Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
10
Using a Dividing Head
The dividing head is a very handy piece of workshop equipment, used to hold
work-pieces for drilling and milling radially. The dividing head consists of a
main body, usually a casting, with a spindle through it to take a chuck or col-
lets and a tailstock to support the work. The spindle is usually driven by a
worm and wheel. There are various ratios of gears in use but the most com-
mon is a 40:1 ratio. The spindle may also have a direct indexing plate, most
probably with 24 holes for direct indexing. If the dividing head has a 24 po-
sition direct driving plate, divisions of 24, 12, 8, 6, 4, 3 and 2 can be made
without using the worm drive.
