Whitworth screwing machine, 1849

Whitworth screwing machine, 1849

This machine was made by Joseph Whitworth & Co in 1849. The rod or pipe to receive a thread is held in a chuck at the end of a hollow spindle, which passes through the driving shaft and is keyed to a groove in the latter. The spindle can thus slide while rotating, so as to feed the blank into the die which is mounted in the tailstock of the machine. A ring fits loosely over a groove in the spindle behind the chuck and is attached to a rack which engages with a pinion, which can be turned by a hand wheel in order to bring the blank up to the die. The die, which has four cutters, is adjustable by a hand wheel.