Vise Assembly

Abstract

A vise has opposed jaw faces with smooth work-engaging surfaces for use in gripping wood or like objects without marring the same. The vise may be converted to one for holding pipes or other workpieces requiring serrated work-gripping faces. For this purpose inserts are provided that have pins which fit into holes that are in the jaws and which open at the jaw faces, whereby the inserts may be assembled and disassembled with the jaws without the need for tools of any kind. The arrangement is such that where different sets of inserts are provided, only one insert may be mounted at a time on a jaw.

Parent Case Text

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Ser. No. 73,860 filed Sept. 21, 1970, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,916.

Description

In the aforesaid copending application, there is shown and described a vise of improved versatility. The vise is equipped for clamping and holding various sizes and shapes of workpieces, and for this purpose inserts are provided for removable mounting on the jaw faces, the inserts having serrated or sharpened work-engaging surfaces. In addition, the vise provides an arrangement for shirting the jaws selectively about two perpendicular axes to facilitate positioning the workpiece in a wide variety of positions.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a further improved vise which can be readily converted, without the aid of tools, into a vise for use in woodworking or for gripping pipes or other workpieces wherein a firm grip is required but wherein vise jaw marks on the workpiece are not objectionable.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a vise of the type stated that utilizes more than one pair of inserts that may be readily mounted selectively on the jaws to provide gripping faces with relatively sharp edges for gripping pipes and other metal objects, and wherein the construction and arrangement is such that one pair of inserts must be removed before the other pair of inserts can be installed on the vise jaws.

In accordance with the foregoing objects the vise assembly has jaws with opposed faces that include substantially flat, smooth work-engaging surfaces for holding wood or like objects without causing vise jaw marks to be impressed in the workpiece. Also provided are pairs of inserts that include serrations or like sharp edges, each pair of inserts having pins which slidably fit into holes in the vice jaws so that assembly of the inserts with the vise jaws, as well as disassembly therefrom, can be quickly and easily carried out without the need for any tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of a vise assembly constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the vise assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the fixed jaw without an insert thereon;

FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of one of the inserts which forms part of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partially in section and somewhat similar to FIG. 1, and showing an additional pair of inserts mounted on the vise jaws; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the inserts shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now in more detail to the drawing, there is shown a vise assembly 10 that includes a substantially rectangular hollow base 12 which may be suitably mounted to a workbench or other surface in a manner known in the art. The vise 10 also includes a generally circular sub-base 14 which is rotatable on the base 12. For this purpose a vertical pin 15 may project through the base 12 and may be attached to the sub-base 14 at the center thereof. As seen in FIG. 2, the sub-base 14 may be provided with a slot 17, which may be arcuate, and with the center of the arc at the axis of pin 15. Projecting through the slot 17 is a threaded bolt 19, the head of which is in the hollow of the base 12. Threaded onto the bolt 19 is a fitting or nut 21 having a handle 23 extending diametrally therethrough. When the nut 21 is loosened the sub-base 14 may rotate, within the limits of the slot 17, about the central axis of the pin 15. As will be seen hereafter, rotation of the sub-base 14 also rotates the vise jaws. The base 12 and sub-base 14 may be clamped in the desired relative positions by tightening the nut 21 with the handle 23.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, a substantially rectangular lug 20 is integrally cast with and extends upwardly from one side of the sub-base 14 for pivotally supporting a jaw assembly in selected positions of orientation, substantially ninety degrees apart, about a horizontal axis, as will be presently more fully described. The jaw assembly includes an elongated housing 22 one end of which terminates in a fixed jaw 24 that includes a smooth work-engaging surface 26. Also formed in the housing 22 is a threaded bore 28 for receiving a screw shaft 30. It will be seen that the bore 28 extends longitudinally completely through the housing 22 directly below the fixed jaw 24. Directly below the bore 28 the housing 22 is formed with a bore of rectangular cross-section for slidably receiving a rectilinear stabilizing bar 32.

