US2699698A - Quick-action vise having wedged rollers for locking movable jaw assembly - Google Patents

Description

J- S. ADAMS Jan. 18, 1955 2,699,698 QUICK-ACTION VISE HAVING WEDGED ROLLERS FOR LOCKING MOVABLE JAW ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1954 INVENTOR, win

BY t w ATTU R N EYS N Jan. 18, 1955 J. s. ADAMS 2,699,698

QUICK-ACTION VISE HAVING WEDGED ROLLERS FOR LOCKING MOVABLE JAW ASSEMBLY Filed March 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTION. c/bfiz Aama my imw United States Patent ()fiice 2,699,698 Patented Jan. 18, 1955 QUICK-ACTION VISE HAVING WEDGED ROLLERS FOR LOCKING MOVABLE 'JAW ASSEMBLY This invention relates to a vise, to a vise which may be used with The object of the invention is to provide a drill vise which embodies a base having a stationary jaw and a trackway, and a movable jaw assembly that can be quickly moved to any desired position along said trackway, said assembly having means for locking it in said position, so that said movable jaw can then be advanced to clamp a workpiece, and said locking means including a wedge block and rollers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide said movable jaw assembly with a swingable handle which, when held raised, can be used to shift said assembly along said trackway and which, when being lowered, will sequentially actuate said locking means and advance said movablejaw.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drill vise which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in whichlike numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the vise, constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the vise.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the position of the parts when the vise is in locked position.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the vise with the plates removed.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the rollers.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the wedge block.

igure 8 is a perspective view of one of the actuating P1118.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the movable block that carries the movable jaw.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the handle showing the links attached thereto.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 19 designates a base, and secured to the upper surface of the base 10 is a pair of longitudinally extending spaced parallel bars 11, Figures 2 and 5. The bars 11 may be secured to the base 10 in any suitable manner, as for example by means of the securing elements or bolts 12. The heads of the bolts 12 are arranged below the lower surface of the base 10 to provide supporting feet. The pair of bars 11 are spaced apart to define a trackway 14 therebetween for a purpose to be later described.

Secured to the upper surface of each of the bars 11 is a plate 15. The plates 15 are secured to the bars 11 in any suitable manner, as for example by bolts or screws 16, Figure l, and suitable threaded openings 13 may be provided in the bars 11, Figure 5, whereby the bolts 16 can be threaded through the plates 15 and into the openings 13. The inner portions of the plates 15 overlap or extend beyond the inner edges of the bars 11 as shown in Figure 2, and the pair of plates 15 define therebetween a channel 17.

Extending transversely across the ends of the bars 11 is a fixed or stationary jaw 18, Figures 3 and 4. The jaw 18 may be secured to the bars 11 in any suitable manner, as for example by suitable bolts. Reciprocably or slidably mounted in the trackway 14 is a block 19, Figure 9. Secured to the block 19 and projecting upand more particularly a drill press.

. that extends through apertures 43 in wardly therefrom is a jaw 20, the block and jaw being mounted for movement towards and away from the fixed jaw 18. The jaws 18 and 20 are adapted to clamp therebetween a work piece 21, Figure 4, and the work piece 21 may be worked on in any suitable manner, as for example by means of a drill press. The block 19 has a greater width than the channel 17 so that the block 19 will be retained between the bars 11 as it moves back and forth in the trackway 14. The jaw 20 projects through the channel 17, and a portion of the block 19 is cut out as at 21. This cutout 21 defines a pair of spaced parallel ears 22 which are each provided with an aperture 23, Figure 9. The free ends of the ears 22 are rounded or shaped arcuately as at 24. A pivot pin 25 extends through the apertures 23 and through an end of a handle 26, the handle 26 having a portion thereof positioned in the cutout 21 between the ears 22.

