IMPROVEMENTS IN VICES AND STMITAD CLAMPING MROMANION
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Anson Parsons Stephens, of Brooklyn, in the
State of New York, United States of America, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN VICES AND STMITAD CLAMPING MROMANION"
Sealed the 5th September 1868, and dated the 12th March 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Anson Parsons Stephens
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th March 1868.
I, ANSON PARSONS STEPHENS, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York,
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VISES AND SIMILAR CLAMPING MECHANISM,"
to be as follows:-
Vises have before been made having a stationary jaw and a moving
jaw upon a sliding bar moved by hand and then powerfully acted upon
by a toggle and cam lever.
My present Invention relates to this class of vises, and consists,―
1st. In forming the sliding bar of a T shape to increase the strength
under tension and concussion without materially increasing the weight.
2nd. In forming a projection from the stationary jaw beneath the
sliding T-shaped bar with side flanges so as to support the said bar more
firmly.

page_text: 3rd. In introducing a toothed rack of steel or other durable material
in the side of the T slide for the toggle clamp to act against in griping
or clamping any article between the jaws.
4th. In a rack bar between the toggle and toothed rack, the said rack
bar having a projecting toothed surface of steel or similar material
taking the said rack.
5th. In a spring that acts against the upper and outer end of the
rack bar to draw that forward when the toggle is released from the
pressure of the cam. The spring applied at this point supports the
said rack bar and keeps the surfaces of the toggle in contact.
6th. In a toggle formed of two bars, one of which sets at one end
against the stationary part of the vise, and at the other end receives
by a semicircular bearing the other bar, and that in its turn sets in
a similar bearing against the rack bar. A limited movement is allowed
to the toggle so that when the cam that acts upon the said toggle is
turned back and released, the toggle and rack bar are drawn away from
the T slide by a projection on the cam lever, and when the said cam
lever is moved the other way the cam acts upon the toggle, presses the
rack bar to the side of the T slide, and by straightening the toggle moves
that slide and gives a firm grip by the moving jaw upon any article
placed between it and the stationary jaw. The aforesaid semicircular
bearings extend entirely across the rack bar and toggles, and their
surfaces are dressed off to shape accurately by a revolving tool formed
by separate steel cutters of the proper shape introduced in a tapering
notch in the periphery of a revolving disk, and into that same notch a
tapering wedge is driven and held by a screw if necessary. A taper pin
driven in a hole near the end of the T bar limits the extent of its
motion, and the cam lever swings on a taper pin that is driven tightly
in holes in the jaws at the sides of the cam, the hole in the said cam
being slightly larger than the pin.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Anson Parsons Stephens in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANSON
PARSONS STEPHENS, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United
States of America, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-first year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Anson Parsons Stephens, Her special licence that I, the
said Anson Parsons Stephens, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Anson Parsons Stephens, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VISES
AND SIMILAR CLAMPING MECHANISM," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Anson Parsons Stephens, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Anson Parsons Stephens, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
:-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the jaws of the vise with the bearings o
in section at the line y, y, Fig. 2, and the toggle blocks g taken out to
show the rack bar f; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the vise at the
line x, x; and Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section at the line z, z.
Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.
Vises have before been made having a sliding bar moved by hand and
then powerfully acted upon by a toggle and cam lever.
My present Invention relates to this class of vises, and consists,—
1st. In forming the sliding bar a that carries the moving jaw a¹ of a
T shape to increase the strength under tension and concussion without
materially increasing the weight.
2nd. In forming a projection 6 from the stationary jaw beneath the

page_text: -омарса
support the said bar more firmly.
3rd. In introducing a toothed rack c of steel or other durable material
in the side of the T slide a for the toggle clamp to act against in griping
or clamping any article between the jaws a¹ and a².
4th. In a rack bar f between the toggle g and toothed rack c formed
with a projecting toothed surface of steel or similar material taking said
rack c.
5th. In a spring h that acts against the hooked upper and outer end
of the rack bar f to draw that forward when the toggle g is released
from the pressure of the cam k. The spring h applied at this point
supports the said rack bar and keeps the surfaces of the toggle in contact
by drawing the rack bar fagainst the toggle g.
6th. In a toggle g formed of two bars, one of which sets at the end e
against the stationary part of the vise, and at the other end receives by
a semicircular bearing 3 the other bar, and, that in its turn sets in a
similar bearing 4 against the rack bar f. A limited movement is allowed
to the toggle by the projections 8 and 9, so that when the cam k that acts
upon said toggle is released and turned fully back the toggle and rack
bar are drawn away from the T slide a by a projection 5 on the cam k
taking the projection 6 on the toggle, see dotted lines, Fig. 2, and when
said cam k is moved the other way by its lever ¹ the cam k acts upon
the toggle, presses the rack bar f to the side of the T slide a, and by
straightening the toggle g moves the T slide and gives a firm grip by the
moving jaw a¹ upon any article placed between it and the stationary
jaw a. The aforesaid semicircular bearings e, 3, and 4, extend entirely
across the rack bar f and toggle g, and the surfaces are dressed off to
shape accurately by a revolving tool m formed by separate steel
cutters 2 of the proper shape introduced in a tapering notch in the
periphery of a revolving disk, see Fig. 4, and into that same notch a
tapering wedge is driven and held by a screw if necessary.
A taper
pin 7 driven in a hole near the end of the T bar a limits said bar in its
motion, and the cam lever k¹ swings on a taper pin 18 that is driven
tightly in holes in the bearings o at the sides of the cam, the hole in
said cam being slightly larger than the pin. In place of the cam k a
screw might be employed to act upon the toggle g. The handle k¹ can
be made of a bar sliding in a tube so as to increase the leverage by
pulling out the bar if desired.

page_text: What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. The sliding bar a T-shaped and carrying the moving jaw a',
substantially as set forth.
Second. The projection 6 combined with the side flanges 6' to support
the bar a and moving jaw, as specified.
Third. The toothed rack e introduced in the side of the T slide a for
the toggle clamp to act against, as set forth.
Fourth. The rack bar f between the toggle g and toothed rack c, as
specified.
Fifth. The spring h in combination with the rack bar f and toggle g,
constructed as set forth.
Sixth. The toggle bars g and cam k in combination with the rack bar f
and sliding bar a, as specified.
Seventh. The semicircular bearings e, 3, and 4, for the toggle bars g
extending entirely across the same, as set forth.
Eighth. The projections 6, 8, and 9 on the toggle bars g in
combination with the projection 5 on the cam k for drawing the toggle
and rack bar away from the rack c, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Anson Parsons Stephens, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of August, A.D.
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witnesses,
CHAS. H. SMITH,
121, Nassau St.,
New York.
GEO. D. WALKER,
121, Nassau St.,
New York.
ANSON PARSONS STEPHENS. (L.S.)