The vise also includes a movable jaw 34 with a work-engaging surface 36 in confronting relationship with the surface 26 of the fixed jaw 24. The movable jaw 34 is rigidly connected to the front end of the stabilizing bar 32 in a known manner. The front portion of the shaft 30 is unthreaded and includes a shoulder 38 where the threaded portion of the shaft 30 joins the unthreaded portion thereof. The unthreaded portion of the shaft 30 is journalled in a cooperating bore of the movable jaw 34 in a known manner. A handle 40 is mounted at the front end of the shaft 30 by a cylindrical fitting 42 that is spaced from the jaw 34 by a washer 44. It will thus be apparent that rotation of the handle 40 causes the movable jaw 34 to be shifted toward or away from the fixed jaw 24 for gripping or releasing work therebetween. Where the vise is used as a woodworking vise, the work is ordinarily clamped between the surfaces 26, 36.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, it will be seen that the housing 22 integrally includes laterally extending parallel arms 46 which lie on opposite sides of the lug 20. A cylindrical pivot pin 48 extends through cooperating apertures in the arms 46, 46 and the lug 20 for pivotally supporting the housing 22 (and thus both jaws) for movement about an axis that is perpendicular to the parallel jaw surfaces 26, 36, and parallel to the facing surfaces of the base 12 and sub-base 14. The forward arm 46 has a threaded aperture 50 through which the threaded intermediate portion 52 of an elongated locking pin 54 extends. The locking pin 54 includes an unthreaded end 56 of reduced diameter which extends into a cooperating bore 58 in the lug 20 when the housing 22 and jaws are in the positions illustrated in FIG. 1. The opposite end of the locking pin has a knob 60 so that the locking pin may be unthreaded and removed from the bores 50, 58 to allow the housing 22 and vise jaws to pivot about the axis of the pivot pin 48. The lug 20 also includes a second locking bore 62 which is spaced from the bore 58 so as to be in alignment with the bore 50 when the housing 22 is rotated approximately 90.degree.. The locking pin 54 may be inserted into the bore 50 and second locking bore 62 for locking the housing in its rotated position.

While the flat parallel surfaces 26, 36 may be used to grip the workpiece when the vise is used for woodworking or for other types of uses as well, the surfaces 26, 36 are not suitable for engaging tubes, pipes or other workpieces wherein serrated work-engaging surfaces are usually required. Accordingly, the invention provides tube or pipe gripping inserts 65, 65 each of which includes a rectangular base or bight 66 and outwardly extending parallel legs 70, 70. The forward edges of the legs 70, 70 have two generally concave portions 71, 71 for accommodation of different ranges of pipe or tube size. The concave portions 71, 71 are formed with transverse teeth or serrations 72 which grip the work, as shown in FIG. 1 wherein a pipe p is shown in borken lines gripped between the larger of the two concave portions 71 of the inserts 65. In this regard it should also be noted that the present invention contemplates that the inserts 65 be of a hardened steel whereas, in accordance with conventional practice, the jaws 24, 34 and hence the surfaces 26, 36 are of cast iron.

In order to facilitate mounting of the inserts 65 onto the jaws 24, 34 the face of each jaw 24, 34 is formed with a central rectangular recess 73 which is open at the bottom and is of a width for snugly receiving the bight 66 of each insert 65. Extending perpendicular from the rear of each insert bight 66 centrally thereof is a pin 75. The pins 75 of the inserts 65 are adapted to fit into holes 77, one in each jaw, and with each hole 77 opening at the associated recess 73. Thus, each insert 65 may be readily inserted into place by simply separating the jaws 24, 34 and then slipping the pin 75 into the holes 77 while orienting the inserts 65 such that the bights 66 slide into the recesses 73. Likewise, the inserts 65 are removed by simply grasping them and pulling them away from their respective jaw faces until the pins 75 clear the holes 77. The cooperating fit of the recesses 73 and the inserts 65 prevents the inserts 65 from rotating or otherwise becoming misaligned during normal use.

