Wood lathe with sliding, horizontally-rotatable headstock and variable speed drive

A variable speed lathe comprising a slidable, horizontally-rotatable headstock, the headstock comprising a variable speed system including two variable speed pulleys formed by sheaves, the lathe comprising:

• (a) a lathe bed having a length along a longitudinal axis, the lathe bed comprising rails oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis, the rails defining a horizontal plane, the lathe bed having a side in front of which a user normally stands;
• (b) a power system comprising a driving shaft, the driving shaft having a length along a central axis;
• (c) a spindle shaft having a length along a central axis;
• (d) support means associated with the headstock for operationally supporting the two shafts in positions substantially parallel to one another;
• (e) a V belt operationally connecting the two pulleys;
• (f) two fixed sheaves, one on each shaft, each fixed sheave comprising a conical face for forming one V belt bearing surface, the fixed sheaves further comprising means for securing the sheaves onto the driving or driven shaft so that the sheaves are prevented from both axial and rotational movement on the shafts, the means for securing each fixed sheave comprising a central aperture defined by a surface of the sheave, the central aperture having a diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of the shaft so that the surface of the sheave which defines the central aperture is configured to be in direct contact with the shaft when the sheave is positioned on the shaft, the fixed sheave on the driving shaft and the fixed sheave on the driven shaft being positioned so that a tracking plane of the V belt is established to be substantially perpendicular to the axis of each shaft;
• (g) first and second movable sheaves, one on each shaft, each movable sheave comprising a conical face for forming one V belt bearing surface, the movable sheaves further comprising means for securing the sheaves onto the driving or driven shaft so that the sheaves may move freely in the axial direction while being prevented from rotational movement on the shaft, the means for securing each movable sheave comprising a central aperture defined by a surface of the sheave, the central aperture having a diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of the shaft so that the surface of the sheave which defines the central aperture is configured to be in slidable direct contact with the shaft when the sheave is positioned on the shaft;
• (h) control means for controlling the position of each movable sheave;
• (i) a spindle shaft within the headstock, the spindle shaft having a stock turning end for providing rotational movement to stock to be turned on the lathe, the spindle shaft having a length along a central axis, the central axis of the spindle shaft being located a predetermined distance above the rails;
• and
• (j) headstock adjustment means for selectively adjusting the orientation of the spindle shaft axis in at least two orientations including parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lathe bed or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the lathe bed, the spindle shaft axis in each orientation being parallel to the horizontal plane defined by the rails, the adjustment means further comprising means for slidably locating the headstock along the length of the lathe bed so that, when the headstock is oriented in the second orientation with the stock turning end of the spindle shaft turned toward the front side of the lathe bed, stock which is too large in diameter to be turned between the central axis of the spindle shaft and the rails can be turned on the front side of the lathe bed with the headstock located substantially in the center of the bed in order to achieve maximum stability of the lathe while turning.