High-quality black-and-white photographs of large old machines and tools

**Howder1951** · May 25, 2021, 08:06 AM

Originally Posted by mcthistle007

Yes Good Question,What were they Used for? Where are the Top Caps? Certainly Don't Put Your Fingers Anywhere Near Those Gears When Turning!

Looks like a gears for some large metal rolling equipment. the journals run on solid bearings and I am guessing those puppies will transmit something like 4-5000 HP.

**Toolmaker51** · May 25, 2021, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by Howder1951

Looks like a gears for some large metal rolling equipment. the journals run on solid bearings and I am guessing those puppies will transmit something like 4-5000 HP.

.......or something very much like rolling equipment. Such operations run best not by spur gearing; hypoids and various helical engagements have what it takes.

**marksbug** · May 24, 2021, 09:34 AM

I saw some types of these under the Leonardo D. engerneering(I think, something like that,motion.somethen ) mustseeum in milan years ago,so awesome. great way to control back lash and thrust at the same time and adjustable too. I saw oh somuch in that dirt floor machine shop with 4 story mustseeum built over it. I even learned how DOM is made there....I had no idea, and no idea that stuff was going on centurys ago.I need to go back for another look for a few years.

**madokie** · May 24, 2021, 10:45 PM

Herringbone gears,,,i worked in a machine shop in 1998-2002 here in OKC , that had 1934 sydney lathe 20 " swing by 6 ft long bed,all the headstock gears were herringbone,6 speeds, u changed speeds by turning a two handed lever when the spindle was barely rotating,,fastest speed was 300,great lathe that could take a 1/4 inch cut all day ,,till a headstock bearing needed replacing or tightening up, which happened about every 6 months..

**Floradawg** · May 30, 2021, 10:14 AM

I'm assuming you're in Oklahoma City. I'm gonna get over there one day to see the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.

**mlochala** · May 25, 2021, 06:02 AM

It blows my mind to think of how it must have been machining those gears back then, although I don't really know how old this photo is.

Another thing to consider, between the engineer(s) who designed this monstrosity and the machinists that made it, the design and building process has to be so precise to get the backlash correct on those gears. Not sure how you would even adjust that on this machine.

I wonder what it was used for?

**Floradawg** · May 30, 2021, 10:18 AM

It's probably just a part of a very large machine that they are supplying. Maybe a propulsion assembly for a ship or unique locomotive vehicle. Who knows?