Attachments For Engine Lathe

) ( Turret , countouring , ball

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Turret Attachments For Engine Lathe:

the turret which is mounted upon a compound rest and contains the tools which are successively brought into the working position by rotating the turret. In many instances, all the tools required can be held in the turret, although it is often necessary to use other tools, held on a cross-slide, for cutting off the finished part, facing a radial surface, knurling, or for some other operation. After a turret lathe is equipped with the tools needed for machining a certain part, it produces the finished work much more rapidly than would be possible by using an ordinary engine lathe, principally because each tool is carefully set for turning or boring to whatever size is required and the turret makes it possible to quickly place any tool in the working position. Turret lathes also have systems of stops or gages for controlling the travel of the turret carriage and cross-slide, in order to regulate the depth of a bored hole, the length of a cylindrical part or its diameter; hence, turning machines of this type are much more efficient than ordinary lathes for turning duplicate parts, unless the quantity is small, in which case, the advantage of the turret might be much more than offset by the cost of the special tool equipment and the time required for setting up the machine.

Contouring Attachments For Engine Lathe:

By using contouring attachments, the cross slide or a special copying slide is correspondingly moved forcibly in cross direction, according to the corresponding longitudinal position. In the case of the hydraulic copying attachment, a probe samples a copying template that incorporates the shape to be manufactured, and with this input it controls a hydraulic piston, which, in turn, is connected to the cross slide via a valve. There, velocity in longitudinal direction remains constant (constant lead) and is generated, as during normal cylindrical turning, by the lathes feed rod and leadscrew. In other design variants, such as with piston and cylinder in longitudi-nal direction, it is possible to change the lead according to the workpiece contour.

Fig.2. Diagram showing a hydraulic copying attachment.

Ball Turning Rests:

When spherical turning must be done repeatedly, special attachments are sometimes used. The fig.1 shows an attachment applied to a lathe for turning the spherical ends of ball-and-socket joints. The height or radius of the cutting tool and, consequently, the diameter of the turned ball, is regulated by adjusting screw A. The tool is swung around in an arc, by turning handle B which revolves a worm meshing with an enclosed worm-wheel. As will be seen, the work is held in a special chuck, owing to its irregular shape.

Fig. 3. Spherical Turning Attachment for Engine Lathe.

Another spherical turning attachment is shown in Fig. 2. This is used for machining the ends of gasoline engine pistons. The cross-slide has bolted to it a bar A carrying a roller which is pressed against a forming plate B by a heavy spring C. The forming plate B, which is attached to a cross-piece fastened to the ways of the lathe bed, is curved to correspond with the radius required on the piston end, and when the tool is fed laterally by moving the cross-slide, it follows the curve of plate B. The piston is held in a special hollow chuck which locates it in a central position and holds it rigidly.

Fig. 4. Attachment for Turning Spherical End of Gasoline Engine Piston