US3732781A

US3732781A - Key vise

Info

Publication number: US3732781A
Application number: US00133581A
Authority: US
Inventors: P Hungerford; J Gereby; R Richens
Original assignee: Cole National Corp
Current assignee: AMERICAN CONSUMER PRODUCTS Inc 5777 GRANT AVENUE CLEVELAND OH 44105 A CORP OF
Priority date: 1971-04-13
Filing date: 1971-04-13
Publication date: 1973-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-15
Also published as: CH546617A; IT948922B; DE2216977A1; CA952924A; FR2132626B1; FR2132626A1; DE2264483A1; GB1356475A

Abstract

A key vise is disclosed for a key cutting machine. The vise utilizes beam springs acting on relatively movable first and second jaws with an eccentric loading an intermediate point of the beam springs to tightly clamp a key between the vise jaws. A retention spring of small force initially holds the key in position in the vise before the jaws are clamped and a gauge means is provided to selectively position either single sided or double-sided keys. The foregoing abstract is merely a resume of one general application, is not a complete discussion of all principles of operation or applications, and is not to be construed as a limitation on the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Description

United States Patent 1191 [111 333mm Hungerford, Jr. et al. a 1 1 May 15, 1973 [541 KEY VISE 1,697,747 1 1929 Bachman ..90 13.0s 2,350,034 5 1944 Herrington ..269/22l x [75] Inventors: Philip C. l-lungerford, Jr., Cleveland; John L. Gereby, Wickliffe;

Robert H. Richens, Bedford Heights Primary ExaminerGil Weidenfeld n f Ohio A tlorney- Woodling, Krost, Granger & Rust [73] Assignee: Cole National Corporation, Cleve- ABSTRACT Ohm A key vise is disclosed for a key cutting machine. The 22 Filed; Apt 13 1971 vise utilizes beam springs acting on relatively movable first and second jaws with an eccentric loading an in- [211 Appl' 133581 termediate point of the beam springs to tightly clamp a key between the vise jaws. A retention spring of [52] US. Cl. ..90/l3.05, 269/9, 269/221 small for'ce initially holds the key in position in the [51] Int. Cl ..B23c 1/16 vise before the jaws are clamped and a gauge means is [58] Field of Search 90/1305; 83/413, provided to selectively position either single sided or 83/917; 269/9, 221 double-sided keys. The foregoing abstract is merely a I resume of one general application, is not a complete [56] References Cited discussion of all principles of operation or applications, and is not to be construed as a limitation on the UNITED STATES PATENTS scope of the claimed subject matter.

. 9 Sc Wartz 27 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures L5 16 7z H/ O 46 O "j g 30 p t 79"" LL 29 \30 r J r 1 7 1 l 4 [F .1 Ti 1 46 rt-P- r J] II {1 /4/ v t 555:..- 42

1 1 i 1 1 I I PUSH 2 55\ L SINGLE/ I 59 fix I ll l 45 20 7 55 52 as KEY VISE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Key cutting machines have long been known which utilize some form of stylus to follow a master key with a rotating cutter operating on a blank key in conformity with relative movement between the stylus and the master key. The typical key cutting machine is one which has a vise with one fixed jaw plus a second jaw movable by turning a screw while the key is held in position with the other hand. This type of vise is satisfactory for the skilled operator who is well familiar with the different requirements for accurately mounting a key in the device despite the many different shapes which this key might take. Also there are usually two vises on a key cutting machine, one for the master key to be duplicated and the other for the key blank from which the new key is to be made. Again a skilled operator will know how to put the master key and the key blank in the two separate vises in the same identical manner so that the key cutting machine will properly cut the key blank.

With the recent increased popularity of double-sided keys, however, the problem of properly mounting the various types of keys in a key vise has multiplied considerably. Accordingly, for someone not particularly well-skilled in the operation of a key cutting machine, for example new employees or employees in a store wherein keys are relatively infrequently sold, may have difficulty in properly positioning the keys. This means that the newly cut key will not be identical to the master key unless the two keys are properly positioned in the vises.

