LATHE MACHINE

LATHE MACHINE

The lathe is a machine tool which holds the work between two rigid supports called centres (live and dead) or in a chuck. 

The lathe carries following main parts :

• Bed 
• Head stock
• Tail stock
• Carriage
• Feed mechanism
• Legs                        

   

BED 

The bed of the lathe acts as a base on which fixed and operating parts of the lathe are mounted. This facilitates the correct relative location of the fixed parts and controlled movement of the operating parts. The vibrations while the machine should be less as possible for accuracy due to this reason the bed is made up of grey cast iron.

HEAD STOCK

The head stock is the part of lathe serves as housing for pulley and backgears, provides bearing for the machine spindle.

It consist of following main parts :

• Cone pulley
• Backgears and backgear lever
• Head stock spindle
• Live centre

The head stock contains the spindle to which chuck or face plate is generally attached and holds the work piece. The main spindle of the lathe is in form of hollow shaft and revolves in two bearing fixed. The inside hole runs through the length of spindle at at front end it is made tapered to accomodate the live centre and to hold device such as cuck plate, face plate etc. The face plate is made up of cast iron, the chuck may be of three or four jaw.

TAIL STOCK

It is mounted on bed of lathe and maintains its allingement with the head stock. The main function of Tail stock is to provide bearing and support to the job which is being worked between centres.

CARRIAGE

The lathe carriage serves the purpose of supporting, guiding and feeding the tool against the job during the operation on the lathe.

It consists of the following main parts :

• Saddle : It is that part of the carriage which slide along the bed ways and supports the cross-slide, compound rest and tool post.
• Cross slide : It is mounted on the top of the saddle and moves in a direction normal to the axis of main spindle.
• Tool post : It is the topmost part of the carriage and is used for holding the tool or tool holder in position.
• Apron : It is the hanging part in front of carriage and serves as a housing for a number of gear train through which power is given to the carriage and cross slide. It carries the clutch mechanism and split half nut. Clutch mechanism is used to transmit motion from feed rod. Split half nut in cojuction with lead screw moves the whole carriage in thread cutting.