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8th Aug 2019, 10:22 PM #1Senior Member
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looking for ideas on lathe overhead belting conversion
G'Day,
I've got an old Southbend I've started restoring - overhead belt was the original design, hard to change that with the castings the way they are.
I'm looking for a few ideas on suitable designs for the overhead conversion - belt tensioning/ alignment, unloaders, and motor mounts. I figure I can't be the only person who's had to do this, and I'm one of those people who looks at other people's designs, let them all mull around in the grey matter for a while, then spit out a design to start with.
I am looking at probably 600mm of distance between the top of the spindle, and the top of the countershaft.. the lathe sits under a mezzanine.
My current motors are 3ph antique, variable speed DC treadmill conversion, and I'm sure I could scare up a single phase option easy enough.
Google has given me a few leads on designs, but not a lot of detail, and certainly little information in the alignment design.
anyone got any tips or photos they want to share?
thanks,
Des
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9th Aug 2019, 03:59 PM #2Most Valued Member
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- May 2011
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- Murray Bridge S Aust.
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- 71
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Hi Des, I'm led to believe that the Hercus is a copy of the Southbend, have a look for some images of Hercus lathes to see if you can gain some ideas. I have a Horizontal mill that used to run overhead belts, it has a system that I've attached a pic of, if that helps.
Showing the belt drive lay out.
Horimill 5.JPG
The tensioning set up.
Horimill 1.JPG
HTH
KrynTo grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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9th Aug 2019, 06:02 PM #3Senior Member
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- May 2010
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- Perth
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Kryn,
thanks - I don't know if the prewar SB13B was ever copied - most of the hercus lathes I saw were copies of the SB9 models.
Looking at the pictures you sent, is it fair to say that the alignment of the belts are managed via moving the cone pulley on the shaft, and the accuracy of the pivots and bearing centres.. or is there some adjustment in the pivot mounts and bearing mounts?
Your belt looks around the same kind of length I will be using - do you find the belt slips much? or is the tensions sufficient? ( recall reading that the longer flat belts were less reliant on tension for power transfer compared to shorter belts... it was the tech advantage of V belts which took that distance element out of the equation....
Thanks,
Des
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9th Aug 2019, 06:50 PM #4
Hi Des, Guys,
I would say from the museums that I've visited, the original line shaft system was overhead well above head hight and the belt was quite long and not what I would call tight. This would make the belt quite heavy reducing slip. The belt would have been moved by a fork from a live pulley to and idler allowing the operator to move the belt to another size pulley. There didn't seem to be a problem with the slight miss alignment of the belt, probably due to its length.
I would suggest that alignment becomes a greater problem as the belt gets shorter. From pictures I've seen it seems that speed changing has been transferred to "V" belts and a flat belt from a single driving pulley used between them.
JMTPW.Best Regards:
Baron J.
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9th Aug 2019, 08:33 PM #5Most Valued Member
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- Murray Bridge S Aust.
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Hi Des,
The only pulleys are the domed flat belt ones, 3 sizes. There doesn't appear to be any form of adjustment, apart from slots in the angle to "twist" the frame into alignment, on the pivots, from memory???? Can get detailed pics tomorrow, if required?
As it's a 3phase unit, I've not fired it up, so I can't comment as to slipping etc.
I was thinking that later on, I might convert the flat belt pulleys to V Belt drive, just to make it easier, should one let go.
KrynTo grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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9th Aug 2019, 11:38 PM #6Senior Member
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- May 2010
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- Perth
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Kryn,
the slots in the angle iron sounds about right - at the pulley bearing mounts. Thanks, no need for more photos.
in my case, I will have to up with the flat belt, but can then go sideways with the motor - so I will have 2 lots of adjustment to help alignment.
I will take photos, but at this stage putting them up will be a few months away.
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