US2335258A - Hydraulically operated vise assembly - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 30, 1943.

F. D. BUTLER HYDRAULIGALLY OPERATED VISE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct.

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Nov. 30, I943.

F. D. BUTLIER 2,335,258

HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED VISE ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 24, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 30, 1943 HYDRAULIGALLY OPERATED VIISE ASSEMBLY Frank David Butler, United States Navy Application October 24, 1942, Serial No. 463,277

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3 Claims.

While my invention relates in general to hydraulically operated vise assemblies, it applies more specifically to such assemblies as adaptable to securing and indexing work to be milled in milling machines. In such a vise assembly I provide a vise body having parallel extending vise jaws and adapted to be secured parallel to the table of a milling machine, a center piece extending parallel to and secured midway between said vise jaws, a series of pairs of opposing combined plunger and movable vice jaws having their plunger ends slidably mounted transversely in said center piece and being adaptable to be forced hydraulically outward apart toward said parallel extending vise jaws, and a manually operated, pressure registering, hydraulic unit for hydraulically forcing said movable vise jaws apart outward. In combination with the foregoing I provide further a pair of indexing devices consisting of a series of spur gears having inverted V shaped lower ends and mounted in a suitable frame in such a manner as to be rotatable by a gear rack member and forming a means for simultaneously rotatively indexing all of the articles of work secured in said hydraulically operated vise. The object of my invention being to provide a milling machine vise assembly of the type mentioned and of a length approximately equal to the length of travel of the milling machine table and wherein numerous articles, of slightly varying diameter sizes, may be simultaneously hydraulically secured in a pair of rows in such assembly during a machine milling operation and wherein each of said rows of articles may (one row at a time) be simultaneously indexed any number of degrees of rotation for a second or third machine milling operation, and thus to increase the mass production complete milling of such articles to the maxi mum capacity of the milling machine.

With reference to the figures of the drawings; Fig. 1 is a combined transverse section and broken away end elevation view of my hydraulically operated vise, hydraulic unit, and indexing device assembly; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through a portion of the vise assembly showing a pair of the combined plunger and movable vise jaws in their full outward travel positions; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the manually operated hydraulic unit; and Fig. 5 is a plan and broken away view of the assembly illustrated in Fig. 1.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, similar numerals represent and indicate similar parts in the several figures, in which the numeral l indicates the vise body which should normally be manufactured from a solid piece of low carbon steel which is machined away to reduce the weight of the construction as illustrated and is then pack-hardened, straightened and ground to finished dimensions. The vise center piece 2 is also normally manufactured from a solid piece of low carbon steel which is (similar to the vise body) machined, pack-hardened, straightened and then ground to finished dimensions, and is adapted to extend longitudinally in the upper portion of the vise body I and to be secured centrally transversely therein by the fillester headed bolts 3..

This centerpiece 2 has a series of transversely extending cylindrical bores 4 equally spaced throughout its length. Each of said bores is adapted to receive a pair of opposed combined plunger and V shaped movable vise jaws 5 which are equipped each with a cup shaped rubber packing disc 6 which latter are retained separate from one another by the spacer collars 1 each of which latter are retained centrally transversely in the center piece 2 by the retainer pins 8 which pins form a drive fit in piece 2.

A hydraulic fluid supply passage 9 extends longitudinally throughout the length of the center piece 2 and is connected, at one of its ends, to the manually operated hydraulic fluid pressure device IB, and throughout its length to each of the cylindrical bores 4 by the communication ports I I. This manually operatedhydraulic fluid pressure device I0 consists of, an externally threaded flanged cylindrical body member l2 adapted to be secured to one end of the center piece 2 by the stud-bolts 13, an elongated cylindrically shaped plunger l4 slidably mounted within the body member l2, a cupped shaped rubber packing disc l5 for plunger 14, a spring loaded pressure registering spindle member !6 adapted to be slidably mounted within plunger I4, a cup shaped rubber packing disc ll for spindle IS, a resilient spring I8 for loading spindle l6, an internally threaded manually rotatable nut memoer l9 adapted to fit over body member l2 and with which to longitudinally move plunger l4 within the latter, and a thrust bearing 20 to take the thrust between nut 19 and plunger M. This pressure device it) is further provided with a spring loaded ball-check fitting 2i for the purpose of adding additional hydraulicfluid to such.

