Abstract:
A vise body has a trailer hitch insert beam which slides into a trailer hitch receiver on the back of a vehicle at four different angles of use. An adjustment nut driver on the end of the vise is turned with any of a variety of tools to adjust the vice gripping jaws. The vise may be turned and mounted sideways for use as an anvil. A bench mounted replicated hitch receiver receives the trailer hitch insert beam to use the vise on a workbench.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not Applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable. 
       THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0003]    Not Applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    The present invention relates to attachments for existing trailer hitch hardware and particularly to a trailer hitch mounted vise which comprises a vise body, a trailer hitch insert beam which slides into a trailer hitch receiver on the back of a vehicle, and an adjustment nut driver on the end of the vise which is turned with a wrench to adjust the vice gripping jaws, wherein the vise may alternately be turned and mounted sideways for use as an anvil. 
         [0006]    2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
         [0007]    Tools such as vises are necessary for firmly holding work pieces so that a worker can perform various operations on the work piece. Most vises are secured to a workbench for use in a shop. Some workers must travel to and from job sites and simply bolt a vise directly to a sturdy portion of their vehicle so that the vise can be available when required. 
         [0008]    While some prior art vise devices exist for use with vehicles, they do not adequately address the problems of exposure to outdoor environments and often do not provide versatility of use and ease of operation. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,356, issued Jul. 18, 1995 to Russell, indicates a vise having a fixed inner member with a stationary jaw and an elongate extension for inserting into and mounting to a trailer receiver attached to a motor vehicle, thus providing a vise for use in the field. The vise has a movable outer member and jaw operated by a threaded shaft and turned by a handle. The vise can be securely attached to receiver by a pin in one of four positions: upright, inverted, on its right side, on its left side. 
         [0010]    U.S. Patent Application #20070290480, published Dec. 20, 2007 by Wolter, illustrates a vise attachment for use with a trailer hitch. The attachment comprises a sleeve inserted in the hitch and secured to the hitch. On the outer end of the sleeve is plate to which is affixed a vise. The vise is used to clamp objects in place so they can be worked upon. The plate, which can be round, oval, square, rectangular, provides a work surface to assist the person using the attachment work on the clamped object. U.S. Pat. No. D468,681, issued Jan. 14, 2003 to Rath, provides the ornamental design for an utility mount for use with trailer hitch receiver, which is shown with a vise being included solely for illustrative purposes. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,739, issued Apr. 6, 1999 to Cogswell, Sr., claims a vertically adjustable hitch mounted vice. A vice mounted on a vehicle is provided including a vehicle with an adjustable vertical mounting mechanism coupled to a rear extent thereof. Further provided is a vice coupled to the adjustable vertical mounting mechanism. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,254, issued Nov. 10, 1987 to Swanson, discloses an adjustable and removable vice assembly for use on a vehicle comprising an elongated receiving member fixedly mountable on a rear end portion of a vehicle in generally parallel alignment with a longitudinal axis of the vehicle; an elongated support member receivable in the receiving member in rearwardly extending relationship therewith; and longitudinally slidably adjustable with respect thereto; a slide member which is vertically slidingly adjustable with respect to the elongated support member; a vice mounted on the slide member; and stabilizing and holding devices associated with the receiving member, the support member and the slide member for selectively stably holding the members in a selected fixed relationship. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,707, issued Jul. 10, 2007 to Schweitzer, illustrates a portable work bench station having a base with a flat plate having four holes for securing to the work bench. The base has a longitudinal hollow receiver opening to the outside edge of the work bench. The portable work bench station has a receiver arm having outside dimensions smaller than the inside dimensions of the longitudinal hollow hitch receiver so the receiver arm mates to and slidingly engages the hollow interior diameter of the longitudinal hollow receiver in telescopic fashion. The receiver arm has a mounting plate. The portable work bench station has an L-shaped tool mount which adjustably attaches to the mounting plate and to which is attached the tool to be used. The L-shaped tool mount has a horizontal wing and a vertical wing. The vertical wing is secured to the mounting plate and the horizontal wing has a plurality of apertures for receiving a fastening device such that a tool, vise, grinder, etc., can be securely fastened to the L-shaped tool mount. 
