Brake Lathes

The Van Norman machine tool company manufactured milling machines and other machine tools from late in the 19th century until the mid-1980s. more...

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Ram type mills

Van Norman was most noted for their "ram type" milling machines, which due to their swiveling head design could be converted quickly and easily from horizontal to vertical spindles. The ram type mills were produced for many years and in a wide range of sizes. The company also produced heavy horizontal milling machines and a small vertical milling machine for tool and die work.

Other tools

In addition to milling machines, Van Norman also pioneered a portable boring bar that could be used to bore the cylinders of automobile engines without removing the engine from the automobile. They also manufactured other automotive service machinery, such as brake lathes and crankshaft grinders. When Van Norman ceased to exist as an independent company, the automotive portion was purchased by Kwik-Way who still sell tools and machinery using the Van Norman name.

Spindle Tooling

In keeping with many manufacturers of the era, some Van Norman machines use a proprietary spindle taper. The #6, #12 (and possibly some of the #16) ram type mills use what Van Norman referred to as their "C" taper (Hardinge Tooling refers to this taper as 5V today). This taper was also used in some of Van Norman's smaller dividing heads and auxilary milling subheads. Some of the larger machines use Van Norman's "No. 2" taper, and some of the larger dividing heads and milling subheads use this taper as well. Larger machines used an assortment of tapers. Earlier mills will most likely have either some size of Brown & Sharpe taper or Van Norman's "No. 2" taper. Later mills usually have NMTB milling machine tapers (30, 40, or 50, depending on machine size). It is probable that any machine could be ordered new with any taper the buyer desired.

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