What I want mostly is the divsion plates. Since it's incomplete it's not much use to a guy who is asking what it is but the plates are a size that will fit my other DH.
It is not really a dividing head as there is no sign of a worm wheel. My best guess is it is a fancy indexing head for a cutter grinder. The baseplate and two axis tilting looks like a lot of other cutter grinder attachments. The knurled grip to lock one axis looks in keeping with grinding loads.
The two plates do not look to be from the same item. The unattached one has three countersunk holes in it. The mounted one does not.
The reason I mention this is that the hole circles on an non-worm device might not work well on a standard head so get a hole count before you commit your cash.
It is a dividing head - a direct-indexing one yes but it divides a circle by the number of divisions in the hole plate. The plate with the 3 holes is the one that appeals to me most.
Thanks all. He got it in a workshop clearout along with a load of other stuff and a Draper wood lathe. No interest in metalworking. Apparently there’s more stuff packed away somewhere, so I’ll wait till he reveals that and see if the missing bits are there. Might be a useful addition to my TS mill.
If not, I’ll see if he wants to sell it as is to @Pete.