GB2257933A

GB2257933A - A travelling vice

Info

Publication number: GB2257933A
Application number: GB9215573A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Frederick Russell Duffield; John Mahon Fahey
Original assignee: Frederick Duffield Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Frederick Duffield Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1991-07-22
Filing date: 1992-07-22
Publication date: 1993-01-27
Anticipated expiration: 2012-07-22
Also published as: GB9215573D0; ZA925512B; GB2257933B; NZ243622A

Abstract

The travelling vice comprises a pair of self centring vice jaws (1) mounted on a beam (7) telescopically slidable within a socket (8) on which is secured a mounting flange (11) for a power driven rotatable chuck (not shown) axially coincident with a tubular object held in the vice jaws (1). A tubular hose end fitting and assembled hose is held in the vice jaws and offered up to a rotating threaded stem held in the chuck, by sliding the beam (7) into the socket (8). <IMAGE>

Description

TRAVELLING VICE This invention relates to a travelling vice and has been devised particularly though not solely for use in fitting hose-end couplings to pressure hoses, such as hydraulic hoses.

It is a workshop practice to assemble hose-end couplings, by means of a self centring 3 jaw chuck, mounted on the output shaft of an electrically driven, reversible reduction gearbox, operator controlled by means of a footswitch.

The chuck is used to hold and drive the threaded tapered stem of the end fitting while the body of the end fitting (with hose attached) is offered up to the rotating stem, and engaged with the threads of the stem.

Various methods have been devised for holding the body fitting (with hose attached) during the assembling operation, the most common being the use of large spanners or wrenches, but most of these methods can be tiresome to the operator, particularly if large quantities of hose assemblies are to be manufactured.

The present invention therefore provides a travelling vice for use in combination with a rotatable chuck, said vice comprising a pair of jaws and a jaw support mechanism arranged to locate and hold a tubular object between the jaws with the axis of the tubular object parallel to the axis of the rotatable chuck, and a mounting mechanism arranged to locate and support the jaw support mechanism such that the jaw support mechanism is free to travel on a path parallel to the axis of the rotatable chuck.

The tubular object may be circular or polygonal (e.g. hexagonal) in cross section.

Preferably the jaw support mechanism is arranged to locate and hold the tubular object with the axis of the tubular object coincident with the axis of the rotatable chuck. To achieve this the jaws are typically self centring about this axis.

Preferably the mounting mechanism comprises a telescopic beam and socket, the jaw support mechanism being mounted on one end of the beam which is free to slide axially within the socket mounted beneath the rotatable chuck.

Preferably the beam and socket are rectangular or square in cross-section.

Preferably the beam incorporates a round section spigot extending axially from the beam at the opposite end from the jaw support mechanism and arranged such that when the square section beam is withdrawn from the socket, the beam can be rotated through 1800 about the spigot and reinserted into the socket.

Preferably the spigot incorporates a circumferential groove and the socket incorporates a radially orientated spring-loaded pin, engageable with the circumferential groove when the groove is aligned with the pin to restrain axial movement of the spigot in the socket.

Notwithstanding any other forms that may fall within its scope, one preferred form of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a travelling vice according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the vice shown in Fig.

1 when mounted in combination with a rotatable chuck, showing the beam of the vice fully withdrawn from the socket and rotated through 180 ; and Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 showing the vice in the fully retracted position.

The travelling vice comprises a pair of jaws (1) supported by a jaw support mechanism (2) which typically comprises a bed (3), a pair of side cheeks (4) and an operating handle (5) which may alternatively take the form of a hand wheel (6) as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The vice is preferably of a self-centring configuration arranged so that as the jaws (1) move toward or away from each other under the operation of the handle (5), the centreline between the jaws remains fixed relative to the bed (3).

The jaw support mechanism is mounted in turn on a beam (7) which is typically square in cross-section and is slidably engaged in a socket (8). Both the beam (7) and the socket (8) are typically formed from rectangular hollow section (RHS) steel sized so that the beam is a neat sliding fit within the socket. The socket is typically provided with a mounting flange (9) adapted to be secured to a bench top or support post by way of mounting bolts (10) and in turn incorporates an upper mounting flange (11) adapted to support a rotatable chuck mechanism as will be described below.

Turning now to Fig. 2 it can be seen that a rotatable chuck (12) mounted on and driven by a drive shaft (13) from a reduction gear box (not shown) may be mounted from the flange (11) so that the axis (14) of the rotatable chuck is parallel to and spaced above the beam (7). When the vice is positioned in the operative or upright position as seen in Fig. 1, the jaws (1) are aligned such that a tubular object gripped between the jaws and positioned by V-notches (15) has its axis parallel to and preferably coincident with the axis (14) of the rotatable chuck (12).

