People from the XVIII century instead of manual labor began to use machines for production. They worked for a couple, then in the XX century they switched to electricity. Machine production makes life much easier for people, doing all the difficult work for them, so humanity is modernizing technology every year. One of the most important machines is a lathe. The USSR actively used this device during the Great Patriotic War and during the five-year periods. Now young people do not even know why this machine is needed. In this article we will analyze what a lathe is, what it is used for, what kind of lathes were in the USSR.
What are lathes for?
This machine is needed in order to process parts (or their blanks) of metals and wood by cutting or turning. Using a lathe, they grind and grind smooth cylindrical, shaped and conical surfaces of this shape, grind grooves (recesses on the product), cones, process internal surfaces, cut threads, trim and end faces, drill, etc.
The device has many features, and accordingly, there should be many different models and varieties. In fact, no matter what role the lathe plays, all the machines have the same structure shown in the photo below.
- The headstock (it contains a gearbox, consisting mainly of a spindle) is mounted on the left end of the bed.
- The workpiece spindle communicates the main movements thanks to special devices. There are also seating surfaces on the spindle for mounting a cartridge or faceplate, and inside there is a tapered bore where the center shank is inserted.
- The gearbox in the headstock serves to adjust the spindle speed.
- The feed box provides the running shaft and propeller with various speeds.
- The support is needed to secure the cutting tool, it tells him the feed movement.
- The caliper apron converts the rotational movements of the travel shaft or the propeller into the straight motion of the caliper.
- And the tailstock is the role of fixing centers, drills, taps, etc.
USSR Lathe
During the five-year periods, during the Great Patriotic War and after it, the Soviet Union actively used various machines to boost the country's economy. In the USSR, metal and wood lathes were most often used to create weapons, military equipment, as well as other devices and devices that would help in difficult times.
During the war, people actively worked on cars. Well-preserved lathes of the USSR, photos from those times did not remain, but the machines have survived to this day. And, having come to the museum of military equipment, most likely, you will see devices from factories there. The machines were made well and efficiently so that they would not wear out and last a very long time, and so it happened.
Conclusion
So, in this article we figured out what lathes are, why they are needed, what their structure is, how long they can serve. The lathes of the USSR, as time has shown, are the most reliable; they never let people down in difficult times.