With a normal single-sided key, the rear side of the key operates as a gauging surface and this was customarily placed against some gauge in the vise. Now with the increased popularity of double-sided keys, this means that both sides of the key are cut into hills and valleys; and therefore, the rear side of the key, opposite that beingcut, cannot serve as a gauge surface. Accordingly, such double-sided keys have provided a separate gauge surface intermediate the two sides of the key. This gauge surface is more difficult to position in the vise against the gauge of the vise and hence this increases the chances for producing an improper key. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to obviate the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vise for a key cutting inachinewhich will readily permit an inexperienced person to properly position a key in the vise. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a vise for a key cutting machine which includes a spring loaded as a beam to clamp the key in the vise.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring stressed as a beam to achieve a substantially constant force on the key clamped in the vise despite variations in thickness of the keys.

Another object of the invention is to provide a key vise with a selectively available gauge for either singlesided or double-sided keys.

Another object of the invention is to provide a key vise with a spring actuated clamp for the key plus a small force retention spring to initially hold the key in position until the main clamping force is applied.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention may be incorporated in a key vise for a keycutting machine having a stylus and a cutter comprising in combination, a base, jaw means including first and second vise jaws carried on said base and relatively movable, a beam spring mounted at one end to said base, the distal end of said beam spring acting on said second vise jaw, an eccentric, and means to pivotally move said eccentric to act between said base and an intermediate point of said beam spring to bend said beam spring toward said first vise jaw upon said eccentric being pivoted from a first unlocked position toward a second locked position to securely clamp a key in said jaw means.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a key vise embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the vise of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the vise;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are partial sectional views on line 4-4 of FIG. I, with the gauge in different positions;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view on line 6-6 of FIG. 4, showing the two positions of the gauge;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged partial views showing single and double-sided keys in the vise, respectively, and

FIG. 9 is a partial view similar to FIG. 1 showing a double-sided key in the vise.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The Flgures of the drawing show a key vise 11 used in conjunction with a key cutting machine 12'. This key cutting machine 12 is shown somewhat diagrammatically as including a stylus l3 and a rotating cutter 14 which cooperate with a master key 15 and a key blank 16,- respectively. Two such vises 11 are provided in the machine 12 with one for the master key 15 and an identical one for the key blank 16. The machine 12 provides cooperation of the rotating cutter 14 with the key blank 16 in correspondence with the cooperation of the stylus l3 with the master key 15. This may be done in any number of manners, for example, the stylus 13 and cutter 14 are a fixed distance apart as are the keys l5 and 16. Relative longitudinal movement of the key 15 and stylus 13 is provided, for example,-by relative longitudinal movement of the vise 11, or as shown in this preferred embodiment, by longitudinal movement of the stylus 13 and rotating cutter 14. The stylus 13 and master key 15 also are able relatively to move transversely in order to follow the variable depths of cut .thereon forming hills and valleys, and this relative lateral movement is also followed by the rotating cutter 14. Again this relative lateral movement may be provided by laterally moving the vises 11, or as shown in this preferred embodiment, by laterally moving the stylus l3 and rotating cutter 14.

The key cutting machine 12 has a base 20 for the vise 11 on which the various parts of this vise are mounted. This base 20 may be movable for either longitudinal or lateral movement of the

keys

15 and 16 or as shown in the preferred embodiment, this base 20 may be stationary. As better shown in FIG. 2, the rotating cutter 14 is carried on an arm illustrated diagrammatically at 21 which pivots about a pivot axis 22 on the base 20 and also has longitudinal movement along this axis 22 for longitudinal movement of the cutter 14 and stylus 13 relative to the keys l6 and 15. Mechanism, not shown, may be provided to establish this relative movement.

The cutting machine 12 is shown in FIG. 1 as including two of the vises 11, one for the master key 15 and one for the key blank 16 and since these vises are identical only one will be explained in detail. The vise 11 has jaw means 25-26 which includes a first jaw 25 and a second jaw 26. The first jaw 25 is stationary relative to the base and the second jaw 26 is movable toward and away from the first jaw 25. A means to clamp the two jaws together with a key therebetween is provided and includes a beam spring 28 and an eccentric 31. In this preferred embodiment, the beam spring 28 includes a first beam 29 and a parallel second beam 30. The lower end of each beam 29 and '30 is loosely attached on the base 20 by a pin 33 in an enlarged hole, and this mounting of each beam establishes the beam to be stressed as an ordinary beam by the rotatable eccentric 31 via tension straps 41 and a cross pin 42. The distal ends of the

beams

29 and 30 extend upwardly to lie closely adjacent the second jaw 26. A spring 32 of small force acts on

beams

29 and 30 to urge the distal ends thereof slightly spaced away from jaw 26. The position of these beam springs 28, unstressed by eccentric 31, is shown in FIG. 2. The eccentric 31 is pivoted about a floating or sliding pivot axis 34 in an elongated slot 35 on the base 20 and is fixedly attached to a manual handle 36 as a means to pivot this eccentric 31.

