In selecting these weights it is well to have them as nearly as possible heavy enough to counterbalance the work when placed at the same distance from the lathe centre as the outer end of the work. The proper adjustment of the weight is ascertained by revolving the lathe and letting it slowly come to rest, when, if the outer end, or overhanging end as it termed, of the work comes to rest at the bottom of the circle of revolution on two or three successive trials the weight of the counterbalance must be increased by the addition of another weight, or the weight may be moved farther from the lathe centre.
Fig. 887.
To enable a piece of work, such as a crank for example, to have two or more holes bored at one chucking, a class of chuck such as shown in [Fig. 887] is sometimes employed. s is a slide in one piece with the hub that screws on the live spindle and standing at a true right angle with the axial line of the cone spindle and made as long as will swing over the lathe bed. It contains a dovetail groove (as shown in the edge view) into which a bar t, running across the back of the face plate p, passes. To cause the bar t to accurately fit the dovetail, notwithstanding any wear of the surfaces, a slip g is introduced, being set up to t by set-screws passing through that side of the dovetailed piece. The work, as the crank c, is bolted to the face plate, and the set-screws on g are eased so that the plate can be moved to set the work true; when true, the set-screws are tightened, and the first hole may be bored. To bore the second hole all that is necessary is to slacken the set-screws on g, move the plate, which will slide in the dovetail groove, and set the work; when the set-screws are again set up tight, the boring may again be proceeded with. In this way both holes may be bored without unclamping the work. The whole truth of the job, before being unclamped from the chuck plate, depends in this case upon the dovetail groove being at a true right angle to the axial line of the lathe cone spindle, it being of no consequence whether the face plate stands true or not. But suppose the removal of the metal to have released strains in the casting or forging, then the clamping plates will have prevented the crank from quite assuming its normal shape after the release of those strains, and the crank, when finished, though true while clamped, will change its form the instant the clamping plates are removed, and the holes bored will in all probability not have their axial lines true one with the other. Another objection is that throwing the chuck plate out of balance on the lathe spindle as well as the crank induces the evils due to the centrifugal motion. This may be offset by increased counterbalancing, of course, but the counterbalancing becomes cumbersome, and is not so easy a matter. For these reasons, chucks of this class are not desirable unless it may be for comparatively small and light work. It is obvious that the dovetail groove may be provided with a screw, and the back of the plate with a nut, so as to move the plate along the groove by revolving the screw. This will assist in adjusting or setting the work, but it will increase the amount of weight requiring to be counterbalanced.
Fig. 888.