device and through which air therein may .be bled oii by pressing down on the ball-check (not shown) of such fitting while pressure is being applied to the pressure device. The capacity of the chamber 22, formed in the flanged cylinder body member I2 adjacent to the end of and adapted to slidably receive the plunger 64, should be such that with all of the movable vise jaws in approximately their full inward travel positions (as illustrated in Fig. 1), the plunger I4 will be relatively close to its full outward travel in said chamber l2 and that (without either adding to or removing any hydraulic fluid from the assembly) by forcing the plunger I4 to relatively close to its full inward travel in chamber Hall of the movable vise jaws 5 will be forced to their full outward travel positions as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 4, the operation of the hydraulic pressure device I2, of the hydraulic vise assembly, is as follows: Assuming that the assembly is full of hydraulic fluid, that the plunger I4 is relatively close to its full outward travel and that two rows (of maximum capacity millable size) cap screws 23 are mounted in either of the vise assemblies as illustrated in Fig. 1: Then, as the nut I9 is rotated so as to force the plunger I4 (through thrust bearing 26) inward into chamber 22 of the hydraulic pressure device II), a hydraulic pressure is created within chamber 22, supply passage 9, communication port I I and the center portion of bores 4, thus forcing the movable vise jaws 5 all outward in. bores 4 and causing jaws 5 to exert pressure (at their V shaped ends) against the upper ends of cap screws 23 thereby forcing said screws outward against the parallel vise jaws 24 of'said vise as- Y sembly and thus holding them securely depending upon the hydraulic pressure created in chamber 22 and upon the size in diameter of the bores 4. Simultaneously with such inward movement or" plunger I4 in chamber 22 and th creation of hydraulic pressure on the hydraulic fluid in the latter, a similar hydraulic pressure is formed in the relatively small chamber 25 (formed adjacent to and adaptable to slidably receive the inner end of spindle I6) through the access port 25 and exerts a hydraulic pressure on and thus tends to force the spindle I6 outward against the opposing resilient pressure 'of spring I8, and to register such pressure on the scale 27 of said spindle I6. This registering of the hydraulic pressure present, in chamber 22 and adjacent the inner cylindrical ends of the movable vise jaws 5,'on the pressure scal 21 of the spindle I 6, makes it possible to determine, at a glance, the hydraulic pressure on the vise assembly at any time.

In order to release the hydraulic pressure on the fluid adjacent the inner plunger ends of the movable vise jaws 5 and to retract them in bores 4, the nut I9 is rotated so as to withdraw the plunger I4 in the chamber 22 at such time as the hydraulic pressure in the latter is reduced sufliciently to allow the resilient spring I8 to seat the nut 28 of spindle I6 against the outer. end of nut I9.

The object in constructing the hydraulic device II] with the resilient spring I8 opposing the projected area hydraulic pressure on the relatively small inward end of spindle I6 in lieu of opposing the'projected area hydraulic pres.-.

sure on the relatively large inward end of plunger H is to relatively reduce the required size of said spring to resist said hydraulic pressure applied on such device.

The flexible and resilient rubber packing discs 6. I5 and I! are provided adjacent the inner ends of vise jaws 5, plunger I4 and spindle I6 respectively for the purpose of preventing leakage of the hydraulic fluid therepast.

The bores 4 are so spaced in the center piece 2 and the V shaped ends of the movable vise jaws 5 are of such width as to cause the side faces of each of such jaws to contact the side faces of the adjacent jaws with the exception of the outer side faces of the vise jaws located at the extreme ends of the vise assembly which are butted against the dowel pins 29 which latter are a drive fit in the vise body I.

All of the side faces of the V shaped ends of the vise jaws 5 are concentric with the plunger ends of said jaws, and the vertical thickness of said V shaped ends is such as to cause the lower side faces thereof to rest on a machined surface of the vise body I and the upper side faces of said ends to be flush with the upper surface of the parallel vise jaws 24.