The eccentric 31 is fixedly attached to the handle 36 and forms a part of a toggle mechanism 37. A toggle link 38 is pivoted to the eccentric 31 at a toggle pivot 39. The other end of the toggle link 38 is pivoted at a fixed pivot 40 on the base 20. The tension straps 41 interconnect the pivot axis 34 and the cross-pin 42 which bears against the two

beam springs

29 and 30. FIG. 2 shows the handle 36 in the up position 36a wherein the eccentric 31 does not stress the beam spring 28. FIG. 4 shows the handle in the down position 36b with the jaws and 26 clamped on a key 16. This FIG. 4 shows that the beam spring 28 is stressed as a beam. As the handle 36 is moved downwardly, the eccentric 31 rotates about the sliding pivot 34. The toggle mechanism 37, which includes the eccentric 31 and the toggle link 38, moves downwardly to straighten the knee of the toggle which is at the toggle pivot 39. In the full down position 36b of FIG. 4, the toggle is locked because the toggle knee pivot 39 is just below the'centerline of

pivots

34 and 40. This downward movement of the toggle knee pivot 39 moves the pivot axis 34 rearwardly; that is, to the left in FIG. 4 along the elongated slot 35. The tension straps 41 are connected to this pivot axis 34 and pull to the left on the cross-pin 42 to deflect the beam spring 28 as a cantilever. Enlarged holes 47 and 47a in the tension straps 41 permit non-interfering movement upwardly and downwardly of the toggle knee pivot 39 and lengthwise movement of straps 41 around pivot 40. This loading or stressing of the beam spring 28 as an ordinary beam establishes the highly desirable result of having the beam spring 28 exert a substantially constant force on the key 15 or 16 regardless of the thickness of that particular key. Keys in common use today vary between 0.060 inches and 0.100 inches,

and it has been found that this long beam spring on the order of 5 or 6 inches in length with loading by the eccentric 31 at about the mid point as an ordinary beam will establish a substantially uniform force on the key despite its variation in thickness. The long length of the handle 36 gives adequate force, together with the eccentric 31 and toggle action mechanism 37, to increase the force multiplication as the toggle knee is straightened. Therefore, this establishes very tight clamping of the key 15 or 16.

A key retention spring 44 is provided to establish a light retaining force on the key 15 or 16 prior to the final clamping of the key by the handle 36. This key retention spring 44 is mounted as a cantilever beam from the base 20 by means of screws 45 and the distal end acts on the movable second jaw 26. In this preferred embodiment the second jaw 26 is unitary with this outer or distal end of the retention spring 44. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the beam spring 28 is normally spaced away from the movable jaw 26 when the handle 36 is in the unlocked position 36a. This is when the key retention spring 44 comes into play. The person using the key machine 12 may pull the movable jaw 26 forwardly by means of the jaw extension 46, FIG. 1. This jaw 26, unitary with the retention spring 44, will easily move forwardly and then the key 15 may be slipped down between the two

jaws

25 and 26. The small force of this retention spring 44 will then hold the key 15 in place until the handle 36 is depressed to firmly clamp this key in the jaw means 2526. FIG. 7 illustrates a single-sided key 15B and the operation is the same with the doublesided type of key 15A shown in FIG. 8.

The key vise 11 is provided with gauge means 48 to establish the proper lateral position of any ofa great variety of

keys

15 or 16. This gauge means 48 includes gauge surfaces 49, and 51 on the top of the stationary vise jaw 25, the top of the movable vise jaw 26, and the top of a shelf 52, respectively. Double-sided keys have come 'into increasing use in recent years and these are the type wherein variable depths of cut for the hills and valleys are provided on both sides of the key. Be-

7 cause of this, it is impractical to use the back edge of .site to that shown in FIG. 8 and in such case, the gauging surface of the key would rest on the top of the vise jaw 26 at the gauge surface 50. The two gauge surfaces 49 or the two gauge surfaces 50 for the two vises 11 in the machine 12 will be at the same elevation and accordingly, the key blank 16 will be positioned properly in accordance with the position of the master key 15.

