What is the name of this 5 axis positioning tool?

[DTJ]

According to the metalworking fellows at rec.crafts.metalworking that hardware is made up from two separate bits of gear (which is obvious once someone points it out).

The top part looks like a milling attachment for a Craftsman 12x36 lathe.

http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman-12x36/mill1.jpg

The XY table seems to be a generic unit.

[rhb]

My first thought was exactly that.  It was when it was shown with both assembled together I thought otherwise and asked if there were any markings.  But the photo of the Atlas/Craftsman milling attachment is clear proof.

Never underestimate a really good machinist. They can do things mere mortals cannot imagine, much less do.

[DTJ]

Never underestimate a really good machinist. They can do things mere mortals cannot imagine, much less do.

The old guys over at rec.crafts.metalworking are a clever bunch with a lot of great help. It's a shame that spam and political crap has just about killed usenet.

[eKretz]

Nice catch. Now that I take a second look I can see that there aren't enough joints to be a universal vise too. That double screw workholding had me fixated - but I did mention the possibility it might be used on a lathe cross slide too. It is possible that these pieces were made with the ability to be used together though - just look at the way both pieces mount, it's exactly the same. They also share the same pilot diameter and angle indicator setup. Guess we'll never know on that one unless one of the old-timers has some insight on that too.

[rhb]

I read rec.crafts.metalworking for many years.  But the noise level got so high I finally abandoned it.  Since then my ISP has dropped usenet access entirely.

A look through old Atlas catalogs might reveal if they were intended to be used together.  It also might be simply that Atlas used the same tooling for both.

[Gregg]

The parts certainly fit together like they were made for each other; I'll have to play with it some more.  This is more fun than I had expected; thanks everyone that has responded and I'll post anything else I find. 
My deceased friend who had owned this and whose estate I am clearing was a very accomplished machinist who made the most delicate scientific instruments.  He also had a rather nice machine shop in his garage / shop behind his house.  From the tons of documents I have been digging through, he had previously owned an Atlas lathe which he had sold when he upgraded to a much more professional lathe. 
[Edit:] I looked up the numbers cast into the vice part, 10-502 and the Z axis part, 10-501 and they are for a 10 inch Atlas lathe milling attachment.  There are several examples on flea-bay.  I don't have the device at the moment, but will look for cast in numbers on the other two parts.  This has been a very interesting little rabbit hole. 

[rhb]

I do hope you'll post a list of other items to be sold, especially books.

[eKretz]

Also, what is the geographical location of the equipment? And the more professional lathe info?

[cdev]

SF Bay Area? Maybe somewhere in the East Bay? (Thats where UC Berkeley is anyway, Berkeley, with a tiny piece of it straddling the Oakland border.)

[eKretz]

Ah. Can't see that location info on mobile. Just shows "Country:" and U.S. flag.

[rhb]

He's in the Bay area.  We've corresponded about it.  But now that it is identified I'd rather see an Atlas owner get it. Especially since I have a Clausing 8520 vertical mill.

Asking prices for just the milling attachment on eBay are steep.  It's actually almost certainly two things.  The milling attachment and a 3 axis drill press table missing the top table.  I sent him a link to a picture of what I think the table looks like just in case it's sitting somewhere in the shop.   However, it would be easy to make either a reproduction of the factory table or custom versions. 

[Gregg]

For all of those interested, here is the story:  My deceased friend Tom worked the last 23 years of his career at UC Berkeley in the Physics Department machine shop making very intricate and detailed devices for research projects conducted by the professors, many of whom are world famous.  There is a separate machine shop for student use equipped with machines left from upgrades etc. in the main shop. 
Tom had accumulated a very nice machine shop in his very large garage.  Some years after retirement, Tom’s lifelong smoking habit caught up with him and he could no longer work on his many projects and he decided to donate his lathe, milling machine, drill presses, surface grinder and many precision instruments to the student machine shop.  He also set up a scholarship fund for graduate students in physics at UC Berkeley.  His will states that most of Tom’s assets go to the scholarship fund in his name. 
It took too long for UC to get Tom’s machinery moved, which didn’t please Tom with his health dwindling but when the machinery mover offered him a pittance for all of his other stuff, Tom was pissed and held back a lot of tooling and other items that he may have given UC under better circumstances.  He asked me to get what I could for what was left to add to his legacy scholarship fund.
Tom and I shared the same philosophy that the future of the world is in the hands of the smart kids and they should be encouraged, challenged and appreciated rather than becoming victim of the current trend of bringing everyone down to the lowest common denominator. 
If offered the job as executor of someone’s estate, my advice is to avoid it if you can.  Dying in the US is expensive and complicated.  Too many lawyers that manage to get laws passed just to ensure their livelihood and everybody wants a piece of whatever remains.

[DTJ]

If offered the job as executor of someone’s estate, my advice is to avoid it if you can. 

That's sage advice!

Sounds like your friend was a good guy.