Drive center with guard

A drive center for use with a lathe having a headstock and a tailstock, the drive center comprising:

• a head having a leading face and an external surface having a flange located at an axial end of the head opposite from the leading face, the head supporting a center point and at least two spurs which extend axially beyond the leading face of the head;
• a shank being fixed to a trailing end of the head that is axially opposite the leading face of the head, the shank and the head defining a rotational axis of the drive center;
• a cylindrical guard being coaxially supported by the external surface of the head such that the guard radially encircles the head, the guard having a cylindrical inner surface that is directly supported on the external surface of the head and the flange such that the guard is rotationally and axially movable with respect to the head, the flange axially engages a retainer that is fixed to the guard to limit axial movement of the guard with respect to the head, the guard being in a fully extended position when the flange engages the retainer;
• a first spring being radially located between the inner surface of the guard and the external surface of the head, the first spring contacting the flange and the retainer so as to continually bias the guard axially toward the fully extended position in which the guard extends axially beyond the leading face of the head and the at least two spurs.

A drive center for use with a lathe having a headstock and a tailstock, the drive center comprising:

• a cylindrical head having a leading face, a trailing end and an external surface, a flange radially extending from the external surface at the trailing end of the head, the head having a plurality of bores which receive and support a center point and at least two spurs such that the center point and the at least two spurs extend axially beyond the leading face of the head;
• a shank being connected to the trailing end of the head and having an axially opposite remote end, the shank and the head defining a rotational axis of the drive center;
• a cylindrical guard being coaxially supported by the external surface of the head such that the guard radially encircles the head, the guard having a radially inner surface that extends axially from a leading surface of the guard to a tail end of the guard, the inner surface comprising a sliding surface and a trailing surface that has greater diameter than the sliding surface such that a shoulder is formed therebetween, the trailing surface having an annular groove located adjacent the tail end of the guard, the sliding surface contacts the external surface of the head and the flange contacts the trailing surface of the guard such that the guard is rotatable about and axially slidable along the rotational axis with respect to the head, an annular gap being formed axially between the flange and the shoulder of the inner surface of the guard;
• a retaining ring being received within the annular groove, the flange of the head abuts the retaining ring to limit axial sliding of the guard in a forward direction toward the leading face of the head;
• and
• a first spring being located within the gap and abutting the flange and the shoulder of the inner surface of the guard, the first spring exerting a force on the guard in the forward direction toward the leading face of the head, such that a portion of the guard extends axially beyond the leading face of the head and radially encircles the at least two spurs, the guard being axially slidable against the force of the first spring in a reverse direction toward the remote end of the shank.