The vise body I has the relatively large lightening hole 30 extending throughout its length providing access to the nuts on bolts 3 and 33 and is further machined away at SI for lightening purposes. The end faces of the vise body I are machined away at 32 to form wrench access to the nuts of the combined vise holding down and alinement bolts 33. The series of vertically extending holes 34 (corresponding in number to and a trifle larger in diameter than the largest diameter cap screws 23 millable in the vise assembly) are drilled in the vise body I from its under side and are spaced similar to and in line transversely in such vise body with the bores 4 in the center piece 2 of such vise body. The semicircular grooves 35 are provided in the corners of the internal machined surfaces of the vise body I as run-outs for the grinding wheel used during the manufacture of such vise body.

During the milling of square (or hexagon) heads on the cap-screws 23, the latter are first inserted in the holes 34 of the vise assembly (or assemblies) while the movable vise jaws 5 are in their maximum inward position of travel. The

; nut I9, of the hydraulic unit IE, is then rotated so as to build up a hydraulic pressure on the liquid fluid in chamber 22 and at the inner ends of bores 4 thus forcing vise jaws 5 outward against the upper outer surfaces of cap screws 23 and thereby causing the latter to be forced outward against parallel vise jaws 24. Simultaneously with the building up of hydraulic pressure on the liquid in chamber 22 and in bores 4, a similar pressure is built up in chamber 25 thus forcing the stem I6 outward and making the pressure in pounds per square inch, on the fluid in chamber 25, visible on scale 21 of stem I6. When the rows of cap screws 23 are secured sufficiently tight between jaws 5 and 24 in both vise assemblies, they are then all milled (at one time in one full table travel out) by four pairs of straddle mills (milling cutters), and after this milling operation all of such cap screws should appear as illustrated in the left hand row of the left hand vise assembly I in Figs. 1 and 5. These rows of cap screws 23 (in both vise assemblies) are then ready to be released in the visesand rotatably indexed therein degrees so that they will all appear as illustrated in the second row from the left in 'theleft vise in Figs. 1 and 5,

after whichthey are again secured hydraulically right vise in Figs. 1 and 5, and the milling of g the heads of these cap screws is complete and the screws are ready for removal from the Vises.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 5, the rotatable indexing of the cap screws 23 in the vise assembly, as previously mentioned, is accomplished through the indexing device 35. This indexing device consists of a right and left hand pair of indexing units 31 secured together by a pair of shouldered stud-bolts 33 which latter are used to simultaneously space said units the proper distance apart from one another and to secure the halves 39 and 53 of' each of said units together. Each unit 37 is provided with two alignment pins M which are threaded at their upper ends and are adapted to be screwed into the halves 45 of said units and to fit snugly at theirlower ends into the slots 42 in the Vises I, and align the entire indexing device with the vises. Each unit 37 consists of a series of spur gears 43 which are rotatably mounted in the halves 39 and 43 of said unit, a gear rack 44 slidably mounted in said halves and adapted to rotate said spur gears, a registering index disc member 45 adapted to be secured by a pin 45 to an extension 4! of one of the (preferably the centrally located) gears 43 so as to rotate with the latter, and two end plates 48 adapted to seal the openings in the ends of halves 33 and 45. The spur gears 43 are spaced ineach of the indexing units 3? the same as the cap screws 23 are spaced in the Vises I, and are each equipped with an inverted V shaped lower end 49 which is adapted to fit over the parallel edges of the milled heads of said cap screws 23. The upper ends of all (except one of the centrally located) gears 43 are provided with a cylindrically shaped thrust plug 55 which with the elastic rubber member i is mounted in the recess 52 and together with 5i are adapted to keep the V shaped ends 43 of said gears 43 down tightly against the heads of the cap screws 23 when the latter are not all of the same height from the top of vise I.

