Rollo Elf Lathe Linkage?

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Hi all,

Another funny little lathe in a tool lot that just arrived, a ROLLO 'ELF'.

All came apart and went back to gether OK but this strange rod linkage was separate from the machine and obviously goes on the back and hooks up to theeccentric on the shaft driving the spindle. Runs in the 2 small brackets at back. The tailstock end has a spring detent in it but cannot see what it does or where it goes?

Any thoughts will be welcome please?

Regatrds,

Martin

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Odd Lathe part, what does it do please?

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Does the round part of the linkage fit somewhere on the leadscrew handle/bracket so you can operate that gear engagement lever on the rear of the headstock without having to reach over the back of the machine and risk getting one's cuff links entangled in the chuck?

[Peter KroghParticipant @peterkrogh76576]

That is a beautiful little lathe!!

Pete

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Hallo Martin,

I have (had?) a Rollo Elf that is now out on permanent loan to a friend. Mine is the 'hand-cranked' version, which I suspect yours was originally too. There was a motorised version of the Rollo but that used a Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub to drive it but it also differed in other small details from memory.

Anyway – your lathe looks to be very similar to mine but with the addittion of the motor drive and mine doesn't have the large flywheel behind the larger of the two gears. However, the gear train is permanently engaged and there is no eccentric movement (that I can recall) of the rear shaft (such as with a back-gear set-up for instance) – so that lever would appear to be attached to (what on my lathe) would be just be the end of a revolving shaft.

So I cannot help you I'm afraid but would be curious to know more specifics of how that lever attaches to the shaft (given its revolving nature) – as that might offer more clues as to its intended use.

Regards,

IanT

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

Might this be a basic longitudinal feed mechanism ?

The Elf being a plain lathe there is no gearing between the spindle drive & the leadscrew – the "added" bit on the input shaft looks eccentric, so could this cause an oscillation at the leadscrew handle end to give a shaper-like cyclic "nudge" to the leadscrew ?

Nigel B

[Martin King 2Participant @martinking2]

Nigel B, I think that you have the right of it. Had another look and took these pics, the linkage seems to go on the serrated alloy part on the leadscrew.

The leadscrew end has had a bit of a knock and is slightly our of true so am a bit wary of running it all hooked up .

[Russ BParticipant @russb]

Not at all helpful, but….

I had the electric powered, long round bed Elf with screw cutting, its was beautiful. For what I sold it for, I should have kept it but it was a heavy little bugger and took up quite a bit of room – I am glad it went to a new home because it deserved to be cleaned up properly and used as it should be.

You can see mine below (if the video works)

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

It doesn't help much but this photo from MEW231 shows a similar bar to the rear of the bed that looks like it might have been supplied like that.

Rod

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