Divine Dividing

Dividing a circle into a number of parts and using angular dimensions to product parts and
mechanisms has existed for centuries. In production of machine parts and tools of circular
form it is necessary to machine equally spaced grooves around the circumference. This
type of machining has been traditionally done by milling and the equal spaces or divisions
have been obtained through the mechanical operation of a dividing head or index head.
For example, if a gear or spline requires 38 equally spaced grooves, a dividing head is
used to rotate the or! "#38 revolution after cutting each groove. $ dividing head can be
used for splines, gear cutting, polygonal generation %internal and external&, milling flutes on
reamers or taps, milling teeth in cutters or for holding any circular part requiring accurate
spacing.
To basic precision mechanisms ere developed to meet the requirements for accurate
spacing' the rotary or circular milling table and the dividing#indexing head. These
mechanisms are called indexing devices. The rotary head and dividing head are used to
index %locate& one surface or angular dimension in an exact relationship ith another.
These mechanisms have accessories that permit them to serve also as or! holding
devices.
Rotary Table
The rotary table permits a or!piece to be moved in a circular path. This accessory
consists of a base and a rotary table. The base of a simple direct setting rotary table is
graduated through 3()* in increments of "+minute. The rotary table is provided ith a
T+slotted face plate and possibly a chuc!. Irregularly shaped or! may be strapped to the
table, held in a fixture or chuc!.
$ precision type of rotary table is geared and moved by a handheel. The micrometer
collar on the lead scre mechanism reads in degrees, minutes, and seconds. ,ome rotary
tables are geared to the machine table and provide continuo-s motion. .illing a circular
groove ould be one example of the or! accomplished ith a rotary table.
Figure 1: ,mall /otary Table
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Direct Indexing Devices
$ very simple form of indexing is often carried on ith standard and compound vices.
.any or!pieces are indexed for a number of different cuts that are at an angle to one
another by simply siveling the vise 4a section. The angle setting is read directly from
the graduations on the vise.
Figure 2: 2ompound $ngle 5ice
0or!pieces held in collets are indexed directly. $ collet index bloc! is practical for fixed
!non angles. In use these tools require a set of 32 collets that ill easily exceed the cost
of the bloc!s themselves. .ost bloc!s are found in the four and six sided variety. ,ome
hoever, can be found in the eight and six configuration giving some addition angle
choices. These bloc!s can save a great deal of time hen the need for their specific
angles is required. In use the bloc!s are placed in a mill vice usually using an end stop for
location and rotated to present the or! to a cutting tool at the each angle.
Figure 3: 2ollet 6loc! ,et of
Four and ,ix ,ides
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,pin Index fixtures or spin+4ig provide an inexpensive ay to generate additional angles
using collets. The spin+4ig, made by several manufactures, consists of a cast iron frame
fitted ith a rotating and sliding hollo spindle accepting 32 collets. $ 3(+hole and a
vernier boss for the index pin are fitted, permitting very rapid setting to every hole
degree. 6ut remember, "* increments are the end of the line7 this railroad doesn-t go any
further. ,pin+4igs are sold in various grades of guaranteed accuracy ith escalating prices
to match7 to do accurate or! domestic indexers can run ( times the cost of economy
models. ,pin indexers can be manually turned or driven ith electric motors.
Figure 4: .anual ,pin Indexer
The 8niversal Dividing 9ead is a versatile, practical and idely used dividing device. In
producing certain classes of machine parts it is necessary to machine equally spaced
grooves across the periphery or circumference of the part. $ dividing head is ordinarily
used for such or!. Index+heads of different manufactures vary more or less in design but
the general principle of operation is the same.
The main spindle has attached to it a orm+gear hich meshes ith a orm on the
cran!shaft carrying a handle used for rotating the spindle hen indexing. 0orm+heel
attached to the spindle has :) teeth and the cran!shaft carries a single+threaded orm.
Turning the cran!shaft :) turns ill rotate the spindle exactly " turn. In other ords the
ratio of spindle to cran! is :)+to+". The required number of turns to index a fractional part
of a revolution is found simply by dividing :) by the number of divisions desired.
Figure 5: Dividing 9ead ith
;ptional Tailstoc!
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2<2s ith canned programs for dividing circles have eliminated a great deal of dividing
head and rotary table or!, but from time to time it is still necessary to manually divide a
circle and machine the part. Deciding hich index plate and =ho many turns> ho many
holes? is still an essential part of manual machining.
This is one of the fe shop floor math problems easier to solve in fractions than decimals.
8se a calculator that has the capability to sitch beteen decimals and fractions
calculating index division problems.
.ost dividing heads as mentioned possess a :)'" ratio, :) turns of the cran!shaft to one
turn of the spindle or chuc!.
The simple equation for number of turns of the cran! to get the required or!piece rotation
is'
Ratio
Number of divisions @ Turns of 2ran!
For example, the draing calls for :3 gear teeth %or holes or slots or other divisions&
equally spaced around a circle. 2alculating the plate to use and ho many holes to
advance beteen each gear tooth, use the equation above to arrive at'
% &
% &
Ratio
Divisions
:)
:3
@ .888888
This means turn the cran! .888888 of a full turn beteen each gear tooth cut %good luc!
ith that oneA&. .888888 is not a or!able number on the shop floor hen the time is at
hand to turn a cran!shaft. Than! goodness for .r. Texas Instruments.
2onvert this number to a fraction and it no becomes
8
B
, a more meaningful number.
The denominator %bottom number& of the fraction denotes the use of a nine hole plate.
The numerator %upper number& signifies a distance of eight holes rotation by the cran!
beteen each ne cut in the or! piece. Coo!ing at the lists provided in this paper it
should be apparent that a nine hole plate does not exist. ,olution, to this dilemma, is to
use any multiple of nine that produces a number charted in the list. For a 6ron and
,harp style of plates they are the D" plate %"8 holes& and the DE plate %EF holes&7
2incinnati plate, reverse side %3: holes&.
To anser the question of ho many holes to turn beteen cuts hen using either plate,
multiply
8
B
by a common %unity& fraction to change the denominator to equal the plate
number. 6ron and ,harp plate
8 3 E:
B 3 EF
x = or step E: holes in a EF hole plate.
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For the 2incinnati plate
8 ( :8
B ( 3:
x = or step :8 holes in a 3: hole plate.
For an example of rotary table indexing, consider milling (B slots on a table ith a B)'"
ratio built in to the orm and orm heel.
$s a first step divide
B)
".3):3:F8E(
(B
=
Coo!ing at this long decimal it is not obvious hich plate ith hat number holes to
choose, and hat ill be the denominator hen changing to a fraction> <ot to despair, oh
mighty calculator to the rescue. 2hange this decimal to a fraction and get'
F
"
E3

This means, one full turn and F holes in the E3 hole plate, %possibly a :( hole plate&.
;ne more example7 to slots on a or!piece F* :3- apart , for a less than all the ay
around calculation. 2onvert to decimal degrees, F.F3*. <ext start the calculations by
dividing the circle by the number of degrees'
3()
:(.:3"("EB
F.F3
=
2ute, but somehat impossible to achieve :(.:3"("EB equal spaces around a circle
ithout the help of .r. Texas- logic to solve the problem.

B)
".B3F3
:(.:3"("EB
=
0ith ".B3F3 shoing on the calculator, convert to a fraction and obtain
"3
"
"(
. That should
no be more obvious to mean7 one turn and "3 holes in a "(+hole plate.
Figure 6: Index Glate
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