US2631483A

US2631483A - Quick action vise

Info

Publication number: US2631483A
Application number: US295647A
Authority: US
Inventors: William W Swain
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-06-26
Filing date: 1952-06-26
Publication date: 1953-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 1970-03-17

Description

March 17, 1953 w, W, SWA|N 2,631,483

QUICK ACTION VISE Filed June 26. 1952 Patented Mar. 17, 1953 :UNITE-D fsT-A'rs PATENT AOFFICE William W. Swain, Oakland, Calif..

l This invention relates to improvements in Work holding means and particularly to a vise which is manually instantly adjustable to -the Work-by mere sliding of the movablejatv and which locks in position and grips the work'through a relatively smalll angular movement of a hand'lever, and which isV instantly releasable through an opposite movement of the lever.

This' invention concerns a vise which is free of threaded-- or rack type adjusting mechanism with the movable jaw freely slidable to the Work with sequential locking1 of the movable jaw in adjusted position "and grippingof the work through a single movement of a hand lever, thus providing a vise which is operable for gripping or releasei an absolute'minimum of time.

The objects rand advantages ofthe invention are as follows: e Y `1 y First, to provide avise with a movable jaw which is" freely slidable to the work, and which through a relatively small angular movement of a hand Vlever sequentially locks the movable jaw "adjusted position and efficiently lgripsthe WOk; y' I Y Y Second,- Vto provide a vise as outlined which sequentiallyreleases the j-aW and frees the jaw on its support through an opposite slight rangular movement of the lever for adjustment of the movable jaw to a diierent position.

` Third, to provide a vise as outlined in which the `means for locking the movable jaw adjusted position-consists `of 'spaced tie rods which form the supports for the movable jaw, and lateral plungers with intervening cam member for forcing the plungers against the adjacent sides of thetie rods with the tie rods thus locked in their bearings, and a lever for operating said cam.v

Fourth, to provideia vise as outlined in which said cam is mounted in a housing and with the cam having cam surfaces formed in its side Afaces for operating said plungers and having a -cam peripherally formed to cooperate with the movablevijaw for intense gripping and release of the movable jaw to and from the work.

I v1 Fifth, to provide a vise as outlined which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and which is relatively light to handle.

Sixth, to provide a vise as outlined which has `four sides for parallel support on a surface with the work exposed for operation from either of the sides.

In describing the invention reference will be had to the accompanying draWings'inWhich;

Fig. 1-is a-.side'elevation ofthe invention. Y, --Fig. -2 iis -atop plan 2vievvof.Fig.1. L

application June 26,1952,seriaiNo;295,647 f vsa claims. (c1. sir-1v) 2 Fig. 3 is a sectionn taken on line 3--3 of Fig. V2. Fig. 4 is a section' taken onf'line 4-4 of F'g.'2'. Fig. 5 is a section takenon line 5 45 ofFigfZ. Fig. 6 is a view taken in the direction 6 6 on 5 Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 represents an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, and shows plunger-engaging cam portions formed inopposite side surfaces ofa jaw-advancing circular cam. l

YThe invention consists of a combinedhead plate and fixed jaw i0, a foot plate II, tie rods 'I2 and I3 connecting the head plate and foot plate, a movable jaw I4 slidably supported on the tie rods, a combined locking and thrust member 'I5 which is coupled to the movable jaw for slight relative movement and also slidably supported o`n the tie rods. Y Y A The combined head plate andA xedjaw Vis angle shaped having the upstanding jaw portion I6 and base portion I'I provided with a slot I8 for bolting to a support. The tie rodshaveboth ends turned to a reduced diameter as indicated at I9 to provide shoulders 2 with the reduced portions passing through passages provided in the head plate and foot plate, the ends of these reduced portions being threaded for the nuts 2 If, these head and foot plates being drawn tight against the shoulders to provide a rigid structure.

The fixed jaw is provided with tapped

holes

22 and 23 for attachment of jigs or xtures, and the inner face is recessed as indicated at Zfor jaw facing 25. i l The movable jaw I4 is a relatively plain portion Vof steel provided in its inner face with a recess 26 for jaw facing 21, and has passages 28 for the tie rods I2 and I3, on which the jaw is slidable. The back of this jaw has spaced tapped holes 29 -and 30 for motionflimiting screws 3I and 32.

