A TYPE OF LATHE, HITHERTO UNKNOWN, APT BY ITSELF FOR FORMING ANY SCREW WHATSOEVER.

A technical engraving of a mechanical screw-cutting lathe from the early modern period. A craftsman in a hat and period clothing stands behind a large, sturdy wooden workbench. The lathe mechanism consists of two vertical posts holding a central workpiece cylinder. One end of the workpiece already features cut screw threads. A rope is coiled around the central axis, extending upwards to a large, flexible wooden bow or spring-pole fixed above the machine to provide reciprocating motion. A second cord leads downwards toward a foot treadle system. On the left edge of the table, a heavy stone weight is suspended by a rope. The floor is paved with square tiles. Scattered on the floor are various tools and machine components: a large mallet, a wooden wedge, and a separate screw-advancement assembly. The scene illustrates the automatic or semi-automatic method for carving precise threads into a workpiece.