The vise of the present invention further includes a Wedge block 27, Figure 7. The wedge block 27 is provided with a pair of spaced parallel recesses 28. Slid ably or telescopically positioned in each of the recesses 28 is a plunger 29. A coil spring 30 is positioned in each recess 28 in engagement with each plunger 29, and the coil springs 30 serve to normally bias or urge the plungers 29 outwardly of the recesses 28 so that the plungers 29 will engage rollers 31.

Wedge block 27 is further provided with a pair of apertures 32, and slidably positioned in each aperture 32 is a pin 33 which is provided with a cutout portion 34, Figure 8. The pins 33 each have an end abutting the rollers 31, while the other end of the pin 33 is arranged contiguous to the rounded end 24 of the ear 22. The wedge block 27 is further provided with a pair of cutouts or notches 35, and each notch 35 defines an inclined carn surface 36. Thus, at times the rollers 31 will be wedged between the cam surfaces 36 and the inner surfaces of the bars 11 so that movement of the law 20 away from the jaw 18 will be prevented when the handle 26 is in downward or depressed position.

The undersurface of the handle 26 is provided with a cutout or recessed portion 37 which provides sufiicient clearance to permit the handle 26 to be moved from the position shown in Figure 3 down to the position shown in Figure 4, the latter showing recessed portion 37 as overlying a sleeve 38 that is mounted on a pivot pin 39 the wedge block 27. Each link 40 of a pair of links has one end pivotally connected to the pin 39, and has its other end pivotally connected to the handle 26 through the medium of a pivot pin 41. A pair of clips 42 are provided for maintaining the links 40 in their proper assembled position, the clips 42 having offset portions to provide suilicient clearance for the links 40. The cutout portions 34 in the pins 33 provide suflicient clearance for the clips 42 as shown in Figure 1. For retaining the springs 30 in the recesses 28, a stop plate 44 is secured to the rear end of the wedge block 27 by a suitable securing element such as the screw or bolt 45.

In use when the handle 26 is in raised position, as shown in Figure 3, the block 19, the handle 26, and the wedge block 27 can be slid as a unit towards or away from the stationary jaw 18. Thus, if a work piece 21 (see Figure 4) is to be clamped in the vise, it is only necessary to manually raise the handle 26 and slide the parts along the trackway 14 until the work piece contacts both jaws 20 and 18. Then, to sequentially lock the wedge block 27 in its adjusted position and move the jaw 20 into clamping position, it is only necessary to manually depress the handle 26 so that the handle 26 moves from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4. Initially, such movement of the handle 26 separates the blocks 19 and 27 enough to permit the springs 30 to move the plungers 29, the rollers 31 and the pins 33 forwardly, so that the rollers 31 become wedged between the inclined cam surfaces 36 and the inner surfaces of the bars 11, the spring pressed plungers 29 serving to urge or maintain the rollers 31 in such locked positions. Since any tendency of the wedge block 27 to move away from the jaw 18 will result in an even greater wedging action between the rollers 31 and the inclined surfaces 36 and the inner surfaces of the bars 11, any further downward movement of the handle 26 will slide the block 19 away from the locked wedge 27, and thus cause the jaw 20 to clamp the workpiece 21, as, shown in Figure 4.

To. release either the workpiece 21 or the jaw-block, handle and'wedge-block assembly, it is only necessary'to manually raise or pivot'the'handle 26 from the position shown in Figure 4'to the position shown in Figure 3 Whereby the upwardmovement of the handle'26" will move the block 19 toward the locked wedge block 27 so that the rounded ends 24 of theears 22 will contact the adjacent ends of the pins 33 and will then move thepins 33 and the. rollers 31 rearwardly until the rollers 31. become released from their wedged positions between the surfaces 36 and the inner surfaces of the .bars 11; As'long as the handle 26 is in its raised'position, the rounded ends'24 of the cars 22 maintain pressure on the pins 33 and hence, on the rollers 31, so that the latter cannot assume their locking positions. the springs 30are depressed inthe recesses 28, and the jaw-block, handle and wedge-block.assemblyare free to slide along the tracltway and channel 17. However, the first portion of the down-stroke of the handle causes the wedge block 27 to become locked in'the trackway, because the backwardly directed pressureon the pins is released, so that the spring pressed plungers 29 can move the rollers 31 into their locking or wedged'positions, the forwardly directed pressure of the springs 30 maintaining the rollers 31 in such locking positions. The vise of the present invention can be made portable or'else it can be anchored to any suitable structure.

