IMPROVEMENTS IN PARALLEL VISES FOR
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Franklin Read of the City of Brooklyn in the
County of Kings and State of New York in the United States of America.
Manufacturer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PARALLEL VISES FOR
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Franklin Read at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th October 1882.
HENRY FRANKLIN READ of the City of Brooklyn in the County of Kings
and State of New York in the United States of America, IMPROVEMENTS IN
PARALLEL VISES FOR MACHINISTS USE."
My invention relates to improvements in vises in which the movable jaw is
adapted for parallel movement in relation to the fixed jaw with a screw working
in a sliding rack-nut automatically engaged with and disengaged from a rack of
the fixed jaw by the cooperative action of the screw and fixed and movable inclines
whereby to allow the movable jaw to be freed from control of the screw so that it
may be moved in and out by hand, or to be controlled by the screw to firmly
grasp the article between the jaws.
In improving such construction of vise, I have made provision for a more
effective and certain action of the sliding rack nut under the action of the screw,
for maintaining said rack nut in position to effect an engagement at once with the
fixed rack after it is free of the fixed inclines and thereby prevent the teeth of the
sliding rack-nut from partially engaging with the fixed rack before the inclines
have separated. But for this provision the sliding rack-nut would be caused to
descend gradually as the incline planes are separating and its teeth thereby liable
to partially engage preventing it from firmly interlocking with the rack and hence
fail to give the proper clamping power.
The sliding rack-nut and the fixed rack have square teeth to give the required
strength to resist the powerful action of the screw in griping the article between
the jaws.
A sliding locking device is adapted to operate upon the unthreaded end of the
screw to hold the sliding rack nut, carried by said screw in the teeth of the
fixed-rack.

page_text: The sliding locking device is moved back from its locking position over the end
of the screw, by the movement of the rack-nut and the action of the inclines to
free the rack-nut from the fixed rack. This construction gives the advantage of
having the locking parts separate so that they can be secured within the movable
jaw-bar in position to be operated by the rack nut without regard to any specific
length of screw stem, or any special construction of the interior of the movable
jaw-bar with inclines to suit a certain movement of the rack-nut inclines to effect
its engagement with and disengagement from the fixed rack.
I have also improved the means for clamping the swivelling vise to its base. I
attain these objects and advantages by the construction illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings in which, Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of a
vise as it appears when the screw is locked in position for controlling the movable
jaw. Figure 2, a similar section, the screw being shown in unlocked position and
its rack-nut raised to allow the movable jaw to be slid in and out by hand.
Figure 3 a bottom view of so much of the hollow bar of the movable jaw as
shows the rack nut 9 in the position it occupies when disengaged from the fixed
rack and held above it by a plate n forced under the end of the rack-nut to
prevent it from dropping down in the operation of separating the inclines,
Figure 4, a similar view showing the rack-nut in the position it occupies when
moved back to separate it from the fixed inclines and held in position to drop
square into engagement with the fixed rack.
Figure 5 an end view of the fixed box.h which carries the sliding locking device
and the holding plate slide n
Figure 5 top and edge views of the plate slide, Figure 6 an end view of the
rack-nut. Figure 7, a side view of the fixed-box and the rack nut showing the
latter raised by the inclines out of engagement with the fixed rack. Figure 8 a
similar view showing the rack nut moved back from the inclines, and held up by
the plate slide n.. Figure 9 a similar view showing the rack nut released from the
plate slide and locked in engagement with the fixed rack by the locking device.¿?
springing over the unthreaded end of the screw stem. Figure 10 a top view of
the vise showing the jointed lever nuts for clamping the swivelling viso to the
base. Figure 11 a cross section showing the swivelling construction and clamping
devices and Figure 12 a top view of the annular rimmed baso of the vise.
The non-sliding jaw b is formed upon a guide box 6' which has a solid casting a,
by which it is secured upon a swivelling baso A bolted to the bench. The movable
jaw d is formed upon a hollow bar c which fits and has a sliding movement within
the fixed jaw-box A rack of right angled teeth e is secured to the bottom of the
fixed jaw-box and is of a length greater than the extent of the movement of the
movable jaw. The hollow bar c of the movable jaw carries the operating screw f,
which has the usual sliding hand lever and is secured in the front end of said bar
by a key plate f' fitted within a groove in the screw stem so that the jaw and the
screw must move horizontally together. This hollow bar is open at the bottom so
that a rack nut g carried by said screw fitting closely within the hollow bar c and
having right angled or square teeth, on its under side, is caused to engage with the
fixed rack e to place the movable jaw under the control of the screw to gripe and
hold the article placed between the jaws, the square intermatching teeth giving a
strong and durable hold against the power of the screw in gripping the article.
