GB2103122A - Workbench vices - Google Patents

Abstract

A workbench vice has a stationary jaw 26 which can be moved by a single clamping screw 30 to tilt it about a horizontal axis. The vice has a movable jaw 46 mounted on a cantilevered bar by a twin screw adjustment mechanism. The cantilevered bar can be adjusted with respect to the stationary bar through a number of discrete steps to provide for coarse adjustment between the jaws and thereafter the moving jaw mounted on the cantilevered bar can be adjusted by either moving it translationally towards the stationary bar for clamping parallel workpieces or by operation of one screw independently of the other for clamping workpieces which have non- parallel sides. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Workbench vices This invention relates to workbench vices. It is particularly but not exclusively applicable to bench vices of the metal working variety.

In a conventional bench vice, the only controilable relative movement which can occur between the two jaws of the vice is a translational fore and aft movement. This is usually satisfactory for gripping a parallel-sided workpiece which extends across the full width of the vice jaws, but when the object to be gripped is to be held off centre of the jaws there is inevitably a tendency for the structure of the vice to distort to a position in which the jaws do not iie parallel as seen in plan view. This is a consequence of the flexibility which is unavoidable in any structure, the clearances in the guides, and of the lateral off-set between the lines of action of the clamping force exerted by the vice screw and of the reaction force exerted by the workpiece on the jaws.The effect of this distortion and play is that there may only be a point or line contact between the vice jaws and the workpiece so that the workpiece is not very securely held.

Although coarse adjustment as well as fine adjustment is sometimes provided in woodworking vices this is not usually found in bench vices. it is an object of the present invention to provide a workbench vice which has the ability of coarse or fine adjustment as well as the ability to overcome the disadvantages arising from distortion or play in prior arrangements as discussed above.

According to one aspect of the present invention a workbench vice has a rear clamping jaw which is carried by a stationary structure, and a front clamping jaw which is carried by a structure comprising at least one elongate member extending generally at right angles to the clamping jaws, the elongate member being supported in a cantilevered manner by the stationary structure so as to be movable relative to the stationary structure to move the front clamping jaw toward and away from the rear clamping jaw, and at least one of the clamping jaws being movable, relative to the structure by which that clamping jaw is carried, both in translation towards and away from the other clamping jaw and in angular movement about at least one vertical axis, and said translation and angular movement being produced by a pair of clamping devices which act between the said one clamping jaw and the structure by which it is carried whereby a simultaneous operation of the two clamping devices produces said translation of the one clamping jaw, while operation of one clamping device without the other or at a different speed or in an opposite direction to the other produces angular movement of the one clamping jaw. Preferably the elongate member is supported in the stationary structure so as to be movable with respect to the stationary structure in incremental coarse steps.

With a workbench vice of the type referred to above a workpiece of parallel sides may be clamped by simultaneous manipulation of both the clamping devices in such a way that a more extended area of contact between the clamping jaws and workpiece is obtained than if only one clamping device were provided, even when the workpiece is off-set from the centre of the clamping jaws. By providing the second clamping device it may be possible to construct the vice with a lighter, more flexible, structure having more generous clearances than would otherwise be possible since any distortions which may occur can easily be offset by use of the second clamping device.One possible consequence of use of more flexible vice structure with greater play is that when clamping approximately parallel sided workpieces which extend across the full width of the clamping jaws there may be no need to adjust the second clamping device to shift the clamping jaws away from a parallel position since the flexibility or play in the structure may allow the clamping jaws to adapt themselves to slight departures from parallelism of the sides of the workpiece.

Another consequence which may result from improved gripping of the workpiece is that smaller operating handles may be used for the clamping arrangements since less force may be needed to grip a workpiece effectively. Yet a further consequence is that it is possible to grip a tapered workpiece using such a vice possibly with one or both ends of the workpiece extending laterally out of the clamping gap of the vice without using an auxiliary packing block of the like.

Preferably one or both of the clamping jaws is/are also mounted with respect to the structure by which it is carried by means which permits controlled tilting about a horizontal axis.

