Patent Publication Number: US-6334609-B1

Title: Quick clamp and release vise

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a vise that includes two wedge ramps respectively on a fixed frame and a sleeve so as to quickly move the jaw to clamp object by matching the high points of the two ramps. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A conventional vise for generally includes a base through which a slide movably extends. A fixed jaw is connected to a top of the base and a screw extends through the slide on which a movable jaw is connected. A handle extends through an end of the screw so that the user may rotate the handle and the movable jaw moves toward the fixed jaw to clamp an object between the fixed jaw and the movable jaw. It is experienced that the handle is rotated a lot of revolutions to move the movable jaw because the threads of the screw. When the movable jaw touches the object, the user still has to hold the object to keep the desired position of the object and then further rotates the handle to securely clamp the object by moving the movably jaw. When releasing the clamp to change another direction of the object, the handle is again rotated several revolutions to back off the movable jaw. During the final revolutions, the user provides a lot of effort to clamp the object the movable jaw. When doing this action, the user bows his/her body so as to easily use his/her arm to rotate the handle, and this could shift the position of the object. 
     The present invention intends to provide a vise that includes a quick means to clamp or release the object by simply pulling a bar. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vise and comprising a base and a fixed jaw connected to the base. A screw extends through an end of the base and is connected to the other end of the base. A movable jaw is connected to the screw. A frame is fixedly connected to the base and has a hole defined therethrough. A first wedge ramp extends from the frame. A sleeve movably extends through the hole of the frame and a second wedge ramp extends from the sleeve and faces the first wedge ramp. A spring is received in the sleeve. An end of the screw extends through the spring in the sleeve and extends from the hole in the frame. A crank handle is connected to the end of the screw. 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a vise which employs two wedge ramps to achieve a purpose of quick clamping or releasing an object. 
     These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, several embodiments in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show a partial of a vise of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view to show the vise of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view to show the vise of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view to show that the movable jaw is moved by rotating the crank handle; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view to show that the movable jaw is quickly moved by rotating the bar; 
     FIG. 6 is an illustrative view to show that the two wedge ramps are matched with each other at their low points, and 
     FIG. 7 is an illustrative view to show that the two wedge ramps are matched with each other at their high points. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  3 , the vise of the present invention comprises a base  30  with a fixed jaw connected to the base. A screw  20  extends through a hole in an end  31  of the base  30  and connected to the other end of the base  30 . A movable jaw  32  is connected to the screw  20 . A frame  43  has two apertures  434  defined therethrough and two bolts  436  extend through the apertures  434  and are engaged with the base  30 . A hole  432  is defined through the frame  43  and a recess  431  is defined in the frame  43 . A shoulder portion is connected between a periphery defining the recess  431  and a periphery defining the hole  432 , and two first wedge ramps  433  (only one is shown) extend from the shoulder portion. A sleeve  41  movably extends through the hole  432  of the frame  43  and a flange  411  extends radially outward from the sleeve  41 . Two second wedge ramps  412  (only one is shown) extend from a surface of the flange  411  and faces the first wedge ramp  433 . A spring  42  is received in the sleeve  41 . A plan section  21  extending from an end of the screw  20  extends through the spring  42  in the sleeve  41  and extends from the hole  432  in the frame  43 . A stepped portion is defined in the sleeve  41  and engaged with the end from which the plan section  21  extends so that the screw  20  will be moved with the sleeve  41  toward the movable jaw  32 . A crank handle  10  is connected to the plan section of the screw  20  wherein the crank handle  10  includes a connection member  11  and a handlebar  12  is connected to an end of the connection member  11 . 
     A bar  44  has a threaded end and the sleeve  41  has a threaded hole  415  defined radially therein which is engaged with the threaded end of the bar  44  and the threaded end also contacts the plan section  21  of the screw  20 . As shown in FIG. 4, the movable jaw  32  is moved toward the fixed jaw to clamp an object  50  as the way the conventional vises functioned. When the movable jaw  32  contacts the object  50 , as shown in FIG. 5, the user pulls the bar  44  to rotate the sleeve  41 . The wedge ramps  412 ,  433  move with each other and the high points of the first wedge ramps  412  match with the high points of the second wedge ramps  433  as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. By this way, the movable jaw  32  and the screw  20  are both moved toward the object  50  so that the object  50  can be quickly secured by the vise. The object  50  is also released quickly by operating the bar  44  in opposite direction. 
     While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.