{
 "version": "2026-10-20",
 "license": "Dimension sheets: CC BY 4.0. Standard and published-size files: CC BY 4.0. Xem Studio's own designs (files_license = Xem Studio Design License): free to use and sell things from, not to redistribute as files — https://xemstudio.com/license/. Other publishers' files: their own license, linked beside them.",
 "slug": "reversing-screw-traverse-mechanism",
 "name": "Reversing-screw drum and traverser (uniform to-and-fro traverse)",
 "kind": "hardware",
 "category": "Mechanisms",
 "group": "Screws",
 "year": null,
 "question": "How does a level-wind drum move a pin back and forth?",
 "tags": [
  "mechanism",
  "screws",
  "kinematics",
  "507 mechanical movements"
 ],
 "aliases": [
  "level wind",
  "reversing screw",
  "diamond thread traverse",
  "double helix drum",
  "husillo de doble rosca cruzada (nivelador)",
  "Kehrgewindespindel (Kreuzgewinde)"
 ],
 "overall_mm": {
  "length": null,
  "width": null,
  "height": null
 },
 "official_cad": false,
 "xem_status": "free-files",
 "les": false,
 "free_files": 1,
 "url": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/reversing-screw-traverse-mechanism/",
 "sheet_txt": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/reversing-screw-traverse-mechanism/sheet.txt",
 "sheet": {
  "basis": "Xem Studio design following Brown No. 108 (1868)",
  "overall_mm": {
   "length": null,
   "width": null,
   "height": null
  },
  "notes": [
   "A drum carries a right-hand and a left-hand helical groove that cross: a pin held in a block on a guide rod follows one groove up the drum and, at the end, is turned into the other and brought back. Uniform rotation gives uniform straight-line travel in both directions with no reversal of the drive.",
   "Here pitch 30 mm, two turns each way: 60 mm of travel per two drum turns. Drawn with the pin 150° into the right-hand groove, 12.5 mm up its traverse, in the 5 mm groove with its end 0.5 mm off the bottom.",
   "Brown's No. 108 (uniform reciprocating rectilinear motion from uniform rotary motion, by a cylinder with reversed threads); the same pair driven from the rod is his No. 167.",
   "Parts (each has its own page): reversing-groove-drum-30x90-p30, traverser-block-16x28-pin5-guide6, dowel-pins-metric, linear-shafts-h6.",
   "Brown's movement No. 108 (1868) shows it; this model is a Xem Studio design following his figure, every part at true size."
  ],
  "table": {
   "columns": [
    "parameter",
    "value"
   ],
   "rows": [
    [
     "drum",
     "Ø30 × 90, Ø5 bore"
    ],
    [
     "grooves",
     "RH + LH, pitch 30"
    ],
    [
     "traverse",
     "60 mm per 2 turns, each way"
    ],
    [
     "pin",
     "Ø5 dowel"
    ],
    [
     "guide rod",
     "Ø6 × 150"
    ]
   ]
  }
 },
 "sheet_text": "Reversing-screw drum and traverser (uniform to-and-fro traverse) — dimension sheet\nSource: Xem Studio, https://xemstudio.com/objects/reversing-screw-traverse-mechanism/  (sheet CC BY 4.0; files Xem Studio Design License, https://xemstudio.com/license/)\nBasis: Xem Studio design following Brown No. 108 (1868)\nCatalog version: 2026-10-20\n\nSizes: see table below\n- A drum carries a right-hand and a left-hand helical groove that cross: a pin held in a block on a guide rod follows one groove up the drum and, at the end, is turned into the other and brought back. Uniform rotation gives uniform straight-line travel in both directions with no reversal of the drive.\n- Here pitch 30 mm, two turns each way: 60 mm of travel per two drum turns. Drawn with the pin 150° into the right-hand groove, 12.5 mm up its traverse, in the 5 mm groove with its end 0.5 mm off the bottom.\n- Brown's No. 108 (uniform reciprocating rectilinear motion from uniform rotary motion, by a cylinder with reversed threads); the same pair driven from the rod is his No. 167.