Not widely known outside their native country, the firm of Maskinfabriken Vesuv A/S was based at Nørrebro 43, 5100, Odense in Denmark. A variety of small to medium-sized lathes was offered with the most popular -  judging by those appearing today on the second-hand market - being the geared-headstock "Royal" and the belt-drive "Prince". The latter, although precise details of its construction are not yet to hand, is known to have been offered in two versions: the 100 mm (4-inch) centre height VD100 and the mechanically identical VD130 - a model with its centre height increased to 130 mm (5-inches). Both were available in short and long-bed versions able to take, respectively, 500 mm (20 inches) and 850 mm (33.5 inches) between centres. Well built, if of entirely conventional design, these were lathes offered with a decent standard specification: all-V-belt-drive, backgeared, screwcutting, power sliding and surfacing feeds and a T-slotted cross slide.
Of a rather unusual configuration, the bed had two inverted V-ways at the front - one to align the carriage, the other the tailstock - with the rear section completely flat. A narrow fixed gap was provided, this allowing a job some 300 mm (12 inches) to be swung on the faceplate.
Screwcutting was through an ordinary tumble-reverse mechanism to a twin-tumbler, Norton-type quick-change gearbox with a slotted leadscrew providing both screwcutting and a power feed to the robust-looking, twin-walled apron.
Drive to the 20 mm (13/16") bore, taper-roller-bearing supported spindle was from a 0.75 h.p. motor through a robust, built-on countershaft unit that used A-section V-belts running over 4-step pulleys - the arrangement giving a very useful eight speeds from a backgear-driven low of 59 to a high in direct drive of 2030 r.p.m. Like those on Myford Series 7 lathes, the backgear assembly was clustered together just inboard of the front bearing with the engagement lever just beneath the spindle nose.
Four versions of the geared-head "Royal" were offered, the 160 mm centre height Model VD-160, the 180 mm centre height VD-180 and the same two lathes stripped of certain features and designated VD-160-S and VD-180-S. All were of identical mechanical design and construction and differed only in their centre height; a choice of three between-centres capacities was listed: 750, 1000 and 1500 mm (29.5", 39.3" and  59"). Like the smaller "Prince" models, the "Royal" had a bed with two inverted V-ways at the front and a flat section behind; a detachable gap was provided that allowed work 490 mm (19.3") to be swung on the faceplate. Bored through 36 mm (1.42) the spindle ran in taper roller bearings and was driven, on early versions of the VD-160 and VD-180 by a 2 h.p. motor and then, on later types, by a more useful 3 h.p. The smaller motor gave six speeds and the larger eight, both ranges spanning an identical 45 to 1350 r.p.m. Screwcutting from a Norton-type quick-change screwcutting and feeds gearbox that, in conjunction with a 4 t.p.i. leadscrew, gave 36 metric and 36 inch pitches.
Fitted with a slightly different screwcutting and feeds gearbox (with 36 metric pitches and 32 inch pitches) the VD-160-S and VD-180-S were stripped of the separate power shaft to the saddle, the sliding and surfacing speeds being driven by the more economical means of a key held in the slotted leadscrew. The motors were also less powerful, just 1.5 h.p., with the six speeds ranging from 45 to 900 r.p.m.
If you have a lathe by Vesuv - the writer would be very pleased to hear about it..