Help identify dividing head

[Pete O]

This thing was sitting on the floor at the sale the other day, generally being tripped over and not even looked at. I got it for the princely sum of $20.00. Wondering if anyone would know anything about it? I can't see any maker's mark on it but have not yet had a chance to even clean the outside of it properly, far less strip it down like it needs. The dividing plate is interesting as it has different hole patterns on each side, one side has from 24 to 44 and the other side goes from 46 to 56, so offers a wider range than my vertex head with 3 plates. Would like to know the purpose of the gearing as well, is it a universal type, and if so, would that be specific to a particular machine?
   
   
   

I asked the bloke who was selling up about it, he didn't remember where it came from and had never had a chuck on it.

[Sunset Machine]

Is that a pin on top, behind the plate? A universal would allow the plate and crank to rotate together, there should be a pin involved for that to happen.

[Pete O]

Yes I think it is a pin but it is seized- I can't turn it in either direction or lift it or press it down. I figured it would be for selecting between the crank and the gears.

[Pete O]

Now that I have a bit of workshop space back, I started stripping this thing down and cleaning it up a bit. As Sunset suggested, the pin behind the dividing plate engages / disengages the plate so it can turn with the crank. I still can't find any maker's mark on it, but I did a search of google images and I think this is a Kempsmith universal dividing head, albeit missing some significant parts such as a gear train. Does anyone have any info on these? I'm contemplating cleaning it up and putting a chuck on it and keeping it instead of my Vertex head, with a view to (one day!) making the missing gear train. Other options include flogging it on eBay, or putting it on a shelf and ignoring it for a few decades.

[Sunset Machine]

I've no idea how the gear train on that would work. A link to one would be interesting. Not a lot of call for the universals, but as a plain head I'd call it good and you got it dirt cheap.

[haroldmulder]

You might want to look at this document from Vintage Machinery.Org


Harold

[Sunset Machine]

That's a nice reference for ANY head - thanks for the pointer!

[Pete O]

Thanks Harold, I actually downloaded that document just after making my last post- as Sunset said, a very good reference with what appears to be a comprehensive set of charts.
Having had a browse through the document, I'm not so convinced that this head is a Kempsmith. It looks more like this one from Vilh Petersen, which is a similar design
   
which i think is the same unit as the one pictured in post #3 of this thread on PM:
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/gen...ead-73589/

There is no facility to disengage the worm for direct indexing, as there is on the Kempsmith according to the book.

The drive gear spindle is on a bracket that gets bolted to the side of the dividing head, my unit has a set of holes that appear to be the same pattern as in these photos. Having dismantled it yesterday afternoon, I can still find no maker's identification on it anywhere, just a patent number and a 'con' (consignment? contract?) number stamped into it. No holes where a nameplate appears to have been riveted in the past either.

It appears to be a quality head, I may keep it as my Vertex one would probably be easier to sell, although I have a tailstock for the vertex and not for this one. Don't know how big of a deal that is?

[Roadracer_Al]

Excellent score.

[f350ca]

Great reference Harold, thanks. Interesting note, that head doesn't have plates for 125 divisions, recently had to make a plate for mine to cut a dial.