\n- Parts (each has its own page): reversing-groove-drum-30x90-p30, traverser-block-16x28-pin5-guide6, dowel-pins-metric, linear-shafts-h6.\n- Brown's movement No. 108 (1868) shows it; this model is a Xem Studio design following his figure, every part at true size.\n\nparameter  value\ndrum  Ø30 × 90, Ø5 bore\ngrooves  RH + LH, pitch 30\ntraverse  60 mm per 2 turns, each way\npin  Ø5 dowel\nguide rod  Ø6 × 150\n\nFiles elsewhere (not hosted by Xem Studio; license as stated by the publisher):\n- Henry T. Brown (1868, public domain): Five Hundred and Seven Mechanical Movements — scan on archive.org — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts — https://archive.org/details/fivehundredseven00browiala\n- 507movements.com: Brown's movement No. 108: figure, his text and an animation — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts — https://507movements.com/mm_108.html\n\nFree files (Xem Studio Design License, Xem Studio; STEP + STL, 1 parts): https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/reversing-screw-traverse-mechanism/index.json\nAPI: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=reversing-screw-traverse-mechanism\n",
 "sources": [
  {
   "publisher": "Henry T. Brown (1868, public domain)",
   "title": "Five Hundred and Seven Mechanical Movements — scan on archive.org",
   "url": "https://archive.org/details/fivehundredseven00browiala",
   "formats": [
    "web"
   ],
   "license": "Publisher's page; dimensions are facts",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  },
  {
   "publisher": "507movements.com",
   "title": "Brown's movement No. 108: figure, his text and an animation",
   "url": "https://507movements.com/mm_108.html",
   "formats": [
    "web"
   ],
   "license": "Publisher's page; dimensions are facts",
   "license_verified": true,
   "hosted": false
  }
 ],
 "xem": {
  "status": "free-files",
  "sheet_free": true,
  "mesh_price_usd": null,
  "step_price_usd": null,
  "tolerance_mm": null
 },
 "related": [
  "reversing-groove-drum-30x90-p30",
  "traverser-block-16x28-pin5-guide6",
  "dowel-pins-metric",
  "linear-shafts-h6"
 ],
 "fits": [],
 "dimensions": "exact (nominal, no printing tolerance)",
 "dimension_rule": "All geometry on Xem Studio is exact (nominal, true size) with no printing tolerance. Where a part meets another part, the object lists its mating features (feature, exact size, what it mates with, fit class: press, slide, run, socket, clamp or designed). Apply your process's allowance to those features only; 'designed' gaps are part of the design and stay as drawn.",
 "mating": [],
 "faq": [
  {
   "q": "How does a level-wind drum move a pin back and forth?",
   "a": "A drum carries a right-hand and a left-hand helical groove that cross: a pin held in a block on a guide rod follows one groove up the drum and, at the end, is turned into the other and brought back. Uniform rotation gives uniform straight-line travel in both directions with no reversal of the drive."
  }
 ],
 "files_license": {
  "name": "Xem Studio Design License",
  "holder": "Xem Studio",
  "url": "https://xemstudio.com/license/",
  "note": "Xem Studio's own design: free to use, print, modify and sell things made from it; not to be republished or redistributed as files."
 },
 "offers": [
  {
   "file": "reversing-screw-traverse-mechanism-assembly",
   "formats": [
    "step",
    "stl"
   ],
   "price_usd": 0,
   "license": "Xem Studio Design License",
   "step": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/reversing-screw-traverse-mechanism/reversing-screw-traverse-mechanism-assembly.step",
   "stl": "https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/reversing-screw-traverse-mechanism/reversing-screw-traverse-mechanism-assembly.stl",
   "note": "Assembled mechanism, all parts placed at one pose (STEP keeps each part separate)"
  }
 ],
 "markdown": "https://xemstudio.com/objects/reversing-screw-traverse-mechanism/index.md"
}