Patent Publication Number: US-10759026-B2

Title: Vise with an adjustable operating angle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a vise, and more particularly to a vise with an adjustable operating angle. 
     2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98 
     A conventional vise has a fixed seat such that a wedge washer is provided under the workpiece such that the workpiece is inclined relative to the fixed seat when the workpiece needs to be processed at a specific angle. However, the standards of the wedge washer are limited such that the main shaft of the processing machine also needs to be adjusted. It is inconvenient to the conventional vise when the workpiece needs to be processed at a specific angle. 
     In view of this, some vises with an adjustable operating angle are on the market for adjusting the operating angle of the workpiece by the structures of the vise. The conventional vises have two adjusting types including swing left and right relative to two opposite sides and swing back and forth relative to two opposite ends. As well known, a distance between two opposite ends of the vise is greater than that between the two opposite sides of the vise. As a result, the vise, in the type of swing back and forth, has a greater adjusting range and the adjusting range may intervene the operating room of the processing machine. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main objective of the present invention is to provide an improved vise that has an adjustable operating angle. 
     To achieve the objective, the vise with an adjustable operating angle in accordance with the present invention comprises a base member formed with a bottom and a top surface. A front pier and a rear pier are respectively formed on a front end and a rear end of the top surface of the base member. Each of the front pier and the rear pier is formed with a contact surface. Each of the two contact surfaces has a semicircular groove defined therein. A flange is formed on a bottom of each of the two semicircular grooves. A rotary seat is mounted onto the front pier and the rear pier. The rotary seat includes a platform, a fixed jaw, a movable jaw, a lead screw and a power brake, wherein the platform is pivoted to the front pier and the rear pier. The fixed jaw is secured on a rear end of the platform and the movable jaw is movably mounted onto the platform. The lead screw is rotatably mounted in the platform for driving the movable jaw and making the movable jaw reciprocally moved relative to the platform. The power brake is disposed on a front end of the lead screw and extends through the front pier. The power brake includes power force elements disposed therein for enhancing a clamping effect of the fixed jaw and the movable jaw and providing an anti-loose function. A front turntable and a rear turntable are respectively secured on a front end and the rear end of the platform. Each of the front turntable and the rear turntable is a circular structure and co-axially corresponding to the lead screw. The front turntable and rear turntable respectively has a bottom half selectively rotatably received in the semicircular groove of a corresponding one of the front pier and the rear pier. The flange of the front pier and the flange of the rear pier respectively inwardly and movably abut against the front turntable and the rear turntable. The front turntable has a through hole co-axially defined therein, wherein the front end of the lead screw extends through the through hole in the front turntable. A front fastening seat and a rear fastening seat are respectively mounted onto the front pier and the rear pier. The front fastening seat and the rear fastening seat respectively includes a contact surface formed on a bottom of each of the front fastening seat and the rear fastening seat, wherein the contact surface of the front fastening seat abuts the contact surface of the front pier and the contact surface of the rear fastening seat abuts the contact surface of the rear pier. The contact surfaces of each of the front fastening and the rear fastening seat has a semicircular groove defined therein. A flange is formed on a bottom of each of the two semicircular grooves of the front fastening seat and the rear fastening seat. The front turntable has an upper half selectively rotatably received in the semicircular groove in the front fastening seat and the rear turntable has an upper half selectively rotatably received in the semicircular groove in the rear fastening seat. Multiple fastening members are provided to control a loose/tight condition between the front fastening seat/rear fastening seat and the front pier/rear pier. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the multiple fastening members are multiple bolts. At least two threaded holes are defined in the contact surface of each of the front pier and the rear pier. At least two through holes  705 / 805  are defined in the contact surface of each of the front fastening seat and the rear fastening seat, wherein each through hole in the front fastening seat aligns with a corresponding one of the at least two threaded holes in the front pier and each through hole in the rear fastening seat aligns with a corresponding one of the at least two threaded hole in the rear pier. Each fastening member extends through a corresponding one of the through holes in each of the front fastening seat and the rear fastening seat, and is tightly screwed into a corresponding one of the threaded hole in each of the front pier and the rear pier such that the front pier and the front fastening seat tightly clamp the front turn table, and the rear pier and the rear fastening seat tightly clamp the rear turntable. On the contrary, when all the fastening members is loosed, the front pier and the front fastening seat release the front turn table, and the rear pier and the rear fastening seat release the rear turntable such that the rotary seat is rotatable relative to the base member and the operating angle of the rotary seat is adjusted relative to the base member. 
     Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of a vise with an adjustable operating angle in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the vise in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an operational view of the vise in  FIG. 1  when adjusting the operating angle. 
