Improvements in or relating to Vices and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 24th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 24th Mar., 1899
Improvements in or relating to Vices and the like.
I, ERNEST HENRY JONES, of 53, Clerkenwell Road, in the City of London, Cycle
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a means whereby articles of metal or
other material, may be easily and securely held while being at the same time
set in the proper position so that the part which it is desired to drill or other-
wise work, may be worked with accuracy.
Hitherto it has been a difficult matter, when dealing with a number of articles
of irregular shape to provide a means whereby they may be quickly set in the
proper position and securely held without possibility of movement and fixed in
such a manner that the drill or other tool shall operate upon exactly the same
place in the case of each article of the same shape.
In the case of some articles, a mould has been made of the shape of the article,
which mould has been separated or made iu two pieces so that the article may
be fixed between them.
This method has the advantage of saving time while in operation but the
objection to it is, that a separate and costly mould has to be made for each
article, and it is further a very difficult matter to so make the mould that it
shall present precisely the part to the tool which it is desired to work.
2
By the present invention I make use of the advantages of the mould while
removing its disadvantages, and I make a vice which I can readily adjust to the
shape of the article to be held. This may be accomplished by providing two
plates of iron, wood or any suitable material which may be either Hat, curved or
of any suitable shape and which are provided with a means of advancing towards
or withdrawing from each other. These plates are then provided with a number
of pins of iron, wood or any suitable material, and which are arranged to screw
into or slide through the plates.
In practise, the article to be held is lightly gripped between the plates in the
position in which it is desired to hold it; the pins which screw or slide through
holes in the plates are then advanced from each side until each one touches the
article, and others which may form a support are also advanced, and when (in
the case of the sliding pins) they have reached their proper position, they are
fixed in that position.
It can be understood, that in the case of an article of irregular shape that some
pins will be advanced beyond others, and they will form collectively, the reverse
shape of the article held.
Now, if the article be removed from between the plates and another of the
same shape be inserted, it will take precisely the same position as the previous
one and, for example, if a hole is required to be drilled in the article and the
plates are fixed in position beneath a drill, then the hole will be drilled in exactly
the same position in the case of each article.
-ד
3807

page_text: I, ERNEST HENRY JONES, of 53, Clerkenwell Road, in the County of London, Cycle
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:—
The object of this invention is to provide a means whereby articles of metal or
other material, may be easily and securely held while being at the same time
set in the proper position so that the part which it is desired to drill or other-
wise work, may be worked with accuracy.
Hitherto it has been a difficult matter, when dealing with a number of articles
of irregular shape to provide a means whereby they may be quickly set in the
proper position and securely held without possibility of movement and fixed in
such a manner that the drill or other tool shall operate upon exactly the same
place in the case of each article of the same shape.
In the case of some articles, a mould has been made of the shape of the article,
which mould has been separated or made in two pieces so that the article may
be fixed between them.
This method has the advantage of saving time while in operation but the
objection to it is, that separate and costly moulds have to be made for each
article, and it is further a very difficult matter to so make the moulds that they
shall present precisely the part to the tool which it is desired to work.
By the present invention I make use of the advantages of the mould while
removing its disadvantages, and I make a vice which I can readily adjust to the
shape of the article to be held. This may be accomplished by providing two
plates of iron, wood or any suitable material which may be either flat, curved or
of any suitable shape and which are provided with means of advancing towards
or withdrawing from each other. These plates are provided with a number
of pins of iron, wood or any suitable material, and which are arranged to screw
into or slide through the plates.
In practise, the article to be held is lightly gripped between the plates in the
position in which it is desired to hold it; the pins which screw or slide through
holes in the plates are then advanced from each side until each one touches the
article, and others which may form a support are also advanced, and when (in
the case of the sliding pins) they have reached their proper position, they are
fixed in that position.
It can be understood, that in the case of an article of irregular shape that some
pins will be advanced beyond others, and they will form collectively, the reverse
shape of the article held.
Now, if the article be removed from between the plates and another of the
same shape be inserted, it will take precisely the same position as the previous
one and, if a hole is required to be drilled in the article and the plates are fixed
in position beneath a drill, then the hole will be drilled in exactly the same
position in the case of each article.
A very convenient method of constructing the appliance worked with screwed
pins is shown in the accompanying drawings.
In this case each of the two plates referred to above are cast in one piece with
the jaws A, A, of the vice, suitable web pieces B, B, being provided to meet the
strains imposed upon these parts, which may for the sake of easy reference be
termed in future, the "jaws," The jaws thus formed can be drilled with the
requisite number of holes, which holes are tapped to receive the screwed pins C, C.
It is preferable that the jaws should be capable of being moved simultaneously
and equally towards or from a common centre so as to compensate to some degree

page_text: for any inequality in the size of the article to be worked. This may be done by
forming the two vice nuts attached to the respective jaws with right and left
hand threads and the actuating screw D, with corresponding threads.
An alternative form may be given the invention by arranging the pins to slide
instead of screw into the jaws.
A convenient method of constructing the appliance in this manner is described
as follows:-
The jaws in this case are formed of box section. The interior of this section
is accurately machined or prepared to receive a number of pins which are prefer-
ably of square section but which may be either round or of any suitable section.
These pins which may be of a convenient length are shouldered and reduced at
one end to a size which will admit of a small coil spring being placed thereon
up to the shoulder. The size of the coil spring should be such as to admit of it
working freely when a number of pins are placed in juxtaposition.
The interior of the jaw, which is of a size which will accommodate exactly a
certain number of pins, is then filled with the pins, the smaller ends of which
project through a thin plate which covers one end of the jaw and which is pro-
vided with the necessary number of holes to accommodate the small ends of
the pins, the coil springs referred to above being on the inside of the thin plate
and between the plate and the shoulder which has been formed on the pins, the
object of the coil spring being to force the pins outwards and away from the
interior of the jaws.
It can be seen that we now have two jaws which are opposed to each other
and which are provided with a number of pins working freely and independently
of each other. Now, if an object be placed between the jaws and the jaws are
advanced upon the object the pins will advance until they meet with an obstacle
when the small coil spring will be compressed and the pin will remain stationary
until its limit is reached. Assuming the object is of such a shape as will not
necessitate the reaching of the limited range, the jaws can be advanced until pins
from each jaw, if the object will admit of it, touch each other, then if the pins
are fixed in the position they have assumed, by means of clamps, screws or any
well known device they will be found to have formed collectively the reverse
shape of the object placed between the jaws.
While the device of the movable pins has been described as of particular utility
in connection with and as a part of a vice, its use is not confined to this purpose
as it may be utilised for other purposes, for instance, in connection with wrenches
for gripping objects which owing to their shape cannot be gripped with the usual
wrenches, tongs, spanners or similar articles in common use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The combination with the jaws of a vice of an appliance which can be
adjusted mechanically or automatically to the shape of the article to be held.
2. The method of making, either mechanically or automatically a mould of an
article by means of the movable pins as herein described.
3. The method of constructing a vice with adaptable and adjustable jaws.
4. The combination of the movable pins as herein described with wrenches or
similar appliances for the purpose of gripping articles of such shapes as cannot be
gripped with appliances in common use.
5. The appliances and devices as herein described and shown.
Doted this 24th dox of Santamban 1808