According to another aspect of the present invention a workbench vice has a rear clamping jaw which is carried on a further structure which further structure is capable of bodily movement towards and away from the rear clamping jaw, the front clamping jaw being movable relative to the further structure both in translation towards and away from the rear clamping jaw and in angular movement about at least one vertical axis, the said translation and angular movement being produced by a pair of clamping devices which act between the said front clamping jaw and the structure by which it is carried whereby simultaneous operation of the two clamping devices produces translation of the front clamping jaw, while operation of one clamping device without the other or at a different speed than the other produces angular movement of the front clamping jaw The invention may be carried into practice in various ways but one specific embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a bench vice according to the present invention; FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the vice of FIGURE 1; FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the vice of FIGURES 1 and 2; FIGURE 4 is a part sectioned side elevation showing the manner in which the vice is coarsely adjusted; FIGURE 5 is a scrap view showing the manner in which the two main parts of the vice can be separated; FIGURE 6 is a cross section on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4; FIGURE 7 is a scrap plan view showing the vice being used for clamping a tapered workpiece, and FIGURE 8 is a scrap sectional plan illustrating the mode of construction of the angleable head of the vice shown in previous figures.

Referring to the drawings, these show a bench vice which includes a fixed structure generally indicated at 10 and which is secured to a bench 11 by means of four screws or bolts 14. These screws or bolts pass through horizontal flanges 1 6 extending outwardly from vertical sides 1 8 of the stationary structure. The sides 1 8 are spaced apart by a pair of lower rectangular transverse members 20 and 22 and an upper transverse member 24.

Pivoted to the stationary structure 10 for movement around a horizontal axis is a first clamping cheek 26 which is secured to an inverted L section clamping member 28. The clamping cheek 26 can be rotated about its horizontal axis by means of a single clamping screw 30 which extends through a stationary block 32 also extending between the sides 18 of the stationary structure 10. The pivoting of the clamping cheek 26 is achieved by means of pivots 34, shown in FIGURES 2 and 4 which extend between the sides 1 8 and a pair of plates 36 secured to the L section clamping member 28 and lying inside the internal opposed spaces of the sides 1 8 of the structure 10.

The stationary structure is completed by means of a pair of wings 38, shown in FIGURE 1, and which extend transversely away from the sides 1 8 to the rear of the vertical face of one limb of the L shaped member 28. This provides backing for the clamping cheek in its vertical position. By means of the screw 30 the clamping cheek can be tilted downwards in a nodding movement from the vertical position shown in FIGURE 1. The horizontal limb of the clamping member 28 has in it five vertical holes 40 to receive clamping abutments of the kind shown at 42 which are capable of swivelling around vertical axes and which can be used for clamping workpieces above the clamping cheek 26.

Extending closely between the side members 18, above the transverse members 20 and 22 and below the clamping cheek 26 is a generally rectangular or box like elongate tube 44 on the front end of which is mounted a movable clamping cheek 36. This comprises a relatively soft plastics clamping member 48 which is secured to a vertical face 50 of a generally U section jaw 52 having an upper flange 54 and a lower flange 56.

The upper flange 54 is provided with apertures 56 similar to the apertures 40 and again arranged to receive plug in abutments 42. The jaw 52 is located on the tube 44 in such a manner that it is free to move horizontally either in a linear manner or in an angular manner by rotation about one or more vertical axes in a manner to be described but is restrained against tilting or rotation about horizontal axes. For this purpose the lower flange 56 has extending downwardly therefrom on each side of the tube 44 a vertical post 60 secured to the flange 56 by means of a nut 62. The lower ends of the post 60 are interconnected by a horizontally extending plate 62 closely fitting against the underside of the rectangular box like tube 44.

Mounted on the upper end of each of the vertical posts 60 is a nylon bush 66 shown in elevation in FIGURES 2 and 4 and in enlarged section in FIGURE 8. When the jaw 54 extends transversely of the tube 44 the nylon bushes 66 are slightly spaced from the vertical faces 68 of the tube 44 and for this purpose each nylon bush has a flat 70 thereon, Extending between the upper and lower flanges 54 and 57 of the jaw 52, at the ends thereof, are cylindrical rods 76 and 78 which are mounted between the said flanges for movement around vertical axes extending through the axis of each rod 76 and 78. Secured to the rods 76 and 78 are horizontal screw threaded rods 80 and 82 respectively, the screw threads of which co-operate with screw threaded bores in a pair of studs 84 and 86 respectively.These are upstanding from a horizontal flange 88 of a U section support generally indicated at 90 and which is welded to the forward end of the rectangular tube 44 in the manner shown in FIGURE 8 which shows the other vertical flanges 92 and 94 of the U shaped member 90. FIGURE 8 also shows the manner in which the end of the screw threaded rod 80 is connected to the rod 76 by means of a set screw 98. Each screw threaded rod has a knurled handle 100. The studs 84 and 86 are secured to the horizontal flange 88 by means of bolts extending down through the flange 88 and carrying nuts 102, one of which is shown in FIGURE 1. The arrangement is such that the studs 84 and 86 can rotate about the vertical axes of the bolts carrying the nuts 102.