         [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,748, issued Dec. 7, 1993 to Curran, indicates a vehicle tool platform apparatus adapted for use with and attachment to a work type truck having a rear tailgate or a van with rear doors, said truck or van having a rear trailer hitch. A vehicle tool platform apparatus comprising a flat tool platform, elongated angle support bar having one end secured to the bottom surface of the tool platform and the other end adapted to be received and secured in the rear trailer hitch. A work tool, such as a vise, bench grinder or saw, is secured to the top surface of the tool platform. The angle and length of the support rod is designed so that the plane of the tool platform is at a height generally level with the floor of the van or the bed of the truck to which the work platform apparatus is to be secured. Further, the platform is positioned a sufficient distance from the rear of the vehicle to which the work platform is to be secured to permit the doors of the vehicle to be opened fully, or the tailgate of the truck to be lowered to a plane level with and adjacent to the top surface of the work platform apparatus. 
         [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,037, issued Jan. 21, 1992 to Hammons, describes an apparatus for mounting tools and other devices, which is capable of adjustment in both the vertical and horizontal directions relative to a box receiver mounted on the bumper of a vehicle. An L-shaped support section at its one end slidingly engages and is fixed to a box receiver mounted on a vehicle bumper. At its other end, L-shaped support section slidingly engages a second support member which has a mounting plate fixed thereto. The mounting plate is provided with a number of holes or elongated slots to provide means for mounting tools, motors, vises, and the like, to provide a secure mounting platform at remote locations, such as construction sites or campgrounds. 
         [0016]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,395, issued Mar. 18, 1986 to Longoria, puts forth a trailer hitch mounted tool support comprising an upstanding support which is open at its lower end for snug downward telescoping over an upwardly projecting hitch ball supported from a hitch tongue of a width greater than the diameter of the ball. The lower end of the upstanding support is downwardly abuttable against the upwardly facing surfaces of the hitch tongue spaced immediately outward of an upstanding cylindrical zone containing the outer periphery of the hitch ball and the support includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced clamp screws threadingly supported therefrom with the innermost ends of the clamp screws being clampingly engageable with the reduced diameter shank portion of the hitch ball spaced closely above the hitch tongue. The upper end of the upstanding support mounts a horizontal mounting plate therefrom which may be utilized to support a plurality of different objects such as a grinder, workbench, hoist, cycle carrier, sign, floodlight, pipe rack and the like. 
         [0017]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,088, issued Jan. 28, 2003 to Kahlstorf, is for a versatile trailer hitch mounting system which enables mounting of heavy duty equipment to existing trailer hitch hardware currently found on pickups, vans, SUV&#39;s, recreational vehicles, and automobiles. The type of heavy duty equipment that could be attached to the apparatus of the invention would include a heavy duty table, a work station, a vise, a spool and/or a winch, and a level working surface. 
         [0018]    U.S. Patent Application #20080061097, published Mar. 13, 2008 by Milender, concerns a work platform attachment which attaches to the vehicle&#39;s trailer hitch. A device such as a barbecue, tool, etc. is attached to the work platform plate. The plate is attached to a series of tubular members that connect to one another and ultimately to the vehicle&#39;s trailer hitch. The plate is easily removed, allowing the user to either use the plate or to easily attach other attachments to the hollow pole. Therefore, the user can quickly and easily perform a variety of activities at variable heights behind the vehicle. 
         [0019]    What is needed is a trailer hitch mounted vise which comprises a vise body, a trailer hitch insert beam which slides into a trailer hitch receiver on the back of a vehicle and may be inserted at four different angles of use, and an adjustment nut driver on the end of the vise which is turned with any of a variety of tools to adjust the vice gripping jaws, wherein the vise may alternately be turned and mounted sideways for use as an anvil. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    An object of the present invention is to provide a trailer hitch mounted vise which comprises a vise body, a trailer hitch insert beam which slides into a trailer hitch receiver on the back of a vehicle and may be inserted at four different angles of use, and an adjustment nut driver on the end of the vise which is turned with any of a variety of tools to adjust the vice gripping jaws, wherein the vise may alternately be turned and mounted sideways for use as an anvil. 
