headstock
[f. head n.1 + stock n.]
1. Name applied to the bearings or supports of revolving parts in various machines.
a. The framing which supports the gudgeons of a wheel or axle. b. That part of a lathe which carries the mandrel or live stock. c. The framework in which the carriage of a spinning-mule runs. d. The head which supports the cutters in a planing machine. e. (pl.) Mining. A frame over a shaft, carrying the pulleys for the hoisting cables; a gallows-frame. f. The stock of a bell. g. The horizontal end members in the under-frame of a railway carriage or truck. h. (See quot.1)
| a. 1731 H. Beighton in Phil. Trans. XXXVII. 6 A quadruple Crank..the Center..is fixed in Brasses at each End in two Head-stocks. |
| b. 1812–16 J. Smith Panorama Sc. & Art I. 55 An accommodation of a few inches is obtained by screwing H further through or out of the headstock. 1863 Sir W. Fairbairn Mills II. 9 A large headstock, carrying a hollow spindle through which is inserted a mandrill. |
| c. 1851 L. D. B. Gordon in Art Jrnl. Illustr. Catal. p. vi**/1 In some Mules the headstock is placed in advance of the roller-beam, towards the middle of its length. 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educ. IV. 395/2 Seven..to nine hundred spindles..arranged..upon the ‘carriage’..in one long row, which is interrupted at the middle..by the ‘headstock’. |
| d. 1863 Sir W. Fairbairn Mills II. 11 A headstock carrying two cutters, one for roughing, and the other for finishing. |
| e. 1869 Eng. Mach. 19 Nov. 238/1 It..was taking the chair and men..over the headstocks. 1882 Pall Mall G. 25 Jan. 8/2 The engineman..failed to pull up in time to prevent the ascending empty cage from being wound over the headstocks. |
| f. 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 461/2 A Bell Azure hanging by its Headstock and Gugions in an Arch. 1881 Standard 20 Dec. 2/1 In ordinary peals the bells are swung well upwards, and..every headstock is provided with a stop, to prevent the bell accidentally turning over. 1882 Ibid. 20 Mar. 2/4 The bell is secured to the headstock by iron straps passing through its canons and bolted above the stock. |
| g. 1888 Lockwood's Dict. Mech. Engin., Headstock. (2) The end timbers in the under frame of a railway truck. 1928 Daily Express 29 Dec. 9/4 The interval between headstocks of coaches should be as small..as practicable for necessary freedom of movement. |
| h. 1927 T. Woodhouse Artificial Silk 108 Occasionally both reeds are placed on what is termed a dividing head or headstock. Ibid. 112 Fig. 50 illustrates the delivery or headstock end with the weaver's beam partially filled with the sheet of sized and dried threads. |
2. Sc. (See
quots.)
| 1834 H. Miller Scenes & Leg. (1858) 420 The schoolmaster would call on the boys to divide and choose for themselves ‘Head-stocks’, i.e., leaders, for the yearly cock-fight. 1854 ― Sch. & Schm. iii. (1857) 50, I contributed in no degree to the success of the head-stock or leader. |