The disengagement of the rack nut suspends the functions of the screw and allows
the movable jaw to be slid in and out by haud so as to quickly set the movable
jaw to a position to admit the article to be clamped when the screw-nut may be
at once brought into engagement with the rack to give the required grip upon the
article.
The disengagement of the screw-rack nut from the fixed rack is effected by the
action of the inclines, while their engagement is effected by a spring m bearing
upon the rack-nut when the inclines are separated.
When the rack nut is thus engaged for controlling the movable jaw by the screw,
it is held in such engagement by means of a sliding locking device acting directly

page_text: upon the freo unthreaded cylindrical end i of the screw. The locking device
consists of a stem slide i formed with a concave end i adapted to slide over the
said unthreaded end i of the screw, This slide is fitted to be moved in a box h
towards and from the end of the screw.
The box is secured within the hollow bar, is open at one end and closed at the
other and a spring j upon the stem of the locking slide presses at one end against
the closed.end of said box and at the other end against a shoulder of the slide to
force the concave end of the latter out of the box in position over the unthreaded
end of the screw to hold it in such position to maintain the engagement of the
rack nut with the fixed rack while operating with the screw, such movement of the
locking device being limited by a pin 7, in the stem bearing against the outside
closed end of the box as in figure 1.
The rear end of the rack nut is formed with an upwardly inclined projection g'
the inclines whereof standing rearwardly on each side of the unthreaded end of
the screw while the front end of the fixed box is formed with inclines h' standing
rearward and upward on each side of the concave end of the sliding locking
device.
The projecting end of the rack nut on which the inclines are formed is
adapted to act against the concave end of the sliding locking device to force the
latter back in its box as in figure 2 by turning the screw to the left and thereby
move the concave end from over the cylindrical end of the screw.
Simultaneously with this driving back of the locking device the inclines v v of
the rack nut pass onto the inclines of the fixed box and cause the rack-nut to
be raised against the pressure of its spring out of the teeth of the fixed-rack just
as the end of the locking device clears the unthreaded end of the screw.
A plate spring m pinned upon the rack nut bears against the underside of the
top of the hollow bar and forces the teeth of the rack nut down into the teeth of
the fixed rack when the inclines are separated. This movement of the rack-nut
carries with it the unthreaded end of the screw down in position to allow the
concave end is, of the locking device to pass over the unthreaded end i of said
screw to make the lock as stated.
Co-operating with the rack-nut, its bearing spring and with the fixed and
movable inclines, means are provided by which the engagement of the teeth of the
movable rack-nut with the teeth of the fixed rack is rendered certain and complete
to prevent only a partial engagement of the teeth incident to the action of the
inclines and the spring.
The means which I employ for this purpose consist of a slide or thin plate n
fitted horizontally in a seat in the fixed box h just under the locking device and
the unthreaded end of the screw. A spring or springs r is arranged to constantly
press this plate out from the box, the extent of such projection being limited
by a screw s figures 3 and 4 passing through a bottom plate of the box into a slot t
figure 5 in the plate slide. This plate-slide is arranged in a plane to bring its
lower surface about on a level with the bottom of the teeth of the rack-nut when
the latter is engaged with the teeth of the fixed rack as in figures 1 and 9, so as
to receive the action of the nut rack as it is moved back to bring the inclines into
action to disengage the rack nut.
This movement of the rack nut therefore strikes and forces back the plate-
slide n until the rack-nut is sufficiently raised to allow the projecting end of the
plate slide to slip from the end of the rack-nut and pass beneath its lower side
against its end tooth as shown in figures, 2, 3, and 7. This is the position in which
the inclines will have fully acted to disengage the rack nut and the latter will be
so held by the inclines allowing the sliding jaw to be moved in and out by hand.
To again engage the rack-nut the separation of the inclines would let the rack nut
teeth gradually descend upon the fixed rack teeth and thereby liable to only
partially interratch and catch so as to be difficult to be moved and to require
sufficient pressure of the screw to cause the nut rack to jump the partially
intermatching teeth.

page_text: It is the function of the plate-slide to prevent this catching and partial
intermatching of the teeth and this it does by holding the nut rack from descending
"under the pressure of its spring until the inclines are fully separated as shown in
figure 8 when the rack nut will slip off the end of the plate-slide and
allow said rack-nut to descend quickly and squarely upon the teeth of the fixed
rack and the concave end i³ of the locking device to pass over and lock the screw.
If the teeth of the rack-nut should be just in position to enter the teeth of the
fixed rack the engagement will be complete at once; but if the teeth strike upon
each other, a slight turn of the screw will bring them into full gear without
catching or binding.
