PITTLER LATHES
Pittler lathes were made by Julius Wilhelm von Pittler in Gohlis, a suburb of Leipzig in Germany and after 1899 in a purpose built factory at nearby Wahren. von Pittler was a genius who invented and patented over 200 fascinating things. The list is long and includes sewing and embroidery machines, a motor car with fluid transmission, cigarette lighters, electric light bulbs, a steam engine for a bus and a patent for a machine for automatic folding and gluing of paper bags. Frustrated with the simplicity of available machinery for his experiments at his home workshop he sets about designing the ultimate machine: -
****** THE UNIVERSAL MILLING & TURNING TOOL******
A Pittler B2, serial number 1253 with it's original stand and wooden drawer, Made at Pittlers first factory after the name changed in 1895. The stand has apertures for fitting a treadle which was most likely removed decades ago
The metal cabinet below it is a modern addition. Also fitted is an overhead countershaft to run accessories such as a drilling spindle held on the cross-slide. Above right: The C3 photo shows the lathe fitted with the power ball turning attachment and the fixed steady is holding the bar to allow clear access for the cutter. A special extension rod is fitted to the universal joint to allow the machining of such a long length.
Above is a 24 inch Pittler C3 dating from 1895 and complete with universal joint for automatic operation of several accessories, two of which are detailed on other pages. The lathe is shown here fitted with the power ball turning attachment. Both the machines on this page were made at Pittlers first factory in Gohlis called "Invention". It changed it's name in 1895 to "Leipziger Wekzeug-maschinenfabrik Atkiengesellschaft vorm W.von Pittler" when the business went public. In 1899 the factory was relocated to a large purpose built factory at Wahren taking 500 works employees, 50 staff and 10 apprentices. Parts of the building still stand today whereas the Invention factory was demolished in the 1930's to make way for road works.
There is no evidence that Pittler lathes were ever manufactured or assembled in the UK either by Pittlers agent GEORGE ADAMS or even more unlikely by HENRY MILNES. The latter claim based on a crude uneven punch marked name on a B2 lathe headstock. Pittler lathes are known with various tool dealers trade plates such as Buck & Ryan, did they make it? most definitely not!
Lathes with various differences such as in how the tailstock locks on and with a horizontal leadscrew activation lever are typical of those plated in the UK as "George Adams Pittler Co". These are identical to those found in other parts of Europe but are plated Leipzig-Wahren thus showing that it was made at the new factory in Wahren from 1900 onwards. This is clear evidence that in the UK "THE PITTLER COMPANY" under ownership of George Adams, replaced the German plates with GEORGE ADAMS PITTLER Co plates. George Adams also replated other German machines such as an Ehrlich lathe made in Chemnitz, Germany See the page showing nameplates
Image left: A section of a translated German Pittler catalogue dated 1894 where it mentions that the lathes with larger centres such as model D and E were produced at the former Sondermann and Stier factory at Chemnitz but were seemingly not exported outside of Germany