identify this masive precision tool? It is on display at the Charles River Museum of Industry.

It looks like a indexing head used for cutting gears on a milling machine.

Thanks for posting the interesting picture.

I must agree, it's an indexing head. It looks quite old, late 1800's to me. It could have been made for a mill or for a lathe, given that lathes were often used to mill gears in the old days.

Best regards,
Greg

Greg and Kevin
Thanks for the information - here is a photo of the accessories included in the box with this tool.

A manufacturing machine on display at the CRMI.

A view of the machine's work area. Would anyone know what was made by this machine?

Wayne i am no expert but i think this machine made screws.Maybe someone else has a idea on this one.

Wayne,
This is a great picture. Kevin you are on the right track. This is a sliding headstock cam machine. The machine was used to make long shafts with multible diameters and can also be set up to make threaded components. Today the same basic tecnology can be found in what is called a swiss style turning machine. They are now CNC. The idea was started in the USA by Waltham. It was perfected by the Swiss. They have in turn lost the market to Japan

Hi.

Rich, can you point out where and how the machine works? It has different heads(word?) or shafts itself, doesn't it? would these make different sizes, or are they perfecting one size--something else entirely.

Also, can you explain your terms: "sliding headstock" and "--cam"? How long would the shafts be that the mchine made?
I really wonder what a contemporary machine looks like. I'm sure there's a computer driven method today.

Jessica

Jessica,
Charles Vander Woerd, the mechanical superintendent at Waltham Watch Co., invented the first automatic screw machine in 1871. The first few machines made were a smaller version and were used to make jewel screws. This machine, however, could be set up to make any size watch screw, from tiny jewel screws to the case screws used to hold a movement in its case. There were forty-five of these machines built between 1871 and abut 1876 and used in the screw making department at Waltham. A single operator could attend to six or more of these machines and produce fifty to sixty thousand screws per day. The basic design of this machine was copied by other watch factories. This machine is on display at the Charles River Museum of Industry, Waltham Mass.

Hello,

George Collard donated pieces of Waltham Watch manufacturing equipment to NAWCC Museum, and it is on static display there.

Charles River Museum has a nice Waltham exhibit put together by a group of Chapter 8 members. They typically gather there Thursday mornings 9:30 to 11:30 AM that is the best time to visit and are always happy to give visitors a tour and show off their exhibit.

Andy Dervan