         FIG. 4  is a partially exploded perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the vise with an adjustable operating angle in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an operational view of a second preferred embodiment of the vise with an adjustable operating angle in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a third preferred embodiment of a vise with an adjustable operating angle in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the vise in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a partially cross-sectional view of the vise in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a fourth preferred embodiment of a vise with an adjustable operating angle in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a vise A with an adjustable operating angle in accordance with the present invention comprises a base member  10  formed with a bottom  11  and a top surface  12 . A front pier  20  and a rear pier  30  are respectively formed on a front end and a rear end of the top surface  12  of the base member  10 . Each of the front pier  20  and the rear pier  30  is formed with a contact surface  21 / 31 . Each of the two contact surfaces  21 / 31  has a semicircular groove  22 / 32  defined therein. A flange  23 / 33  is formed on a bottom of each of the two semicircular grooves  22 / 32 . A rotary seat  40  is mounted onto the front pier  20  and the rear pier  30 . The rotary seat  40  includes a platform  41 , a fixed jaw  42 , a movable jaw  43 , a lead screw  44  and a power brake  45 , wherein the platform  41  is pivoted to the front pier  20  and the rear pier  30 . The fixed jaw  42  is secured on a rear end of the platform  41  and the movable jaw  43  is movably mounted onto the platform  41 . The lead screw  44  is rotatably mounted in the platform  41  for driving the movable jaw  43  and making the movable jaw  43  reciprocally moved relative to the platform  41 . The power brake  45  is disposed on a front end of the lead screw  44  and extends through the front pier  20 . The power brake  45  includes power force elements disposed therein for enhancing a clamping effect of the fixed jaw  42  and the movable jaw  43  and providing an anti-loose function. 
     A front turntable  50  and a rear turntable  60  are respectively secured on a front end and the rear end of the platform  41 . Each of the front turntable  50  and the rear turntable  60  is a circular structure and co-axially corresponding to the lead screw  44 . The front turntable  50  and rear turntable  60  respectively has a bottom half selectively rotatably received in the semicircular groove  22 / 32  of a corresponding one of the front pier  20  and the rear pier  30 . The flange  23  of the front pier  20  and the flange  33  of the rear pier  30  respectively inwardly and movably abut against the front turntable  50  and the rear turntable  60 . The front turntable  50  has a through hole  51  co-axially defined therein, wherein the front end of the lead screw  44  extends through the through hole  51  in the front turntable  50 . 
     A front fastening seat  70  and a rear fastening seat  80  are respectively mounted onto the front pier  20  and the rear pier  30 . The front fastening seat  70  and the rear fastening seat  80  respectively includes a contact surface  71 / 81  formed on a bottom of each of the front fastening seat  70  and the rear fastening seat  80 , wherein the contact surface  71  of the front fastening seat  70  abuts the contact surface  21  of the front pier  20  and the contact surface  81  of the rear fastening seat  80  abuts the contact surface  31  of the rear pier  30 . The contact surfaces  71 / 81  of each of the front fastening  70  and the rear fastening seat  80  has a semicircular groove  72 / 82  defined therein. A flange  73 / 83  is formed on a bottom of each of the two semicircular grooves  72 / 82  of the front fastening seat  70  and the rear fastening seat  80 . The front turntable  50  has an upper half selectively rotatably received in the semicircular groove  72  in the front fastening seat  70  and the rear turntable  60  has an upper half selectively rotatably received in the semicircular groove  82  in the rear fastening seat  80 . 
     Multiple fastening members  90  are provided to control a loose/tight condition between the front fastening seat  70 /rear fastening seat  80  and the front pier  20 /rear pier  30 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the multiple fastening members  90  are multiple bolts. At least two threaded holes  210 / 310  are defined in the contact surface  21 / 31  of each of the front pier  20  and the rear pier  30 . At least two through holes  705 / 805  are defined in the contact surface  71 / 81  of each of the front fastening seat  70  and the rear fastening seat  80 , wherein each through hole  705  in the front fastening seat  70  aligns with a corresponding one of the at least two threaded holes  210  in the front pier  20  and each through hole  805  in the rear fastening seat  80  aligns with a corresponding one of the at least two threaded hole  310  in the rear pier  30 . Each fastening member  90  extends through a corresponding one of the through holes  705 / 805  in each of the front fastening seat  70  and the rear fastening seat  80 , and is tightly screwed into a corresponding one of the threaded hole  210 / 310  in each of the front pier  20  and the rear pier  30  such that the front pier  20  and the front fastening seat  70  tightly clamp the front turn table  50 , and the rear pier  30  and the rear fastening seat  80  tightly clamp the rear turntable  60 . On the contrary, when all the fastening members  90  is loosed, the front pier  20  and the front fastening seat  70  release the front turn table  50 , and the rear pier  30  and the rear fastening seat  80  release the rear turntable  60  such that the rotary seat  40  is rotatable relative to the base member  10  and the operating angle of the rotary seat  40  can be adjusted relative to the base member  10 . 
