ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

DEPT. OF MECHANICAL & CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

MCE 4628
Machine tools lab

Exp. Number: 06
Exp. Name:

STUDY OF GEAR CHANGING MECHANISM OF A CENTER LATHE MACHINE

Date of Submission: 16.10.2017 Prepared by,

Md. Kabbir Hossain
141437
MCE14
OBJECTIVE
To study the gear changing mechanism of a center lathe.
INTRODUCTION
A lathe is the forerunner of all machine. It is the most important machine used in
any workshop. Initially it was used for wood turning. After Henry Maudsley developed
the sliding carriage in 1800, a lot of development has taken place and lathes are now
available in numerous sizes and shapes.
A lathe removes the material by rotating the workpiece against a single point cutting tool.
The part to be machined can be held between two rigid support called centers, or by
some other device such as a chuck or face plate, that is screwed or secured to the end of
the spindle.
Turning means the part is rotating while it is being machined. The starting material is
usually a workpiece that has been made by other processes, such as casting, forging,
extrusion or drawing.

Kinematic System And Working Principle Of Lathes

Amongst the various types of lathes, center lathes are the most versatile and commonly used.
Fig. 4.1.1 schematically shows the typical kinematic system of a 12 speed centre lathe.
For machining in machine tools, the job and the cutting tool need to be moved relative to each
other.
For machining in machine tools, the job and the cutting tool need to be moved relative to each
other.
The tool-work motions are:
Formative motions: - cutting motion - feed motion
Auxiliary motions: - indexing motion - relieving motion etc.
In lathes, cutting motion is attained by rotating the job and the feed motion by linear travel of the
tool - either axially for longitudinal feed - or radially for cross feed
It is noted, in general:

The job gets rotation (and power) from the motor through the belt-pulley, clutch and then
the speed gear box which splits the input speed into a number (here 12) of speeds by
operating the cluster gears.
The cutting tool derives its automatic feed motion(s) from the rotation of the spindle via
the gear quadrant, feed gear box and then the appron mechanism where the rotation of
the feed rod is transmitted - either to the pinion which being rolled along the rack
provides the longitudinal feed or to the screw of the cross slide for cross or transverse
feed.
While cutting screw threads the half nuts are engaged with the rotating leadscrew to
positively cause travel of the carriage and hence the tool parallel to the lathe bed i.e., job
axis.
The feed-rate for both turning and threading is varied as needed by operating the Norton
gear and the Meander drive systems existing in the feed gear box (FGR). The range of
feeds can be augmented by changing the gear ratio in the gear quadrant connecting the
FGB with the spindle
As and when required, the tailstock is shifted along the lathe bed by operating the
clamping bolt and the tailstock quill is moved forward or backward or is kept locked in
the desired location.
The versatility or working range of the center lathes is augmented by using several
attachments like - Taper turning attachment - Thread milling attachment - Copying
attachment
GEAR CHANGING MECHANISM
The use of gears in most equipment give us control over torque, speed and synchronization.
Their use in lathe machines have similar purposes. When we are machining different materials,
of different geometries, we require different values of cutting speed and feed. And since the
motion of the input motor is fixed, variable speeds are produced by means of gears.
The main gear train assembly is found on the headstock. The shaft from the input motor having
a fixed speed enters the headstock, where a variety of different gear trains are assembled. The
input shaft is connected to the spindle by means of these gear trains.
By operating the handle on the headstock, we can engage the input shaft to different gear
trains, hence producing different speeds of the spindle (the cutting speed), as per required.
A similar gear assembly is found in the feed gear box, producing a number of different feed
rates. In addition, there is a rack and pinion to convert the rotary motion of the shaft into a linear
motion.
Different types of gears, like spur gears, helical gears etc. are found inside the headstock of the
lathe. Generally, the entire gear assembly is submerged in oil for better transmission of motion
with minimum frictional losses.