What is it?

[Bsmith]

Got it yesterday with boxford lathe stuff but seller had no idea and it has me beat, I'm quite sure it has nothing to do with boxford. What the devil is it for?

 

[Erie Fred]

Sliding headstock from a Swiss automatic ?

 

[cheb]

An auxillary equipment drive from a turbo encabulator?

 

[stumcf]

Might be from the newer hyperencabulator?

 

[Barking Mat]

Home Workshop build of a generic Encabulateur.

Interesting write up.

Encabulator build

I had not intended to publish this project yet but competitive pressures have made it necessary to advertise my intent before completion to prevent imitators and usurpers. Here is an early spec sheet and a few photos of the Retro Encabulator in development. A full build thread may follow if...

www.homemodelenginemachinist.com

 

[Bsmith]

Encabulator? Hell, I was confused before but now..........

 

[Bsmith]

Sliding headstock from a Swiss automatic ?

Swiss automatic what?
It's nicely made with 'ways' and gib strips but dosn't slide now due to rusting, if one of them gears would slide from the pulley and rotate freely I would think it should also have a back gear attached.

 

[arther dailey]

agree ,that is nicely made , obviously factory made and interested to actually find what lathe/machine it fitted to and was for , one of the best what is it so far to me. cheers

 

[8ob]

Screw cutting attachment?

Bob

 

[Agroshield]

Swiss automatic what?

With a lathe, the conventional way to apply the tool to the work is to have it mounted on a carriage that slides up and down the bed. The headstock is fixed in place.

An alternative to this is to have the tool fixed longitudinally to the bed and slide the headstock up and down. That class of machine is known as a Swiss lathe, probably because it worked out as the best tool for making watches, something in which the Swiss specialise.

Instead of having some fellow in his lederhosen standing there all day long, it is possible to automate the turning cycle with cams and other mechanisms, leaving more time for alpine racing (copyright Project Binky). These machines would be called Swiss automatics.

The part is not, however, off a lathe of any type. Look up 'henri hauser mill' and note the similarities with what you have.

What you show is interesting/different to the ones that pop up in a search as it has an incomplete backgear - the pulley will be permanantly connected to the small gear next to the smallest sheave and disconnectable from the large gear. The backgear shaft is missing (see smouser's Warco lathe thread for details on how a backgear looks and operates).

 

[8ob]

Doesn't look much different in function to this.

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[tom2207]

Ill bet its just the ticket


if you actually need one.
and its a hell of a good start if you didnt have one and had to make it from scratch , but as to what it is , beats me.

 

[Bsmith]

The part is not, however, off a lathe of any type. Look up 'henri hauser mill' and note the similarities

Aha!! Mystery solved. Well done @Agroshield and @Erie Fred
Think it may be a bit over kill for making watch parts but there again there are 1 or 2 very fine adjusment threads and stops on it and I don't think I ever saw a piece of machinery like it before, never mind seeing it in use.
Anyway, anyone on this forum want it? Free of charge, pick up or pay postage. The dovetails /ways and adjusters may be useful to someone who wants to make an accessory for a mill or lathe.