         [0021]    In brief, the trailer hitch mounted vise and anvil of the present invention is to be used in the towing receiver of any vehicle in any of four orientations and can be used as a anvil. Can be used at home or any location with base attachment. The typical handle is not used and a ½″ square hole nut driver with an outer 13/16″ hex head is used. A ratchet or wrench or tire iron/lug wrench may be used to work the vise. By using a ratchet or wrench gives the person working better leverage. When not in use ratchet or wrench is removed for storage. 
         [0022]    Advantages of the present invention include that it is portable, is lighter than a standard vise, is easy to store, has no handle in the way, provides an anvil is clear of any obstructions, mounts to any trailer hitch receiver allowing use in any location, alternately mounts to work bench at home or in shop with bench mount, rotates to one of four desired clamping angles, uses a wrench, ratchet or tire iron to allow a user to get maximum torque in adjusting the vice, and has interior components enclosed including a seal around the nut driver and screw keeps device clean and working smoothly. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]    These and other details of my invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are furnished only by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention, and in which drawings: 
           [0024]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the vehicle mounted vise of the present invention showing the movable vise jaw attached to the stationary vise jaw which attaches at four different angles to a vehicle trailer hitch receiver; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the stationary vise jaw of  FIG. 1  which attaches at four different angles to a vehicle trailer hitch receiver showing a stationary outer threaded shaft inside a receiving sleeve for receiving an adjustable inner threaded tube inside a guide beam on the movable vise jaw; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the stationary vise jaw of  FIG. 2  showing the parts of the stationary vise jaw aligned for assembly; 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the movable vise jaw of  FIG. 1  showing an outer end nut driver for turning an adjustable inner threaded tube inside a guide beam on the movable vise jaw to mate with the stationary outer threaded shaft inside the receiving sleeve in the stationary vise jaw; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the movable vise jaw of  FIG. 4  showing the parts of the movable vise jaw aligned for assembly; 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a vise holding stand which is mounted on a work bench with a replicated trailer hitch receiver sleeve with at least one pin opening through at least one wall for receiving the square vise insertion tube for use of the vehicle mounted vise device in a building on a workbench; 
           [0030]      FIG. 7  is a side elevational view of the vise holding stand of  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0031]    In  FIGS. 1-7 , a vehicle mounted vise device  10  comprises a stationary vise jaw  30  attachable to a vehicle jack receptacle and a movable vise jaw  20  adjustably attached to the stationary vise jaw  30 . 
         [0032]    In  FIG. 1 , the pair of vise jaws  20  and  30  interact with the movable vise jaw  20  moving toward and away from the stationary vise jaw, as indicated by the two-headed arrow, to hold items within the pair of adjustable vise jaws for working on the items. The pair of vise jaws are removably attached to a square tubular trailer hitch receiver tube within the trailer hitch receive tube. The pair of vise jaws may be positioned in any of four orientations within the square trailer hitch receiver tube including up and down and right and left, by removing and reinserting the pair of vise jaws within the trailer hitch receiving tube with the vise jaws in the desired orientation. 
         [0033]    In  FIGS. 1-3 , the stationary vise jaw  30  comprises an elongated square vise insertion tube  36  slightly smaller in outside dimensions than an interior opening in the square trailer hitch receiver tube so that the vise insertion tube slides in and out with a loose friction fit. The vise insertion tube  36  has a pin receiving opening  38  through each of the four sides of the vise insertion tube  36  to mate with a pin insertion opening in one side of the trailer hitch receiver tube to secure the vise insertion tube therein in any of four positions. 
