Fig. 559.

A simple method of preventing end motion is shown in [Fig. 559], a bracket b affording a support for a threaded adjusting screw, which is sometimes made pointed and at others flat. When pointed it acts to support the spindle, but on the other hand it also acts to prevent the journal from bedding fairly in the boxes. In some cases of small lathes the back bearing is dispensed with, and a similar pointed adjusting screw takes its place, which answers very well for very small work.

Since the strain of the cut carried by the cutting tool falls mainly upon the live centre end of the cone spindle, it is obvious that the bearing at that end has a greater tendency to wear.

In addition to this the weight of the cone itself is greatest at that end, and furthermore the weight of the face plate or chuck, and of the work, is carried mainly at that end. If, however, one journal and bearing wears more than the other, the spindle is thrown out of line with the lathe shears, and with the tail block spindle. The usual method of obviating this as far as possible is to give that end a larger journal-bearing area.

The direction in which this wear will take place depends in a great measure upon the kind of work done in the lathe; thus in a lathe running slowly and doing heavy work carried by chucks, or on the face plate, the wear would be downwards and towards the operator, the weight of the chuck, &c., causing the downward, and the resistance or work-lifting tendency of the cut causing the lateral wear. As a general rule the wear will be least in a lateral direction towards the back of the lathe, but the direction of wear is so variable that provision for its special prevention or adjustment is not usually made. In the S. W. Putnam lathe, provision is made that the bearing boxes may be rotated in the head, so that when the lathe is used on a class of work that caused the live spindle to wear the bearing boxes on one side more than on another, the boxes may be periodically partly rotated in the head so that further wear will correct the evil.

The coned hole to receive the live centre should run quite true, so that the live centre will run true without requiring, when inserted, to be placed in exactly the same position it occupied when being turned up at its conical point. But when this hole does not run true a centre punch dot is made on the end of the spindle, and another on the centre, so that by placing the two dots to coincide at all times, the centre will run true.

The taper given to lathe centres varies from 9⁄16 per foot to 1 inch per foot. In the practice of Pratt and Whitney a taper of 9⁄16 per foot is given to all lathes, the lengths of the tapers for different sizes of lathes being as follows:

Swing of Lathe. Length of Taper Socket
for Live Centre.
13 inches 5 inches.
16„ 33⁄4„
18 and 19 inches 711⁄16„
„„with hollow spindle 5 inches long
and 11⁄16 diameter at the small end.