I had a jam up on my lathe this afternoon which has caused damage somewhere in the Norton quick change gearbox – it also stripped several teeth off the input gear!
The lathe is a well built German Weiler LZ 280 lathe of uncertain vintage – probably late 1960's very early 1970's. The quick change gearbox has the usual two shaft outlets, a leadscrew for screw threading on top and a splined shaft – posh term for a shaft with a longitudinal keyway – in the bottom for power feeds.
I am trying to remove the gearbox to see what damage has been done and to repair it. The box has been detached from the lathe and the leadscrew is out but it is resisting all attempts to detach the power feed shaft. The manual gives no instruction for removal but states there is a "safety slip-clutch of spring-loaded key-drive design, located in the end bearing of feed shaft at quick change gear box, protection is assured against overload" (lost a little in the translation perhaps!) but the drawing is less than clear and offers little to no guidance to the shaft's removal.
Where the feed shaft disappears into the box there was a circlip which I thought might be holding things back but it's removal has not helped, it doesn't want to come out and prefers to just slide through the apron as I try to pull it clear.
As an extreme measure I suppose I could pull the feed shaft all the way out the apron, but then I fear the mating key might fall out and that would mean the apron would need stripping down, but before I venture down that route:
Has anyone any idea how the feed shaft is removed? There has got to be an easy way – I just don't know it!
All help gratefully received.
Chris