Generally arranged as in the pictures below, the apron on all lathes smaller than the 36-inch capacity machine had long and well-supported double clasp nuts (in phosphor bronze) fitted to engage the leadscrew via an over-centre, self-locking cam. A separate power shaft passed though and drove, via a keyway, a pair of pinion gears; each pinion engaged with opposite sides of a crown wheel which incorporated a simple friction device on its inner face. Because the two bevels turned the crown wheel in opposite directions the drive could be stopped, started and reversed from the front of the apron - and without stopping the lathe. The gear which drove against the bed-mounted rack could be withdrawn completely when the lathe was used for screwcutting.
The small gears and pinions used in the apron were cut from bar steel, with studs made from tool steel which had been hardened and ground..

Interior of the apron as fitted to an early version of the Bradford 14-inch lathe.
Some of these aprons appear to have used 1/4 20 NC Bolt to attach two gears of different sizes together - but with the ends milled smooth to leave what looks like pin holding them together..

Special "rise-and-fall" apron with single tool slide as fitted to the Stud and Bolt-turning lathes. The whole of the cross-slide assembly was pivoted along its front edge, with the elevating control by a screw thread at the back.

The Taper-turning Unit was designed to be kept on the machine during normal use - and could be engaged and disengaged by the simple expedient of tightening and loosening a single square-headed bolt.