Hello Alan,
Thank you for your message.
Unfortunately I don't recognise it - but it is of a type made from 1895 to 1910. Almost all makers of machine-tools at the time produced something similar and, as with yours, it was not uncommon to find a complete absence of any maker's name or insignia. These unbranded machines were often the result of a major dealer or distributor ordering a large quantity on the understanding that no insignia was attached - and he would then add his own screwed or riveted-on badge, often as a bronze casting. These elegant badges make tempting souvenirs, so looking for tell-tale holes in the bed might give confirm this.
If you are just starting out with lathes then for essential information about how to operate and maintain them I'd recommend a very useful book: "The Amateurs Lathe". Written to make up for the fact that, until the early 1950s, most small lathes often had no decent instruction book included with them, it explains clearly every detail of a lathe's construction and goes through all the basic (and some advanced) operating procedures in a simple and logical way. It has long been regarded as an indispensable aid to the beginner - or even experienced turner. It includes such useful things as screwcutting charts for various pitches of leadscrew and, even if yours is not included, it will be a multiple of one shown and so easy to calculate the differences. If you want to know about countershafts, drive system suitable turning speeds, how to sharpen tools, etc. this is the book.
We always have copies in stock for immediate delivery:
£11.65 inclusive UK delivery
£12.65 including European postage
£16 including world-wide air-mail post.
Also, to compliment the above - and to give you something interesting and useful to get started with - for a practical-based approach to using a lathe an excellent new book is: "Lathework a Complete Course". This has a set of exercises carefully designed to take the beginner through fundamentals of lathe work and results, after the exercises have been completed, you will have a set of useful workshop tools.
£9.75 including UK postage
£10.75 including European postage
£16 including world-wide air-mail post.
I also have a range of excellent little books in the "Workshop" series that are ideal for beginners; they can be seen here:
http://www.lathes.co.uk/books.htm
We can also supply flat belts:
http://www.lathes.co.uk/page4.html