Automatic feed for a lathe

摘要

The specification discloses a lathe incorporating automatic feed at fast and slow speeds for driving (a) a tool holder carriage rapidly in leftward and rightward directions along the lathe bed and slowly in a leftward direction for automatic feed, and also (b) for rapid movement of the lathe cross-slide forwardly and rearwardly across the bed and slow movement of said cross-slide in the forward direction. In order to minimize the time taken for transition from slow to rapid speed in the automatic feed mechanisms, two parallel drive trains (one fast and one slow) are arranged to be selectively clutched to a main drive means for driving the tool holder carriage along the bed and for driving the cross-slide across the bed relative to the carriage.