After the heads of cap screws 23 have undergone their first straddle milling operation, they then appear as in the first row from the left of the left vise in Figs. 1 and 5. Assuming that they are to be milled square when completed, they are then ready to be rotated (01' rotatively indexed) through 90 degrees andshould then appear as in the adjacent row to the one just mentioned. In order to accomplish this rotative indexing, the device is manually mounted over one of the Vises I and with the alignment pins 4| extending into the slots 42 and having all of the V shaped ends 43 of gears 43 straddling the partly finished machined heads of cap screws 23 similar to the manner illustrated in the left row of the left vise in Figs. 1 and 5. The hydraulic device I I] (which through the resiliency of spring I8 is maintaining the pressure on the hydraulic fluid which is holding cap screws 23 secure in vise I) is then released and both gear racks 44 are pushed inward from a position of travel similar to that shown at the full left to that shown in the intermediate left in Figs. 1 and 5 by the machine operator. This latter movement simultaneously rotates allthe spur gears 43, all the cap screws 23 (beneath said gears 43) and the registering index disc members from positions similar to those illustrated to the left to those illustrated to the intermediate left in Figs. 1 and 5. The cap screws 23 are then ready to be hydraulically secured again in vise I, and when a similar indexing of the cap screws 23 in the in indexing the cap screws 23 in the vise I, the

gear racks 44 are provided with twin adjustment nuts 53 which lock against one another and are adapted to strike the ends of halves 39 when the heads of said screws are in th position in which they are illustrated in the right row of the left vise in Figs. 1 and 5 and when the engraved lines 54 (on the registering index disc 45) simultaneously align with the split 55 between halves 39 and 40. The gear rack stop plate 56 is made adjustable by stud-bolts 51 and nuts 53 so that it may be adjusted so that the ends of gear racks 44 will strike it when the V shaped ends of spur gears 43 are parallel straddle to the edges of the rows of heads of cap screws 23, and the engraved lines 59 (on the registering index 45) simultaneously align with the split 55 between halves 39 and 40 as illustrated to the full left in Figs. 1 and 5.

In order to increase the speed in indexing the cap screws 23 in the vise I, when the heads of said screws are to be milled hexagon in shape, the adjustment nuts 53 are screwed outward and locked against each other so that they will strike the stop plate 56 Whenthe gear rack 44, gears 43, heads of cap screws 23 and index disc 45 are in the positions in which they are illustrated to the extreme left in Figs. 1 and 5, and which would be their position during the first hexagon milling operation. For the second of such milling operations, the oblong spacing plate 60 (which is mounted on the bolt BI and held securely against plate 56 by the resilient spring 62) is swung around parallel to plate 56 so that the outer end of nuts 53 will strike it as the gear racks 44 are moved inward and as the engraved lines 63 (on the index disc 45) simultaneously align with the splits 55 in the halves 39 and 45 and the heads of the cap screws 23 come into position in vise I for said second milling operation. For the third of such hexagon milling operations, the gear racks 44 are moved inward until the inner ends of nuts 53 strike the ends of halves 38 at which time the engraved lines 64 (on the index discs 45) should simultaneously align with the splits 55 in the halves 33 and 40 and the heads of the cap screws 23 should be in position in vise I for said third milling operation which will complete the hexagon milling of the heads of cap screws 23.

When smaller diameter cap screws 23 (than those illustrated) are to be milled, the indexing units 31 "are moved further apart from one another by and through the adjustment of nuts 55 on stud-bolts 38.

Under normal'conditions a hydraulic fluid similar to that used in the brakes of hydraulically operated brake systems on automobiles would be satisfactory for use in the hydraulic device ID.

A handle 66 is provided at the opposite end of each vise from the hydraulic unit I0 in order to make it more convenient to remove the vise from the milling machine table.

When manually operating the indexing unit 36 it is held down manually with the V shaped ends 49 of gears 43 tightly pressed against the upper ends of the heads of cap screws 23.