When it is desired to fit a new hose-end onto a high pressure hose, such as an hydraulic hose, the threaded tapered stem of the assembly is engaged in the rotatable chuck (12) which is rotated by an electric motor at a speed typically between 90 and 100 rpm. The body of the end fitting, with the hose attached, is held between the V-notches (15) in the jaws (1) of the vice and securely clamped in place by the operation of the handle (5). The operator then pushes the vice jaws toward the chuck (12), sliding the beam (7) in the socket (8) until the end of the hose contained within the witting body engages and is screwed onto the threaded tapered stem held in the chuck (12). Once the threaded tapered stem is fully engaged, the operator stops the rotatable chuck (12) and removes the completed assembly from the chuck (12) and the vice.

In this manner the body and hose of the hose-end fitting are securely and safely held in the desired location while allowing the fitting to be screwed onto the threaded tapered stem held within the rotatable chuck.

To allow the rotatable chuck to be used for applications other than the fitting of a hose coupling, the travelling vice may be moved to a retracted position as will be described below.

On the end (16) of the beam (7) remote from the vice, there is incorporated a circular section spigot (17) extending axially from the beam (7). The spigot incorporates a circumferential groove (18) which is engageable with a spring-loaded pin (19) positioned in the side of the socket (8). The inner end of the pin bears against the side of the beam (7) or the spigot (17) as the vice is withdrawn from the socket (away from the rotatable chuck (12)) until the pin engages circumferencial groove (18) preventing further movement of the beam from the socket. In this position the end (16) of the beam is clear of the socket, allowing the beam to be rotated through 1800 about its longitudinal axis to the position shown in Fig. 2 where the vice extends downwardly from the beam. The spring-loaded pin (19) is then retracted from the circumferential groove (18) allowing the vice to be pushed inwardly to a retracted position as shown in Fig. 3. To safely retain the vice in this position, the beam (7) may be provided with a further locking hole (20) to engage the spring-loaded pin in the retracted position.

With the vice safely engaged in the retracted position, the rotatable chuck (12) can be used with other apparatus such as a peeling tool (21), allowing the operator to approach the face of the rotatable chuck.

It is a particular feature of the retracted mechanism for the travelling vice that it is difficult for an operator to accidentally remove the entire beam and vice from the socket (8) where it could otherwise fall onto the foot of the operator.

In this manner a travelling vice is provided which not only allows the safe use of the rotating chuck when engaging a hose-end fitting to a high pressure hose, but also simply, readily and safely allows the chuck to be retracted to an inoperative position for other uses of the rotatable chuck.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A travelling vice for use in combination with a rotatable chuck, said vice comprising a pair of jaws and a jaw support mechanism arranged to locate and hold a tubular object between the jaws with the axis of the tubular object parallel to the axis of the rotatable chuck, and a mounting mechanism arranged to locate and support the jaw support mechanism such that the jaw support mechanism is free to travel on a path parallel to the axis of the rotatable chuck.

2. A travelling vice as claimed in claim 1 wherein the jaw support mechanism is arranged to hold a tubular object which is either circular or polygonal in cross section.

3. A travelling vice as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the jaw support mechanism is arranged to locate and hold the tubular object with the axis of the tubular object coincident with the axis of the rotatable chuck.

4. A travelling vice as claimed in claim 3 wherein the jaws are self centring about the axis of the rotatable chuck.

5. A travelling vice as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the mounting mechanism comprises a telescopic beam and socket, the jaw support mechanism being mounted on one end of the beam which is free to slide axially within the socket mounted beneath the rotatable chuck.

6. A travelling vice as claimed in claim 5 wherein the beam and socket are rectangular or square in cross-section.

7. A travelling vice as claimed in claim 6 wherein the beam incorporates a round section spigot extending axially from the beam at the opposite end from the jaw support mechanism and arranged such that when the square section beam is withdrawn from the socket, the beam can be rotated through 1800 about the spigot and reinserted into the socket.

8. A travelling vice as claimed in claim 7 wherein the spigot incorporates a circumferential groove and the socket incorporates a radially orientated spring-loaded pin, engageable with the circumferential groove when the groove is aligned with the pin to restrain axial movement of the spigot in the socket.

9. A travelling vice substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.