The invention also provides for additional inserts 81, 81 which are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. These inserts 81, 81 are generally rectangular plates having work-gripping faces 83, 83 which are generally flat but depart from being flat by the provision of longitudinal ridges or serrations. Each insert 81, 81 has spaced parallel pins 85, 85 which extend from the flat rear surfaces thereof. The pins 85, 85 are adapted to fit in holes 87, 87, the latter being spaced apart the same distance as the pins 85, 85 and terminating at the surfaces 26 or 36, as the case may be, near the upper edges thereof. The pins 85 are somewhat shorter than are the pins 75.

It will thus be seen that the inserts 81, 81 are mounted in place by simply inserting the pins 85, 85 into the holes 87, 87 in each of the jaws until the rear surfaces of the inserts 81, 81 are flush against the respective flat surfaces 26, 36, as shown in FIG. 6. Like the inserts 65, no tools of any kind are needed to mount the inserts 81, 81 in place or to remove them from the vise jaws.

It will also be noted from FIG. 6 that the width of each insert 81, 81 is such that a portion of the insert 81 extends below the upper margin of the recess 73 when the insert 81 is mounted in place. Accordingly, it is not possible to have an insert 81 and an insert 65 both mounted at the same time on the same jaw of the vise. This interference fit thus serves as a remainder to the user of the vise to remove the insert pair that may be on the vise jaws before attempting to install the other pair of inserts.

Claims

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A vise assembly having jaws with opposed jaw faces, said jaw faces having substantially smooth, generally parallel work-engaging surfaces, said jaws each having an out-of-round recess that opens at the work-engaging surface thereof and a pair of holes opening at the work-engaging surface thereof and a hole opening into a corresponding recess, means for moving said work-engaging surfaces toward and away from each other, a first pair of inserts having opposed work-gripping faces with relatively sharp edges, means for removably mounting each of said inserts on a jaw so as to present the work-gripping surfaces of the inserts in closer proximity to each other than are said smooth work-engaging surfaces for use in work-gripping in lieu of said smooth work-engaging surfaces; said mounting means comprising relatively interfitting portions of an insert and the associated jaw that are manually assembled and separated without the aid of tools; said interfitting portions including an out-of-round part of said insert that complementally fits into the recess of the associated jaw, and a pin on said insert part that slidably fits into the hole opening into the recess in the associated jaw; and an additional pair of inserts removably mounted on said jaws in lieu of said first pair of inserts and each having a substantially flat back surface and a frontal work-gripping surface with relatively sharp edges, and each having rearwardly projecting spaced pins slidably engaging the said pair of holes in an associated jaw cooperating for manual assembly and disassembly of said additional inserts and said jaws without the aid of tools, the additional inserts and the associated jaws being such that the additional inserts partially obstruct the recesses so that only one of the inserts of each pair may be assembled at one time with the associated jaw.

2. A vise assembly according to claim 1 in which the work-gripping surfaces of one pair of inserts are concave for gripping circular objects such as pipes and the like, and the work-gripping inserts of the additional pair of inserts are generally flat but departing therefrom substantially by said sharp edges.

3. A vise assembly comprising a base, a sub-base rotatably mounted on the base, means for securing the base and sub-base in selected positions of orientation, vise jaws mounted on said sub-base and having work-engaging surfaces, means for moving said work-engaging surfaces toward and away from each other, means mounting said vise jaws as a unit for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the path of movement of said work-engaging surfaces, means for locking said unit in selected positions about said axis, said jaws each having a recess opening at its work-engaging surface, first inserts removably disposed in said recesses respectively and being mounted in place by means including a pin on each insert that slidably engages a hole in each jaw that opens at said recess, each insert having spaced legs with concave work-gripping faces having serrations thereon, second inserts removably mounted on said jaws in lieu of said first inserts, means preventing the mounting of one of the first and second inserts on a jaw while the other insert is mounted on the jaw, said jaws each having spaced apart holes on opposite sides of the recess thereon and opening at the work-engaging surface thereof, said second inserts having pins that are spaced apart for slidable engagement with said spaced apart holes to mount said second inserts on said work-engaging surfaces, said second inserts having opposed serrated work-gripping faces that are presented toward each other when the second inserts are mounted as aforesaid on said jaws.