Garrett Wide Range Attachment (AKA, Garrett Millerette) for Lathes.

[Eddyde]

This rare dividing attachment came along with the South Bend Lathe I just bought,I searched the internet and came up with not much information on it other than it is a milling/dividing attachment and was listed in the South Bend catalogs in the 1930's (I haven't checked other decades yet). It looks to be unused or barely used. The lathe is circa 1935 so I assume it's the same age... I was wondering if anyone else has ever seen or used one of these before and knows anything about it? I know an instruction book exists, though not readily available. However, the use seems pretty straightforward so it ultimately it may not be necessary... Any info would be appreciated.

 

[4GSR]

I've seen pictures of it as you have posted above. Never seen one for sale or seen talked about that I know of.
You are very fortunate to have one of the very few out there. Don't let it go! Be nice to get basic dimensions for it so someone could reproduce it in some from or fashion for their own use. How about documentiong the loose gears in your last picture and post.
What a great find! Thanks for sharing!

 

[brino]

Wow, neat unit.
I've never heard of it....but thanks for posting.
-brino

EDIT: strange that the only hits on "Millerette" at lathes.co.uk site are on the LeBlond Regal pages:
http://www.lathes.co.uk/regal/index.html
http://www.lathes.co.uk/regal/page2.html

 

[benmychree]

I had two of those, one with the dividing head and one with a vise; I got them from a local school that was selling off its machine shop; I had no use for them, so sold them on E Bay a good many years ago. The fact that they have change gears much lessens dividing mistakes.

 

[JonHolmes]

This rare dividing attachment came along with the South Bend Lathe I just bought,I searched the internet and came up with not much information on it other than it is a milling/dividing attachment and was listed in the South Bend catalogs in the 1930's (I haven't checked other decades yet). It looks to be unused or barely used. The lathe is circa 1935 so I assume it's the same age... I was wondering if anyone else has ever seen or used one of these before and knows anything about it? I know an instruction book exists, though not readily available. However, the use seems pretty straightforward so it ultimately it may not be necessary... Any info would be appreciated. View attachment 246226View attachment 246227View attachment 246228View attachment 246229View attachment 246230View attachment 246231View attachment 246232View attachment 246233View attachment 246234View attachment 246235

Have you tracked down an instruction book? It seems hard to find where to download/purchase a copy. I am wanting to find out how to do the calculations to index some prime numbers beyond 50 (ie 53). The literature - Southbend and LeBlonde say "The index plate shows the proper gears to use for division from 2 to 360 and the number of turns required of the index lever". My index plate is the same as yours - all divisions up to 50, then (only) 360 division.

 

[woodchucker]

did you notice the price on that, back in the 30s. Wow, that's a lot of money.
$195 in 1930 equals $2,794.89 in 2018.
$195 in 1933 equals $3,669.63 in 2018.
https://www.saving.org/inflation/inflation.php?amount=1&year=1930

 

[Eddyde]

Have you tracked down an instruction book? It seems hard to find where to download/purchase a copy. I am wanting to find out how to do the calculations to index some prime numbers beyond 50 (ie 53). The literature - Southbend and LeBlonde say "The index plate shows the proper gears to use for division from 2 to 360 and the number of turns required of the index lever". My index plate is the same as yours - all divisions up to 50, then (only) 360 division.

Do you have the same device? if so, please post pictures.
Apparently there is a copy of the instruction book at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn Michigan. Unfortunately it isn't digitized, one must go there to view it. I suppose if you figure out the gear ratios, you could calculate all the possibilities? I haven't had much time to play with it, I figure I'll get to it when I need to use it...

 

[JonHolmes]

Yes, I have the same device (minus a few pieces) - barely used. I will post photos in a few days. Some time ago I had extended the list of divisions, using the standard 24 gears - trying to get to 360. I got most of them up to 100 ( a few primes missing) and then gradually less and less on the way to 360. Most indexing and division tools work differently, so looking at how they divide to 53 equal divisions has been no help so far (I can get close - 52.94 divisions using 10 and 17 worm/handle gears, 1 turn)

 

[Eddyde]

There is recent thread here about 3D printing gears, perhaps a gear(s) could be made with the needed ratios. I think they might work well, given they wouldn't be subject to much torque.

 

[benmychree]

Yes, I have the same device (minus a few pieces) - barely used. I will post photos in a few days. Some time ago I had extended the list of divisions, using the standard 24 gears - trying to get to 360. I got most of them up to 100 ( a few primes missing) and then gradually less and less on the way to 360. Most indexing and division tools work differently, so looking at how they divide to 53 equal divisions has been no help so far (I can get close - 52.94 divisions using 10 and 17 worm/handle gears, 1 turn)

Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.