from a Boxford