The gauge surface 51 is also a part of the gauge means 48 and as stated above, this gauge surface 51 is provided on the shelf 52. This shelf 52 is selectively retractible or movable between extended and retracted positions. The extended position is shown in FIG. 7 with the retracted position shown in FIG. 8.

The shelf 52 is provided on the top or distal end of a cantilever mounted spring 57 fastened by screws 58 near the bottom of the base 20. A selector push-button 59 is pivoted at 60 in the base 20. A toggle crank 61 is disposed in an enlarged aperture 62 in the base 20. This toggle crank has crank portions 63 which are disposed within the enlarged apertures 62. An intermediate portion 64 of the toggle crank 61 is disposed within a close-fitting slot 65 in the top of the selector pushbutton 59. The outer ends 66 of the toggle crank 61 are disposed behind to bear against the rear of the cantilever spring 57'.

FIG. 6 is a split view showing the two alternative positions for the toggle crank 61. The upper part of FIG. 6 shows the toggle crank 61 in position as set for a singlesided key B, the same as FIG. 4. The lower part of FIG. 6 shows the toggle crank 61 set in a position for a double-sided key 15A, the position in FIG. 5. With the upper part of the selector push-button 59 pushed back as in FIG. 5, the intermediate portion 64 of the crank is moved rearwardly and the crank portions 63 are constrained within the enlarged apertures 62 so that this toggle crank snaps to the alternative condition of FIG. 5 and the lower part of FIG. 6. In such position, the outer end 66 of the toggle crank 61 bears against the base and the cantilever spring 57 may assume its unstressed position whereat the gauge surface 51 at the top thereof is disposed underneath the fixed jaw 25, as shown in FIG. 8.

When the lower part of the selector push-button 59 is pushed in, the condition is as shown in FIGS. 4, 7 and the upper part of FIG. 6. The toggle crank 61 is snapped forwardly to its alternative position of equilibrium and the outer end 66 pushes the cantilever spring 57 forwardly so that the gauging surface 51 acts as a shelf to receive the lower side ofa single-sided key 15B. The two faces of the push button 59 are visible and accessible from the front of the machine 12 and may have suitable legends as shown in FIG. 1 to illustrate that the operator is to push the top of the button for a singlesided key and is to push the bottom of the button 59 for a'double-sided key.

A longitudinal gauge 70 is provided to gauge the iongitudinal position of the key 15 or 16. This longitudinal gauge is a flat metal member pivoted at 71 on the base 20. The solid line position of FIG. 2 shows it moved into an operative position wherein it may gauge the iongitudinal position of a shoulder 72 of the key 15 or 16. The phantom line position of FIG. 2 shows this gauge 70 in a non-operative position. A cantilever spring 74 is fixed to the rear of the handle 36 to move therewith. The distal end 75 of the cantilever spring 74 is formed into a bight of a loop surrounding a pin 76 fixed on the longitudinal gauge 70. The unstressed position of this cantilever spring 74 is shown in the position 74a of FIG. 2 with the handle 36 in the up position. When the handle 36 is moved to the down position of FIG. 4, then the spring 74 will occupy the phantom position 74b shown in FIG. 2. In, such case, the longitudinal gauge 70 will be urged to rotate counter-clockwise around the pivot 71 to the non-operative position.

A gauge release lever 78 is pivoted on the fixed pivot 40 on the base 20. A spring 79 acts between the gauge release lever 78 and the cross pin 42 to urge this lever 78 upwardly into the position shown in FIG. 2. A rear shoulder 80 on this gauge release lever 78 acts as a detent with respect to a detent hook 81 on the longitudinal gauge 70. Accordingly, when the longitudinal gauge 70 is manually moved to the operative position shown in FIG. 2, the detent hook 81 will momentarily depress the gauge release lever 78 against the urging of the spring 79 and the hook 81 will lie below this shoulder 80 and be trapped as a detent. This retains the longitudinal gauge in the operative position, despite the urging of the spring 74, until the gauge release lever 78 is depressed to release the detent hook 81. This longitudinal gauge 70 is automatically brought into operative position when the handle 36 is moved upwardly so that it is ready in position to longitudinally gauge the position of the key 15 or 16. Then when the handle 36 is moved downwardly to the clamped position of the key, FIG. 4, the longitudinal gauge 70 is automatically re turned to the inoperative position shown in phantom in FIG. 1. If it is desired to check the longitudinal position of the key after the vise is clamped, the gauge 70 manually may be brought up to the operative position, and hook 81 will momentarily depress lever 78 to permit this. The spring 74 will be stressed, but the friction between hook 81 and the lever rear shoulder will keep the gauge 70 in the operative position until the gauge release lever 78 is depressed.

