Abstract:
A rotating positioning vise for use in hand working operations. The positioning mechanism utilizes a permanent magnet that is lifted off the surface of a turntable by the means of a lever. The user pushes on the lever, moves the vise in the position desired and then releases of the lever. Releasing the lever allows the magnet to be pulled back down against the turntable&#39;s surface and locks the vise in position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of Invention 
   The present invention relates to a positioning vise, more particularly, to a rotating positioning vise for use in hand working operating such as hand engraving and stone setting in the hand engraving, hand carving and jewelry fields. 
   2. Description of Prior Art 
   The traditional hand engraving vise which has been in existence since the nineteenth century, consists of a ball base resting in a doughnut type cradle. The top half of the ball is made to pivot on a center axis. On top of this are the vise jaws. When the engraver or jeweler desires to hand engrave an arc on an object that is clamped in the jaws, he simply turns the vise with one hand while the other hand holds the engraving point on the surface of the object that is being engraved. The location of the rotating pivot position on the object being engraved can determine the difficulty of engraving an arc in the desired location. The location of the rotating pivot position depends on where the object is clamped in the jaws of the vise. An arc is easiest to engrave when it has its center location closest to the center pivot position of the rotating vise. Engravers and jewelers therefore become accustomed to having to unclamp, move and re-clamp the object many times in the course of a project. Unfortunately, clamping and unclamping to position the object in reference to the vise pivoting location can become a problem since the objects engravers and jewelers work on are often delicate and can be damaged if clamped incorrectly. In addition, a lot of time is wasted unclamping and clamping. Another example of the need to position a working area of an object in the center of a rotating vise is when delicate hand working operations are executed with a microscope. The microscope is centered over the rotating pivot position of the vise. The field of view through the microscope is limited and in order to keep a particular spot in view, the axis of rotation needs to stay in the center of the field of view of the scope, otherwise the area being viewed will swing out of view when the vise is rotated. 
   Disclosed in publication titled GRS POSITIONING VISE by GRS Corporation is a rotating positioning vise. The device utilizes a post though an oversized hole in a plate under the vise jaw apparatus. The vise jaw apparatus on top of the vise is made to slide around for positioning within the space between the post and oversized hole. The limitation to the apparatus is its limited movement between the post and hole. The nature of the design leaves little room between the post and oversized hole. The apparatus allows only one inch of movement off center. One inch is not enough room for movement if the engraver or handworker is working on an object any larger than this movement. Engravers, jewelers and handworkers therefore still have to unclamp and re-clamp in order to work outside the one inch radius area. 
   In more recent times engravers have employed turntables or lazy-susans with a vise set on top. The vise is simply pushed around on the turntable top for positioning. This works and gives a lot of movement for positioning although the vise is not solidly locked down on the turntable and can move at undesirable times. Also, this design does not allow tilting of the turntable to a more conformable position since the vise will slide off of the turntable if it is tilted. A similar adaptation to pushing a vise around on a turntable is to use a thin magnetic sheet material between the base of the vise and the turntable. The thin magnetic sheet material has a low enough magnetic power to allow it to be manually positioned and yet hold the vise in place. The problem and disadvantage that occurs in using magnetic sheet in this way is that positioning the vise is harder for the user, because it takes more force to break the magnetic force free to allow the vise to slide on the turntable. A lighter strength magnetic sheet can be used but then it does not have enough strength to hold the vise secure on the turntable. 
   A rotating positioning vise that allows a lot of freedom of movement is needed so that the user can accommodate, position and secure larger objects. The vise needs to rotate freely on its lower portion, and on top it needs a position apparatus that will allow it and the jaws to move together as a unit. This will allow the jaws and whatever is clamped in the jaws to be positioned and allow a desired portion of the object that the user is working on be in the center axis of rotation. Once the user positions the vise it needs to be locked securely in place to prevent it from moving during use. Engravers, jewelers, carvers and handworkers at times prefer to tilt their vise from side to side or towards them for comfort. Therefore, the vise should have a built in apparatus that allows the entire vise to be titled at will. The vise should have a locking mechanism for both the rotating turntable and positioning apparatus. The locking mechanisms should be easily and quickly locked and unlocked at will by the user. 
   OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is the object of this invention to provide a rotating positioning vise that will position quickly. It is also an object that the positioning feature of the vise will allow a great deal of positioning movement that is only limited by the size of turntable. It is also an object of the invention to allow the vise to be tilted and locked by the user, as well as provide a locking feature for the rotating axis of the vise. The positioning feature of the invention utilizes a permanent magnet that is lifted off the surface of the tilting turntable by the means of a lever. The user pushes on the lever, moves the vise in the position desired and then lets the lever loose. Letting the lever loose allows the magnet to be pulled back down against the turntable&#39;s surface and locks the vise in this position. The benefit of the invention for the engraver, jeweler, or hand worker is time saved in not having to continually unclamp, move the object and re-clamp. With the invention the user only needs to determine the best and safest way to hold an object in the vise once. This reduces the risk of damaging the object when continually unclamping and re-clamping to reposition the object. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to attached drawing figures, wherein: 
       FIG. 1 ; is a perspective view of a rotating positioning vise constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 2 ; is the same view as  FIG. 1 , differing in that the vise portion is displayed positioned off center of the rotating turntable; 
       FIG. 3 ; is a similar view as  FIG. 2 , differing in that the rotating turntable is displayed tilted and the vise positioned off center; 
       FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 ; are perspective views of the top vise portion of the invention and illustrates how a magnet in the base moves up and down when a lever is operated; 
       FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 ; are the same views as  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , differing in that the portion of the vise surrounding the magnet and lever is removed to help show how the magnet is moved with a screw and nut connected to the lever; 
       FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 ; are sectional views of the top vise portion illustrating how the magnet, lever, screw and nut are connected; 
       FIG. 10 ; is a sectional view of the bottom turn-table portion of the invention; and  FIG. 11 ; is the same view as  FIG. 10 , differing in that it illustrates the titling movement of the turn-table. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   A rotating positioning vise in accordance with the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The apparatus consists of a vise  2  and a turn-table  4 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , the turn-table  4  includes a disc  17  made of a magnetic attraction material, a t-handle  25 , tilt-lock-screws  18  and  19 , a turn-table-base  24 , and feet  20 ,  21 ,  22 , and  23 . (Note; foot  23  is not shown in  FIG. 1 .) Referring to sectional drawing  FIG. 10 , the turn-table  4  also includes a bearing-housing  38 , a screw  40 , a nut  41 , bearings  35  and  36 , a spacer  37 , and a sleeve  39 . The turn-table  4  is designed to allow disc  17  to spin about its axis and also tilt in relation to the turn-table-base  24 . The outside race of bearings  35  and  36  are press fit into bearing-housing  38 . Sleeve  39  is fit in the inside race of bearings  35  and  36 . Spacer  37  is placed between the two bearings. Screw  40  and nut  41  fasten the disc  17 , bearing assembly and bearing-housing  38  together. The outside diameter of bearing-housing  38  is made to nest within the turn-table-base  24  so that it allows bearing-housing  38  to tilt.  FIG. 11  illustrates the tilting of bearing-housing  38 . Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 10 , tilt-lock-screws  18  and  19  are used by the operator to lock bearing-housing  38  in place. T-handle  25  illustrated in  FIG. 1  is threaded through the neck of bearing-housing  38  so that it intersects spacer  37 . It is used, if desired by the operator, to lock the free rotation of disc  17  in place or, if desired by the user, it may also be used if slightly snugged up, to give a small amount of drag on the rotational movement of disc  17 . Feet  20 ,  21 ,  22 , and  23  are attached to the four corners of turn-table-base  24  and are adjustable to aid in leveling. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the vise  2  includes jaws  14  and  15 , a jaw-screw  13 , a vise-jaw-block  12 , a vise-base-block  10 , a lever  16 , and a lever-slot  11 . Referring to sectional drawing in  FIG. 8 , the vise  2  also includes a magnet  26 , a base-block-bottom-face  34 , a magnet-lift-screw  28 , a magnet-lift-nut  27 , a jaw-screw-boss  35 , a jaw-screw-fork  36 , screws  29  and  30 , screw  32 , screw  31 , and a nut  33 . Referring to  FIG. 8 , the vise  2  allows objects to be clamped in its jaws  14  and  15 . Jaws  14  and  15  have internal right and left-handed threads for mating to jaw-screw  13 . The jaws are made to fit in a T slot on the top of vise-jaw-block  12 . The lower portion of jaw-screw-fork  3  is press fit into a hole in the center of vise-jaw-block  12 . It is not shown well in the sectional view  FIG. 8 , but the upper portion of jaw-screw-fork  3  has two fingers that protrude on either side of jaw-screw-boss  35  that is part of jaw-screw  13 . This entraps jaw-screw  13  and keeps it and jaws  14  and  15  from sliding out of the T slot in vise-jaw-block  12 . Vise-jaw-block  12  is bolted solid to vise-base-block  10  with screws  29  and  30 . Magnet-lift-nut  27  is fixed into place with screw  32  and two other similar screws that do not show in the sectional drawings  FIG. 8  or  FIG. 9 . Lever  16 , magnet-lift-screw  28 , and magnet  26  are attached together with screw  31  and nut  33 . Lever  16  is long enough that it protrudes slightly out of the lever-slot  11  on the outside diameter of the vise-base-block  10 . Magnet-lift-screw  28  and magnet-lift-nut  27  have mating threads so that when lever  16  is rotated it will raise or lower magnet  26 . 