     As the above described structures and elements, the front turntable  50  is tightly clamped by the front pier  20  and the front fastening seat  70 , and the rear turntable  60  is tightly clamped by the rear pier  30  and the rear fastening seat  80  such that the rotary seat  40  is fixed relative to the base member  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1  when the front fastening seat  70  and the front pier  20  is in a tightly fixed condition, and the rear fastening seat  80  and the rear pier  30  is in a tightly fixed condition, that is, the contact surface  71  of the front fastening seat  70  tightly abuts against the contact surface  21  of the front pier  20  and the contact surface  81  of the rear fastening seat  80  tightly abuts against the contact surface  31  of the rear pier  30 . On the contrary, with reference to  FIG. 3 , the front turntable  50  and the rear turntable  60  are released, and the rotary seat  40  can be rotated relative to the base member  10  for adjusting a working angle of a fixed work-piece (not shown) when the front fastening seat  70  and the front pier  20  is in a loosed condition, and the rear fastening seat  80  and the rear pier  30  is in a loosed condition. 
     A series of scales  501  is formed on a front side of the front turntable  50  and an indicator  706  is formed on front fastening seat  70 . The adjusting angle of the rotary seat  40  can be easily read and the adjusting precision is promoted by reading a relative relationship between the series scales  501  and the indicator  706 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 4  that shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in this embodiment, a toothed portion  502  is formed on a lower edge of the front turntable  50 . A hole  24  is laterally defined in the front pier  20 . A drive element  25  is rotatably inserted into the hole  24 . The drive element  25  includes a drive portion  252  formed on a front end thereof, a toothed portion  251  formed on a rear end thereof and a pivot portion  253  formed between the drive portion  252  and the toothed portion  251  of the drive element  25 , wherein the pivot portion  253  is rotatably received in the hole  24  in the front pier  20  such that the drive element  25  is rotatable relative to the front pier  20 . Further with reference to  FIG. 5 , the toothed portion  251  of the drive portion  25  is engaged to the toothed portion  502  of the front turntable  50  such that the front turntable  50  is reciprocally rotated along a direction of the arrow L 2 , in  FIG. 5 , when the drive element  25  is reciprocally rotated relative to the front pier  20  along a direction of the arrow L 1 , in  FIG. 5  for reciprocally rotating the rotary seat  40  to adjust the operating angle. An operating type of the drive portion  252  is selected from the group consisted of polygonal shaft, polygonal groove, I-shaped groove and cross groove according to various hand tools for easily driving the drive element  25 . By the engaged toothed portion  251 / 502  of each of the drive element  25  and the front turntable  50 , the rotary seat  40  is smoothly operated when fine adjusting the operating angle thereof. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 6, 7 and 8  that show a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, the this embodiment, the front turntable  50  is formed with a curved face  500  corresponding to the flange  23  of the front pier  20 , wherein a series of dimples  503  is defined in the curved face  500  for an operator to easily rotated the rotary seat  40  relative to the base member  10  step by step at a specific angle. The front pier  20  includes a through hole  231  laterally defined in the flange  23  thereof. A steel ball  232 , a pre-compressed spring  233  is sequentially mounted into the through hole  231  in the front pier  20 . A plug  234  is mounted into the through hole  231  in the front pier  20  to prevent the steel ball  232  and the pre-compressed spring  233  from being detached from the front pier  20 . The steel ball  232  is partially engaged into a corresponding one of the series of dimples  503  after rotating the rotary seat  40  relative to the front pier  20  to adjust the operating angle of the rotary seat for temporarily holding the rotary seat  40  in place. 
     With reference to  FIG. 9  that shows a fourth preferred embodiment on the present invention, the this embodiment, a servo motor  300  is mounted onto the rear pier  30  and connected to the rear turntable  60 . The servo  300  drives and rotates the rear turntable  60  and the platform  41  on the rotary seat  40  to adjust the operating angle of the rotary seat  40  when the front fastening seat  70  and the front pier  20  is in a loosed condition, the rear fastening seat  80  and the rear pier  30  is in a loosed condition and the rotary seat  40  is rotatable relative to the base member  10 . 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.