email: tony@lathes.co.uk
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Pratt & Whitney Precision Bench Millers

The Miller in Use    Precision Miller 00   3C Miller Photographs 

Pratt & Whitney Lathes   

An early version of a Pratt & Whitney precision bench miller. circa 1910, with a traditional flat-belt drive countershaft unit. Later machines were available with improved transmissions including a geared, two-speed , self-contained countershaft unit that gave six speeds through a built-in two-speed gearbox - a device also used on the P & W Precision Bench Lathes - and an infinitely-variable speed unit that mounted beneath the bench. See below for illustrations of the 2-speed gearbox-drive unit.

The milling machine's table was identical in section to that used on the company's Precision Bench Lathe - so allowing accessories to be economically transferred between the two machines.

The rear of a particularly fine and original No. 3 Precision Miller with the later self-contained, two-speed gearbox drive unit.

Although a very neat, self-contained unit, the "gearbox countershaft" unit required the use of two jockey wheels to bring the drive belt in line with the miller's main spindle and ensure "wrap" around the pulleys.

An original Pratt & Whitney precision swivelling vise
with its foot shaped to fit the contour of the table.

Two desirable accessories--a swivelling vertical milling head and an indexing unit with its tailstock. The head sometimes carried a notice intended to preserve the life of the high-quality ball bearings: "Use only Safco ball bearing grease No. 424 from Swan Finch Oil Co. NYC."

The Dividing Unit was of the proper Universal
Indexing pattern, with dividing plates and changewheels.

Other accessories, from left to right: simple index quill, cam-action swivel-base vice, cutter-holding arbors, tailstock and a right-angle table adaptor.


The Miller in Use    Precision Miller 00
   
3C Miller Photographs   Pratt & Whitney Lathes   

Pratt & Whitney Precision Bench Millers
email: tony@lathes.co.uk
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