While the vise of the. present invention may be used particularly as a drill vise, it may also be used with variousv types of machinery for various operations.

I claim:

1. in a vise, a base, a pair of spaced parallel bars ex tending along the longitudinal side edges of said base and secured thereto, said bars defining a trackway therebetween, a first stationary jaw extending transversely across an end of said bars and secured thereto, a plate secured to the upper surface of each of said bars, the inner portions of said plates extending beyond the inner edges of said bars, said plates defining a channel therebetween, said channel being of less width thansaid'trackway, a block slidably positioned in said trackway and provided with a cutout in one end defining a pair of spaced parallel ap'ertured ears, a second jaw projecting upwardly from said block and secured thereto, said second jaw projecting through said channel and being mounted for movement towards and away from said first jaw, a wedge block movably mounted in said trackway and spaced from said jawmounting block, said wedge block being provided with a apair of opposed notches defining a pair of inclined cam surfaces, a roller arranged contiguous to each of said cam surfaces, there being a pair of recesses in' said wedge block, a plunger reciprocably arranged ineach of said recesses and abutting said rollers, resilient means for urging said plungers out of said recesses and into engagement Thus whenthe handle26 is elevated,'

4, with said rollers, the free ends of said ears being rounded, there being a pair of apertures in said wedge block, a pair of spaced parallel pins slidably mounted in said apertures and having their front ends arranged contiguous to the rounded ends of said ears and the rear ends of said pins arranged contiguous to said rollers, and manually operable means for releasing and "locking said second jaw.

2. The apparatus as described in claim l, wherein said manually operable means comprises a handlerprojecting through said channel and having its front end positioned in the cutout in said jaw-mounting block between said ears, a pin pivotally connecting said handle tosaid ears, and a pair of links each having one end pivotally connected to said wedge block and their other ends pivotally connected to said handle.

3. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said resilient means comprises a. coil spring positioned in each recess and engaging said plunger, and a plate for maintaining said coil springs in said recesses;

4. In a vise, abase, a-pair ofbars extending along the longitudinal side edges of said-base and secured thereto, said bars defining a trackway therebetween, afirststationary jaw extending across anend of saidbars and. secured thereto, a plate secured to ea'chof said bars, the'inner portions of said plates extending beyond the inner edges of said bars, said plates defining a channelthereb'etween, said channel being of lesswidth than-saidtrac-kway, a block slidably positioned in said-trackway and provided with acutout in-one end-defininga pair of apertured cars, a second jaw projecting upwardly. from said block and secured thereto, saidsecond jaw projecting through said channel'and being mounted for movement towards and away from said first jaw, a-wed'ge block-movably -mounted in said trackway and spaced from said jaw-mounting block, said Wedge block beingprovided with a pair of notches defining a pair of cam surfaces, a roller arranged contiguous to each of said cam surfaces, there being a pair of recesses in-said wedge block, a' plunger reciprocably arranged in each of said recesses-and abutting said rollers,

resilient means for urging said plungers out of said recesses and into engagement with said rollers, the free ends of said ears being rounded; there beingapair of apertures in said wedge block, a=pair of pins slidably mounted in said apertures and having their front ends arranged contiguous to the rounded ends of said'ears and the rear ends of said pins being arranged contiguous to said'rollers, and manually operable means for releasing and'locking said second jaw.

References Cited in the file of :this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS- Williams July 14, 1953

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