FIG. 9 also shows another part of the gauge means 48 as including a tip gauge 83 which is unitary with one of the

vise jaws

25 or 26. In this preferred embodiment it is integral with the jaw 26. This is another novel feature of the invention for gauging the correct longitudinal position of double-sided keys 15A, both for the master key and for the key blank. In such double-sided keys there is no shoulder 72 as on the single-sided key, and the proper longitudinal position of the cutter 14 is established from the 'tip end of such key. The prior art used adapters into which the double-sided key was inserted and then the key and adapter were clamped in the vise. This made it awkward to use, and easy to lose the adapter as well as making one more surface to be abutted which increased the chances for error or inaccuracy. The present invention utilizing a tip gauge unitary with the vise is a definite improvement.

The key vise 11 provides a novel construction which readily and easily clamps the key in the jaw means 25-26 and the manner of stressing the beam spring 28 establishes proper clamping of such key 15A or 15B or 16 despite varying thicknesses of keys. Also the key retention spring 44'provides a quick and easy initial retention' of any such key prior to final clamping by means of the handle 36. The gauge means 48 provides several different means to gauge the lateral position of any of a variety of different forms of keys. If the shelf 52 is urged too far to an extended position by the spring 57, then when the beam spring 28 is clamped against the fixed jaw 25 with the movable jaw 26 therebetween, this clamping force moves the shelf 52 toward the retracted position by the yielding'of this spring 57 and yielding of the toggle crank 61. This is a movement of the gauge surface 51 toward the first stationary jaw 25.

The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims, .as well as that of the foregoing description. Although thisinvention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the'scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A key vise for a keycutting machine comprising in combination,

a base,

jaw means including first and second vise jaws carried on said base and relatively movable,

a beam spring mounted at one end to said base,

the distal end of said beam spring acting on said second vise jaw,

an eccentric having a first unlocked position and a second locked position relative to said base,

and means to pivotally move said eccentric, means cooperating with said eccentric to act between said base and an intermediate point of said beam spring to bend said beam spring toward said first vise jaw upon said eccentric being pivoted from said first unlocked position toward said second locked position to securely clamp a key in said jaw means.

2. A vise as set forth in claim 1, including a manual handle connected to pivot said eccentric.

3. A vise as set forth in claim 1, including means mounting said beam spring as an ordinary beam with force from the eccentric and said cooperating means acting in one direction near the midpoint resisted by force acting in the opposite direction established by said mounting means and said jaw means providing support near the two ends of the beam.

4. A vise as set forth in claim 3, including said cooperating means acting near the midpoint of said beam spring when said eccentric is in said locked position to deflect the midpoint an amount which is small relative to the length of said beam spring.

5. A vise as set forth in claim 1, including said cooperating means acting near the midpoint of said beam spring to establish a substantially constant force on a key between said jaw means despite variations in thickness of different keys.

6. A vise as set forth in claim 1, including a floating pivot for said eccentric which is capable of moving slightly relative to said base.

7. A vise as set forth in claim 1, including a toggle mechanism, and means establishing said eccentric as part of said toggle mechanism to establish said locked position.

8. A vise as set forth in claim 7, including a manual handle connected to actuate said eccentric,

a floating pivot for said eccentric which is movable relative to said base, a pivot for said toggle mechanism on said base, a slot on said base to constrain motion of said floating pivot substantially along a line substantially perpendicular to said beam spring,

and a tensile link from said beam spring midpoint to said floating pivot.

9. A vise as set forth in claim 1, including a key retention spring acting between said first and second jaws exerting a small force to retain a key between said jaw means.

10. A vise as set forth in claim 9, including means mounting said key retention spring on one of said base and said beam spring.

11. A visc as set forth in claim 9, including means mounting said key retention spring on said base.

12. A vise as set forth in claim 9, including means mounting one of said vise jaws on said key retention spring.

13. A vise as set forth in claim 9, including means mounting said key retention spring as a cantilever from operative position.

said base,

and means mounting said second vise jaw unitarily with said key retention spring.

14. A vise as set forth in claim 1, including selectively retractable gauge means in said jaw means for use with single and double sided keys.