         [0034]    The stationary vise jaw  30  further comprises a stationary jaw  32  facing outwardly away from an outer end of the vise insertion tube  36 . The stationary jaw comprising a stationary jaw textured gripping surface  31  bolted to a screw plate  39  welded to the stationary jaw  32  and a stationary jaw notched pipe receiving surface  34  with recessed pipe receiving notch  35  also welded to the stationary jaw  32 . An anvil plate  37  is rigidly attached to at least one side of a receiving sleeve  33  of the stationary vise head  30  for use as an anvil which can be oriented horizontally or vertically by turning the stationary vise jaw  30  in the trailer hitch receiver. The stationary jaw  32  is welded on top of the receiving sleeve  33 . 
         [0035]    A means for receiving a movable vise jaw connection in an outer face of the stationary vise jaw comprises a receiving sleeve  33  having an outer receiving opening in the outer face of the stationary jaw and an outer threaded stationary shaft  51  inside the receiving sleeve  33 , which threaded stationary shaft  51  is welded to a shaft receiving plate  52  welded to the vise insertion tube  36 . The threaded connector of the movable vise jaw  20  comprises a mating inner threaded tubular member  40  on the movable vise jaw controlled by the universal nut driver  41  welded to the tubular member and the guide member comprises a protruding rigid guide post  26  extending from an inner face of the movable vise jaw fitting slidably within the receiving sleeve  33  of the stationary vise jaw  30 . The universal nut driver  41  extends from on outer end of the movable vise jaw  20  for receiving any of a variety of gripping means for turning the universal nut driver, the universal nut driver communicating with the threaded connector  40  for adjusting the movable vise jaw  20  relative to the stationary vise jaw  30 . 
         [0036]    The gripping means for turning the universal nut driver  41  may comprise at least one of the gripping means taken from the list of gripping means comprising a rigid head wrench, an adjustable head wrench, a vehicle lug wrench, and a ratchet wrench. 
         [0037]    An outer face of the universal nut driver has a central multisided geometrical opening  49 , preferably square as shown in  FIG. 1 , therein for receiving a gripping means for turning the universal nut driver  41  comprises at least one of the gripping means taken from the list of gripping means comprising an Allen wrench, a tire iron, and a handle having a mating multisided geometrical end. 
         [0038]    In  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  5 , the movable vise jaw  20  is adjustably connected to the stationary vise jaw  30  for holding items therebetween, the movable vise jaw comprises a movable jaw  22  facing inwardly from an inner end of the movable vise jaw  20 . The movable jaw comprises a movable jaw textured gripping surface  21  bolted to a movable jaw screw plate  29  welded to the movable jaw  22  to mate with the stationary jaw textured gripping surface  31  and a movable jaw notched pipe receiving surface  24  with a recessed pipe receiving notch  25  also welded to the movable jaw  22  to mate with the stationary jaw notched pipe surface  34  and stationary jaw recessed pipe receiving notch  35  to secure cylindrical items therebetween. The movable jaw body  22  is welded on top of a movable jaw support  23 . An outer nut driver end cap plate  42  is welded to the outer face of the movable jaw support  23 . The insertion beam  26  is welded to the inner portion of the movable jaw support  23  and an end plate  48  welded to the exposed end of the insertion beam  26  with a center opening in the end plate to receive the stationary threaded shaft  51  of the stationary vise jaw  30 . The inner threaded tubular member  40  comprises an assembly of welded components including the outer end nut driver  41 , a connected nut tube  44 , encircling ring  45 , connected inner threaded member  46  and washer  47 . 
         [0039]    In  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a vise holding stand  70  is mounted by screws through holes  72  brackets  71  onto a work bench, A replicated trailer hitch receiver sleeve  74  with at least one pin opening  75  through at least one wall for receiving the square vise insertion tube  36  for use of the vehicle mounted vise device in a building on a workbench. L-shaped angle beams  73  between the brackets  71  provide leverage to hold the sleeve  74 . 
         [0040]    The stationary vise jaw  30  and the movable vise jaw  20  have close tolerance fits between moving parts and are each sealed to prevent particles and moisture from penetrating into interior spaces preventing malfunction and prolonging the live of the device. The permanently connected parts of the device are preferably welded together. 
         [0041]    It is understood that the preceding description is given merely by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention and that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.