Another Mystery Tool

I bought this recently via ebay and wondered is anyone recognizes the type.

There is no makers name on it but it is clearly another version of a Clarkson Autolock though a bit more complicated.

One of the threaded oval plates is missing but as it's for the largest size of cutter I'll be unlikely to need a replacement although It wouldn't take much effort to make one.

That looks home made to me. I have seen most variations on the Clarkson theme.

Brian Hutchings:

An interesting design. The provision for restraining the cutter axially seems different from the Clarkson. Perhaps you would test for the effectiveness of this and report back?

what an intriguing find, If it is home made then they were no stranger to delicate machining needed for the collets.

Michael W

MMMM home made but in the style of the Acramil with the thick end of the collet at the bottom of the socket?

It resembles the early Osborn Titanic milling chuck except the threaded oval plates were not used by Osborn, they had a disc with a slot. The center pin which locates in the end of the cutter is missing, easy enough to make one. The chuck works thus, rotation of the cutter causes the oval plate (which is restrained from rotating) to move down the cutter thread, pushing the sleeve downwards to compress the collet. They do grip the cutters very well. Perhaps it is Mr Osborn's original prototype.

I've got an Osborn Titanic II, I don't know if the Mk.1 was different, but that's nothing like my chuck.

Is there a locating cone missing from the inside of the body?

Neil

Many thanks for the replies, I did wonder if there should be a centre cone. I'll try and get a better picture of the internal details of the body.

Parts of it look home made, for instance the threads are rougher than would be expected on a professionally made item and it seems to have spent some time half submerged in water. The outer body looks to have been chrome plated but was damaged by vice jaws so I have machined it smooth.

I think it will do any milling that I might be doing.

Neil, yes, the Titanic II is different, 1 piece collet. I use one of these, also a more recent Soba chuck, this is a direct copy, the collets are interchangable.

Dave

Took a couple more pictures.

The picture inside the body shows a 3/8" hole that goes down about 1 1/4" and I've found a piece of 3/8" silver steel that has been turned down to use as a temporary centre. If I clean it up it will serve as a support cone.

Is the hole straight of tapered? Clarksons use a 0 Morse taper centre. The use of an oval thread plate seems a bit awkward to make suggesting it was a patent busting measure perhaps.

Bazyle, the hole is a straight 3/8" inches.