I know, tormach has not invented this. I used to work some 30 Years in a small company who used nearly only stone aged punched tape controlled NC-machines fromn the 40-60er years. The parts with huge control cabinets in the size of 2 american cooler/freezers. The machines are Rigid and powerful, but rather slow. They all had a large toolmagazine with coderings and a cylindrical shaft.
At this time tormach wasn't even planned.