The combined locking and thrust member I5 consists of a block of metal having passages 33 for the tie rods I2 and I3 on which the block is slidable, and is provided with a substantially vrectangular passage 34 centrally in whichA a rmultiple cam 35 is pivoted as indicated at 36. This cam has

cam surfaces

31 and 38 formed in its opposite faces, these cams having a rise of only about 0.010 inch, and cooperate with the ,

locking plungers

39 and 40 which in turn are cooperative with the tie rods which are preferably flatted on their innersuriaces as' indicated Iat 4I vand 42. This cam also has a peripheral cam surface 43, the rise of the cam in the direction of the side cams being only about 0.010 inch also, sincenonly suflicient caml action is requiredv to ,envisageait@ lampineafiiign @n the movabl? jaw. The ends of the plunger holes are plugged as indicated at 44 to prevent entry of dirt or dust to the bearing for the tie rods.

The screws 3| and 32 limit the relative movements between the movable jaw and the combined locking and thrust member, the holes 45 therefore in the combined locking and thrust member being counterbored for the heads of the screws as indicated as 46 with the counterbore of sufficient depth to conceal' the head with the underside of the head functioning as a stop in cooperation with the bottom of the counterbore. A ball-end handle 4l is releasably fixed in the back of the cam, for manual operation.

The foot plate Il is recessed as indicated at 48 to provide upstanding legs 49 and 50, andato .provide clearance for the handlewhen in its lower,- most position. The top surfaces of the Xed jaw I6 and of the legs 49 and 50 or" the footfplatev l IA are parallel with the bottom surfaces I and 52 of these respective/members and parallel with the tierod axes. The-sidesurfaces 53 and 55 of thexed jaw, and theside surfaces 54 and56- of the footvbracket are also'parallel with the axes of the tie rods, while the movable jaw and the combinedflocking and thrust-member are in clearingA relation on all sides with planes passing between the fixed jaw vand foot bracket, thus permitting the vise to be rested on any one cfitsfour sides for operating on a clamped workpiece from anyl selected one of four directions. If desired, the'legson the foot bracket maybe omitted, or `the movablev jaw outer surfaces may be made coplanar with the fixed jaw and foot bracket.

This vise is, from the practical standpoint, sub i stantially instantaneous in operation. With the work in place and the lever 4l in a substantially 30 degreeangular position as indicated-in Fig. 1, the movable jaw. with its associated locking'and thrust member is merely pushed forward into contact, with the low face of the cam in contact with thejaw,V and immediately on contact the lever is depressed to the position shown in dotted lines at 4l. As the lever is moved downwardly, the side cams 3l and 38 firstforce the plungers'39 and 40 against the` hat surfaces on the tie rods which in turn 'are force-d against the opposite walls of their bearings, eihciently locking the member in place. Further downward; movement causes the peripheral cam to force the ,movable jaw. forward to grip the work with any desired pressure which is controllediby the degree of movement of the lever, since during operation of the` peripheral cam, the plungers are riding on the idling or plane surfaces of the cam at 51. Thus the action with downward movement of the leverY is as follows: Firstthe plungers are forced outto lock the locking mem.- ber in position, and the plungers ride over the top of the rise on the cam surface justonto the plane-surface, and at that pointtheperipheral cam comes into action on themovable jaw, with any further movement of the lever increasing the-grip'on the Work. For release of the work, the leverl is merely raised to the position shown in Fig. l and pulled back.

claim:

1. A quick acting vise comprising, a frame including a fixed jaw and a foot bracket and tie rods' rigidly connecting saidfixed" jaw and foot bracket, a movable jaw slidable on said tie rods, a combined locking and thrust' member slidable on said tie rods and coupled to lsaid movable jaw for` limited` movement, a cammounted in said combined lockingV and thrust memberl and having side cam faces and a peripheral cam face, with the peripheral cam face cooperative with the back of the movable jaw, plungers slidably operative in bores communicating between said side cam faces and said tie rods for locking said combined locking and thrust member in position. and a lever for operating said cam.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1; said peripheral cam face being located in follow relationV to the side camxfaces for operation in sequence with operation ofthe lever for clamping work in the vise.