One revolution of the screw is sufficient to engage and disengage the rack nut
from the fixed rack. The rack nut has an interior screw-thread adapted to receivo
the operating screw and the locking device will spring out over the latter as soon
as the nut is engaged as shown in figures 1 and 9. The construction for effecting
the swivelling and clamping of the vise is as follows vis. The base plate A is
formed with a central ring projection B, the central space C whereof receives n
centering hub projection D on the bottom of the fixed jaw body and upon which
the fixed jaw part can be swivelled.
A circular space E in the base plate surrounds the ring projection and the latter
is formed with a rim a¹ projecting within said circular space and forming with the
space E and an inward projecting rim a on said base plate a shouldered or
inverted shaped annular way within the bed plate around the centering ring
projection.
Screw bolts FF have their square heads fitted within the circular way so that
their shanks extend up through holes in side projecting parts of the body a of the
fixed jaw to receivo lever nuts G G by which to clamp the non sliding jaw when
set. The lever nut is cylindrical and lever G' is jointed to the upper end of tho
nut so that it can be used as a handle in-a: horizontal and vertical position in
screwing and unscrewing the nut.
The lever-nut is seated in a recess or socket figure 11 around the hole for the
screw-bolt so as to give a firm clamping hold of the nut in central relation to the
bolt relieving it of side strain and allowing of the use of a short bolt. The
cylindrical nut has an interior screw thread which does not extend through the
nut leaving its upper end to form a jointed connection with the lever. The bolt
heads are inserted into the annular shouldered way E through an opening H
figure 12 in the base plate. In swivelling the vise the nuts are unclamped by
their levers and the square heads of the bolts follow around in the circular way as
the vise is turned and the clamping action of the heads is effected upon the rims of
the inverted T shaped way.
When the rack-nut is engaged with the fixed rack as in figure 1, the movable
jaw can be opened and closed by turning the screw, but when the racks are
separated as in figure 2, the movable jaw can be slid in and out by hand and set to
suit the article to be griped when the screw is immediately brought into action to
grip the articlo by engaging the racks.
The fixed rack may be secured by screws as shown, or it may be held in place
by the hollow bar c by forming the rack with projecting sides as ways for the
sides of the hollow bar, the said fixed rack being seated in a recess in the fixed
jaw part.
I claim
1 The combination in a visc of the screw having the unthreaded cylindrical
end i, the fixed rack e and the sliding rack nut g formed with end inclines v v
with a sliding locking device having a concavo end 2 adapted to slide over the
end of the screw, a spring for projecting said sliding locking device, a spring
bearing m for the sliding rack-nut and the fixed inclines h¹ h¹ substantially as
described for the purpose specified.
2nd The combination in a vise of the screw having the unthreaded end i, the
fixed rack e, the sliding rack nut y formed with end inclines v v and its bearing

page_text: spring m, with the sliding locking device having a concave end adapted to
slide over the end i of the screw and a fixed guide-box h for said stem having.end'
inclines h¹ and a spring for projecting said sliding locking device substantially-
as described for the purpose specified.
3 The combination in a vise of the screw having the unthreaded cylindrical
end of the fixed rack cand the sliding rack nut having the end inclines v v
with the sliding locking device having a concave and adapted to slide over
the end of the screw, the fixed inclines h¹h the springs m and j and a plate
slide n arranged to be projected in position under the sliding rack nut to hold it
out of engagement with the fixed rack in the operation of separating the inclines
for the purpose specified.
4th In combination in a parallel vise, the fixed rack e the sliding rack nut g
having the end inclines the screw having the unthreaded cylindrical end i, the
plate spring m, the fixed guide box h, the sliding locking device having the concavo
end 2, the spring j, the slotted plate slide n, fitted within said fixed box and the
spring all constructed and arranged for co-operation substantially as herein
described for the purpose specified.
5th The combination in a vise of the base plate A having the central rimmed
projection B and the surrounding annular way E and the fixed jaw part having the
central hub projection D with the square headed bolts F F and the jointed lever
nuts GG adapted to receive said screw bolts substantially as described for the
purpose specified.
6th In a swivelling viso the fixed jaw part having the bottom hub projection D
the top recessed seats or sockets around the bolt holes, in combination with the
screw bolts F F, the cylindrical nuts G G the levers G', jointed to said nuts and
the base plate having the top central rimmed projection B and the annular way E
all constructed and adapted for use substantially as described for the purpose
specified.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Franklin Read have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 23 day of October in the rear of our Lord. One thousand
.
HENRY FRANKLIN READ (LS.)