By virtue of this mechanism therefore the jaw 52 carrying the cheek 46 can be moved by rotation of one or both of the handles 100. If both handles are rotated at the same speed the jaw will maintain a parallel relationship to the cheek 26 but if one screw is rotated alone or at a different speed to that of the other screw an angular disposition of the jaw 52 can be obtained for example as shown in FIGURE 7 for the clamping of tapered workpiece 108. It will be appreciated that the extent of the relatively fine adjustment which can be achieved by means of the screws 80 and 82 is limited due to the limited length of the screws. If a greater degree of adjustment or spacing of the jaws is required this can be readily achieved by shifting the movable jaw bodily with the tube 44 to increase or decrease the coarse spacing between the clamping cheeks.This is achieved by tilting the tube 44 in the manner shown in FIGURE 4 to disengage an abutment 110, which extends upwards from the transverse member 22, from one of a series of apertures 112 formed in the lower face of the tube 44. FIGURE 6 shows the tube 44 in an engaged horizontal position with the abutment 110 firmly located in one of the apertures 112. Thus when coarse adjustment is required the tube 44 is tilted in the manner shown in FIGURE 4 to release the abutment 110 from the relevant aperature 112, and whilst in this tilted condition it is moved bodily forward or backwards to achieve the coarse adjustment. Normally to prevent full withdrawal of the tube 44 from the stationary structure 10 a catch 11 6 is provided which is mounted on a spring 11 8. Normally the catch 11 6 will abut the transverse member 24 to prevent full withdrawal but by depression of the catch 11 6 in the manner shown in FIGURE 5 full withdrawal can be achieved when required.

Claims (8)

1. A workbench vice having a rear clamping jaw which is carried by a stationary structure, and a front clamping jaw which is carried by a structure comprising at least one elongate member extending generally at right angles to the clamping jaws, the elongate member being supported in a cantilevered manner by the stationary structure so as to be movable relative to the stationary structure to move the front clamping jaw towards and away from the rear clamping jaw, and at least one of the clamping jaws being movable, relative to the structure by which that clamping jaw is carried, both in translation towards and away from the other clamping jaw and in angular movement about at least one vertical axis, the said translation and angular movement being produced by a pair of clamping devices which act between the said one clamping jaw and the structure by which it is supported whereby simultaneous operation of the two clamping devices produces said translation of the one clamping jaw, while operation of one clamping device without the other, or at a different speed than the other, produces said angular movement of the one clamping jaw.

2. A workbench vice having a rear clamping jaw which is carried by a stationary structure, and a front clamping jaw which is carried on a further structure, which further structure is capable of bodily movement towards and away from the rear clamping jaw, the front clamping jaw being movable relative to the further structure both in translation towards and away from the rear clamping jaw and in angular movement about at least one vertical axis, the said translation and angular movement being produced by a pair of clamping devices which act between the said front clamping jaw and the further structure whereby simultaneous operation of the two clamping devices produces translation of the front clamping jaw, while operation of one clamping device without the other or at a different speed than the other produces angular movement of the front clamping jaw.

3. A workbench vice as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which at least one clamping jaw is mounted with respect to the structure on which it is carried for controlled tilting about a horizontal axis.

4. A vice as claimed in Claim 1 in which the elongate member is mounted on the stationary structure for movement step-wise with respect thereto between a series of positions.

5. A vice as claimed in Claim 4 in which the elongate member comprises a rectangular-section member mounted to pass through an aperture in the stationary structure and having a series of locating shoulders therein for receiving an abutment carried by the stationary structure, thereby to locate the elongate member in one of the series of positions.

6. A vice as claimed in Claim 5 in which the locating shoulder is displaced from the abutment by tilting of the elongate member about a horizontal axis whereafter the elongate member may be coarsely adjusted with respect to the stationary structure.

7. A vice as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5 in which the elongate member can be withdrawn completely from the aperture.

8. A vice substantially as specifically described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.