   Not shown in the illustrations is a thin polymer sheet material such as plastic or nylon that is fastened (preferably by gluing) to the base-block-bottom-face  34 . The thin sheet material also covers over the magnet void portion on the base-block-bottom-face  34 . 
   OPERATION 
     FIG. 4  and  FIG. 8  illustrate lever  16  to one side of lever-slot  11  and the magnet  26  flush with base-block-bottom-face  34 . With the magnet in this position, the magnet will be firmly magnetically locked down against the top of disc  7  (illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) and therefore lock the entire vise  2  in position against the top of disc  7 .  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 9  illustrate the lever at other side of lever-slot  11  and the magnet  26  lifted up. When the magnet is raised in this position, the operator can easily slide the vise  2  where desired on top of disc  7 . When the vise is in the position desired, the operator releases lever  16 . The magnetism then pulls the magnet down to the top of disc  7  and thus turns the lever back to the original location as illustrated in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 8 . 
     FIG. 2  illustrates how the vise  2  can be positioned anywhere on the top surface of disc  17  by simply moving lever  16 , positioning the vise and releasing the lever.  FIG. 3  illustrates how disc  17  can be tilted and locked with screws  18  and  19 , and how vise  2  can be positioned anywhere on the top surface of disc  17 . When disc  17  is tilted and vise  2  is positioned off center of disc  17  a great deal, counter balance magnetic weights (not shown in the illustrations) may be placed on disc  17  if desired by the operator to help keep the swing of the apparatus in balance. 
   The thin polymer sheet material such as plastic or nylon (not shown in the illustrations) that is fastened (preferably by gluing) to the base-block-bottom-face  34  is utilized for five reasons: 
   A. It prevents the magnet from being in direct contact with the top of disc  7  that otherwise may damage the magnet or top of disc  7 ; 
   B. It prevents metal chips or filings that the user may be making during hand working operations from getting to and sticking to the magnet; 
   C. For ease of cleaning, the plastic or nylon sheet covering the base-block-bottom-face  34  can easily be wiped off; 
   D. When the user is positioning the vise  2 , it allows ease of movement of the vise on the top of disc  7 ; and 
   E. It protects the surface finish from scratches and wear of both the base-block-bottom-face  34  and the top of disc  7 . 
   CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATIONS, AND SCOPE 
   Accordingly, the reader will see that the invention provides an improved rotating and tilting positioning vise. The design with the magnet lifting device allows complete use of the top of the turn table for positioning the vise where needed by a user. It is easy and quick to unlock the magnetism with the lever, move the vise and simply release the lever to lock. The invention allows the turn table to be tilted and locked, as well as providing a locking and dragging feature for the rotating axis. 
   Although the invention has been described with reference to the illustrated embodiment, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims. For example: 
   The embodiment in the illustrations makes use of a screw and nut to lift the magnet off the surface of the turn table. An equivalent can be designed using one or more wedges that would fit under a lever. The lever would ride against the one or more of these wedges and as the lever was moved by the operator; the lever would slide up on one or more of the wedges. Since the lever is directly connected to the magnet, the magnet would therefore be lifted off of the surface of the turn table. 
   Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiment illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.