Spindle drives for multi spindle lathes

A spindle drive for a multi-spindle lathe having a body, a drum indexible in the body about an axis of a spindle assembly and a plurality of work spindles rotatably mounted in said drum, said drive having separate drive members for each spindle and electrically operable clutch mechanisms between the respective drive members and spindles, each clutch mechanism comprising a part fixed with respect to the spindle it is to drive and a part fixed with respect to the respective drive member, electromagnetic means fixedly mounted in a ring secured to the drum and indexible with the drum in which the spindles are rotatably mounted, clutch plates carried by said parts respectively and movable by said electromagnetic means to be engaged or disengaged, a source of electrical supply, electrical wiring connecting said electromagnetic means respectively to said source of electrical supply, a tube through which only said electrical wiring extends, said tube being an innermost element of said spindle and being indexible with said drum and coaxial with the axis about which said drum is indexed, one end of said tube remote from said drum having a rotary, electrical distributor with a portion fixed to the body of the lathe and a portion carried on said tube, said distributor providing electrical connections between said wiring and said source of electrical supply and a hollow drive shaft for said drive members, said drive shaft surrounding said tube.