3. A structure as dened in claim 1; the adjacent sides of the tie rods being flatted for increased surface cooperation with said plungers, and saidside:cam faces being limited to a rise of 0.010 inch, .and with the peripheral cam surface initiating operation on the movable jaw with cooperation of the plungers with the flat parallel faces of the cam after passing over the rise, for sequentially locking the. locking, and thrust.Y member in position and increasing4 the grip on the work in the vise.

4. Locking means for releasably locking a member on spaced tie rods, said member having bearings slidable onsaid tie rods, said member having a passage parallel with -said tieA rods, a cam rotatably mounted in said passage and having an operating lever, side cam surfaces formed intheeside faces of saidcamandin opposition, plungers` slidable in passages provided in ,said member and cooperative between said side cam surfaces and said tie-rods,- for forcing said plungers against said tie rods with the. plungers in turn forcing the tierods against the opposite sides of the bearings;,to. lock the memberV in its adjuste-dposition on the tierods.

5. A structure as defined in claim 4; said cam having a peripheral cam surface,l a second member slidable on said'tie'rods and havingV connection with said member for limitedV relative` reciprocal movement vand cooperative with said peripheral cam surface,l with saidcamY through limited degree of rotation sequentially lockinggsaid member in position followed by-advance ofsaid second member through the mediumof saidipe.- ripheral cam surface.y

6. A structure as defined in :claim 4; said cam having parallel faceswith the side'y cam surfaces formed ,in one portionlon. opposite `sides and having ariseof: notte exceed 0.0l0inch and having a` perpheralcamr surface with a rise-of not to exceed 0.016 inch, amovable vise jaw slidablefon lsaid tie rods, and having; connection With said member for limitedrelative. movement, and with said cam, during depression of said lever, `initially forcing said plungers-.against said tie rods to lock the member inl position through the 'medium` of said side cam surfaces, andupon reaching4 the limit of rise, idlingon the parallel faces and Lco, incidently forcing,v said'V movable jawv forward through the mediumof the peripheralr cam surface cooperating. with the back ofi said` jaw.

7. A cam. forl producing; lateral and frontal thrust comprising a substantially circular disc having parallelfaces, a cam surface. formedin each side face of saidfdisc within amelatively narrovvy area, av peripheral cam surface formed on said disc, with rises in the peripheral cam surface in follow relation tothe rises in; the Yside cam surfaces, a member coopera-tive with the peripheral cam surface, and laterally operative members cooperativewith theside. cam surfaces.

8. Ai quick actingviseA comprising, ar combined head bracket andixediljaw, .afoot bracket, spaced tie rods rigidly connecting said head and foot brackets, a movable jaw slidable on said tie rods and having bearings closely fitting said tie rods, a combination locking and thrust member slidable on said tie rods and having bearings closely tting said tie rods, a passage formed centrally through said locking and thrust member parallel with said tie rods, a cam rotatably mounted in said passage, a cam surface formed in each of opposite sides of said cam, a peripheral cam surface on said cam and cooperative with said movable jaw, connections between said movable jaw and said locking and thrust member for limiting relative movement therebetween, bores provided laterally from said cam and extending between the cam and said tie rods, plungers in said bores and cooperative between said side cam surfaces and said tie rods with the side cam surfaces forcing said plungers against said tie rods and said tie rods against the opposite sides of Vthe bearings in the member for securing saidfmember in position, with said peripheral cam surface in follow relation to said side cam surfaces', whereby with a limited degree of rotation of said cam said side cam surfaces initially force said plungers to lock said member in position followed by movement of said jaw through the medium of said peripheral cam surface.

REFERENCES CTED The following references aref-'of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES TENTS Number Name c Date 947,888 Dix et al Feb. 1, 1910 2,538,314 Johansson Jan. 16, 1951 FOREIGN Number Country Date 635,514 Great Britain i Apr. 12, 1950 OTHER REFER l Publication, American Machinist, May 9, 194e,

page 143.