four way toolpost with ratchet

I've had this toolpost for a while, it came with some engineering items I bought a while back. I've not seen one quite like this before as it has a ratchet underneath, presumably to auto align at each turn of the toolpost. It's made for a small lathe.

I think there must be a special topslide to activate the rathchet? Has anyone got one of these and can perhaps show the other part??

It looks quite like the Myford item (whose ratchet is screwed to the topslide, however).

+1 for it being a Myford item.

Looks like the nut, bolt, and screws are probably in it keep all the bits together;

If you carefully remove the grubscrew in the side of the lower flange, you will hopefully find the ratchet pawl and spring in there!

The ratchet wheel fits over the toolpost stud and is secured to the topslide with three screws, the toolpost fits on top and is secured by a nut (or usually, a threaded ball handle) - loosening this off allows the body to click round in eighths-of-a-turn, and then be tightened down again once indexed in the new position.

..So it's probably all there, the Myford ball handle looks like this;

Myford Ltd. - 4 way Toolpost Handle

+1 for one for Series 7 Myford, as everyone else says.

When removing the Ratchet Wheel to fit to the Top Slide, be careful not to lose the pawl and spring (Just visible at the 1 O'Clock position in the picture. )

Howard

Thank you all, I never realised it was a Myford item, it's two & half inch square

I don't think it's Myford, I don't recognise it all.

The ratchet pawl is integral to the toolpost - you can see a plunger in the second picture. The first picture shows a grub screw that probably conceals the spring behind the plunger.

I'd guess the nut and bolt are just keeping it together and in use it would fit to a toolpost with a hexagonal flange to engage the three pins in the ratchet.

Neil

It certainly looks like a Myford 4 way indexing tool post.

regards Martin

Note to self, dig out my old one and measure the dimensions of the square.

Edited By Martin Kyte on 27/01/2022 22:14:03

I'm sure it's for a Myford - just measured mine, 2 1/2" square x 1 3/8" high. Also has that recessed hole in the underside corner.

Used as Diogenes described above.

Rob

It is a Myford. As said, the nut & bolt are just holding things together. The 3 "pins" are actually c'sk screws which are used to attach the ratchet to the top-slide. The handle, which is missing, screws onto the tool-post and clamps the tool-holder down. My example, which I can fit to my Boxford, is marked on one edge with the Myford logo and part no.