15. A vise as set forth in claim 14, including means to actuate said gauge means between operative and non-operative positions.

16. A vise as set forth in claim 14, including a movable shelf as said gauge means movable generally in the same direction as relative movement of said first and second jaws.

17. A vise as set forth in claim 14, including selector means to act on said gauge means to select operative and non-operative positions thereof.

18. A vise as set forth in claim 14, including a crank pivoted on said base,

and means connecting said crank to said gauge means to actuate same between operative and nonoperative positions.

19. A vise as set forth in claim 14, including spring means, 7

and means mounting said spring means for urging said gauge means from an operative toward a nonoperative position.

20. A vise as set forth in claim 19, including said spring mounting means permitting said gauge means to move toward 'a non-operative position upon closure of said jaw means.

21. A vise as set forth in claim 14, including a movable shelf as said gauge means movable relative to said first jaw and having extended and retracted positions,

said extended position forming a shelf at the bottom of said first jaw to receive the bottom edge ofa single-sided key, v

a toggle crank pivoted on said base having one portion acting on said shelf,

and a selector push-button pivotally mounted on said base and coacting with said toggle crank whereby pressing said selector button moves said lever and moves said shelf between said extended and retracted positions for use with. single and double sided keys, respectively.

22. A vise as set forth in claim 1, including gauge means to gauge the longitudinal position of a key relative to said jaw means. I

23. A vise as set forth in claim 22, including means mounting'said gauge means to bevmovable between op-, erative and non-operative positions.

24. A vise as set forth in claim 23, including spring means urging said gauge means toward said nonoperative position.

25. A vise as set forth in claim 24, including detent means acting to hold said gauge means in said operative position.

26. A vise as set forth in claim 25, including gauge release mcans acting on said detent means to release same to permit said gauge means to return to said non- 27. A vise as set forth in claim 1, including a longitudinal gauge means unitary with one of said vise jaws.

Claims

1. A key vise for a keycutting machine comprising in combination, a base, jaw means including first and second vise jaws carried on said base and relatively movable, a beam spring mounted at one end to said base, the distal end of said beam spring acting on said second vise jaw, an eccentric having a first unlocked position and a second locked position relative to said base, and means to pivotally move said eccentric, means cooperating with said eccentric to act between said base and an intermediate point of said beam spring to bend said beam spring toward said first vise jaw upon said eccentric being pivoted from said first unlocked position toward said second locked position to securely clamp a key in said jaw means.

8. A vise as set forth in claim 7, including a manual handle connected to actuate said eccentric, a floating pivot for said eccentric which is movable relative to said base, a pivot for said toggle mechanism on said base, a slot on said base to constrain motion of said floating pivot substantially along a line substantially perpendicular to said beam spring, and a tensile link from said beam spring midpoint to said floating pivot.

11. A vise as set forth in claim 9, including means mounting said key retention spring on said base.

13. A vise as set forth in claim 9, including means mounting said key retention spring as a cantilever from said base, and means mounting said second vise jaw unitarily with said key retention spring.

18. A vise as set forth in claim 14, including a crank pivoted on said base, and means connecting said crank to said gauge means to actuate same between operative and non-operative positions.

19. A vise as set forth in claim 14, including spring means, and means mounting said spring means for urging said gauge means from an operative toward a non-operative position.

20. A vise as set forth in claim 19, including said spring mounting means permitting said gauge means to move toward a non-operative position upon closure of said jaw means.

21. A vise as set forth in claim 14, including a movable shelf as said gauge means movable relative to said first jaw and having extended and retracted positions, said extended position forming a shelf at the bottom of said first jaw to receive the bottom edge of a single-sided key, a toggle crank pivoted on said base having one portion acting on said shelf, and a selector push-button pivotally mounted on said base and coacting with said toggle crank whereby pressing said selector button moves said lever and moves said shelf between said extended and retracted positions for use with single and double sided keys, respectively.

22. A vise as set forth in claim 1, including gauge means to gauge the longitudinal position of a key relative to said jaw means.

23. A vise as set forth in claim 22, including means mounting said gauge means to be movable between operative and non-operative positions.

24. A vise as set forth in claim 23, including spring means urging said gauge means toward said non-operative position.

26. A vise as set forth in claim 25, including gauge release means acting on said detent means to release same to permit said gauge means to return to said non-operative position.

27. A vise as set forth in claim 1, including a longitudinal gauge means unitary with one of said vise jaws.