' It is understood that slight changes may be made in the means disclosed without digressing an elongated main body portion having two parallel vise jaws extending along the upper outer portion thereof and being separated from one another by an elongated stepped recess having a lower and an upper level, a center piece extending parallel to said jaws and fitting and secured within the lower level of said stepped recess, a series of cylindrical holes equally spaced throughout the length of and extending laterally through said center piece between said jaws and on a level with the horizontal center line of the upper level of said stepped recess, a series of holes arranged in a row and extending vertically through said main'body portion there being one row adjacent each of said jaws and each hole in each row being spaced the same distance apart as said cylindrical holes, a series of combined plungers and vise jaws adapted to be slidably mounted in pairs with one plunger extending into each end of each of said cylindrical holes and having each a V shaped outer end extending toward said parallel vise jaws and being fitted to rest upon the step of the upper level of said stepped recess, a cup shaped resilient packing rubber adjacent each inward or plunger end of each of said combined plunger and vise jaws, a spacer ring for each of said cylindrical holes, means for securing each spacer ring midway in the length of its respective cylindrical hole, a hydraulic fluid communication passage extending longitudinally through out said center piece beneath said cylindrical holes, an access port extending between each of said cylindrical holes and said communication passage and offering an unobstructed passage between the latter and to adjacent said packing rubbers, said Vise assembly being for the purpose of securing bolts while the heads thereof are be ing milled, means for hydraulically forcing each pair of said combined plungers and vise jaws outward against said bolts and securing the latter against said parallel vise jaws and including means to retract said combined plungers and vise jaws, and means for rotatively indexing said bolts while mounted in said vise when more than one milling operation is necessary.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 characterised by, said means for hydraulically forcing each pair of said combined plunger and vise jaws outward and for retracting the latter comprising a cylindrically shaped externally threaded main body member adapted to be secured'to one end of said center piece and having a cylindrical bore concentric therewith in communication with said communication passage in said center piece, an elongated cylindrical plunger slidably mounted and extending into said cylindrical bore, a cup shaped resilient rubber packing member adjacent the end of said plunger extending into said cylinder bore, a thrust bearing contacting the opposite end of the last mentioned plunger, an internally threaded nut member adapted to fit over said externally threaded main body member and to contact said thrust bearing on the opposite side to the last mentioned plunger, the head of the plunger being provided with a bore of relatively large diameter opening rearwardly, a cylindrical bore of somewhat smaller diameter forwardly of the larger bore and communicating therewith, and a constricted access port forward of said smaller bore and passing axially therefrom through the forward reduced end of said piston and establishing communication between said cylinder bore and said smaller bore in said piston, an elongated spindle member having a plunger end adapted to be slidably mounted in the smaller of said different diameter bores and an outer stem end opposite said plunger end and an enlarged collar portion between said ends mentioned, a resilient spring member surrounding said stem end and opposed between said collar and said thrust bear-' ing, a plurality of nuts on the outer end of said stem, a graduated scale on said stem adjacent said plurality of nuts, a cup shaped resilient rubber packing member adjacent the plunger end of said spindle member, means for filling the latter with hydraulic fluid, said threaded nut member being adapted to advance said piston thereby creating hydraulic pressure in the cylinder bore and the smaller piston bore and against the stem of said piston, whereby pressure will be registered on said graduated scale of said stem of said spindle.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 characterised by, said means for rotatively indexing said bolts while mounted in said vise and when more than one milling operation is necessary comprising two elongated longitudinally split housing members adapted to be mounted one each directly over said rows of vertically extending holes in said main body portion and both being secured together by a plurality of adjustable stud-bolts, a series of spur gears mounted in rows in said split housing members, there being one row of such gears rotatively mounted in each split housing member directly over each row of said vertically extending holes, an inverted V shaped downward projecting lower end on each of said spur gears and adapted to straddle the heads of said bolts to be milled after the first milling operation, resilient'means for thrusting said gears downward, one gear rack slidably mounted in each of said split housing members and adapted to rotatively turn the row of said spur gears in its respective housing member, adjustable means for spacing the travel of each of said racks for indexing the rotation of said spur gears, and a graduated disc member secured to one of said spur gears in each of said rows of gears and each being adapted to register the amount in degrees that the gear to which it is secured and similar other gears in the row are rotatively indexed.

DAVID BU'ILER.

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