Very little is known about this most unusual and delightful little hand-powered shaper except that it was probably made in the early 1890s. The base, with a conventional elevating knee on one side, was formed into a large socket at the back to accept the swivelling-head unit. At each side of the main cylindrical boss were elevating "V" pads that allowed a shat to be inserted. The head was then turned (so the stroke was parallel to the shaft) and it became possible to cut a keyway -  though of course it was necessary to first drill a hole at each end to allow the tool to run out of the cut.
The ram travel was 6" and side movement of the head, which carried an automatic ratchet feed, a remarkable 10".