Improvements in and relating to a Vice or Clamp for Pipes and Rods.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to a Vice or Clamp for Pipes
and Rods.
1, RICHARD JAMES LOCKHART, a citizen of the United States of America,
residing at 4619 Liberty Avenue, in the City of Pittsburgh, County of Allegheny,
and State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America, Plumber, 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 :-
My invention relates to a vice or clamp for pipes and rods, and has special
reference to such as are used on polished tubular surfaces during the cutting and
tapping thereof.
Heretofore in the common form of a vice or clamp most generally used for
holding brass or other polished pipe or rods, the jaws of the vice or clamp bite
into the highly polished surfaces held therein during tapping or cutting, and nick
or scratch the pipe or rod so greatly that the appearance of the finished work is
marred and unsightly. The nicks or scratches generally extend into the outside
polished surface of the pipe or rod to a depth of from about one thirty-second to
one sixteenth part of an inch, and it has been found simply impossible to remove
the same without turning down the whole exterior surface of the pipe or rod in a
lathe, which would of course reduce its diameter and greatly weaken the pipe or
rod. Other devices required the use of separate mechanism for insertion in the
jaws of a vice or wrench, which were very expensive and complicated as well as
inconvenient, and took up a great deal of time and trouble.
The object of my invention is to overcome the above objections and to provide
a vice or clamp in which all danger of nicking or scratching the pipe or rod is
prevented and all liability of spoiling or marring the appearance of the exterior
polished surface of the pipe or rod in the finished work is overcome, as well as to
simplify the construction of such vices and wrenches.
My invention consists, generally stated, in a vice or clamp for tubes and rods,
and a spring clamp adapted to engage with the tube or rod having one end rigidly
secured, and its opposite end provided with connections for securing the same
around the pipe or rod. It also consists in certain other details of construction
and combination of parts, all of which will be more fully hereinafter set forth and
claimed.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe
the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawing, in which-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved vice or clamp, showing it closed
and holding a section of tubing therein Figure 2 is a top or plan view of the
same, showing it open; Figure 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3, Figure 2,
showing the same open; and Figure 4 is a like view showing the clamp closed.
Like letters indicate like parts in each of the figures of the drawing.
Mounted upon the bench a is the body portion b which is secured to said bench a
The body
by means of the bolts c passing through holes d in the flanges e thereof.
portion of the vice or clamp is provided with the side supports 6' 62 and with
the bearings f, having the openings or holes g therein for the passage of the tube
or rod through the same, said bearings facting to assist in supporting the tube
or rod during the tapping or cutting. Secured within the body portion band
between the bearings and side supports is the spiral spring clamp i, said

page_text: clamp being preferably formed of spring steel and having one of its ends j
secured within or under the supports 62 as at k by means of the bolt passing
through the end ; and the body portion b. The spiral spring clamp i is adapted
to encircle the tube or rod h and its opposite end m is preferably straight and
secured by means of rivets or bolts n to a lever o extending up from the spiral
spring clamp i, said lever o having a lip p formed at its lower end and adapted to
engage with the tube or rod during clamping. The upper end of the lever o is
provided with a hook or opening q, to which is connected the adjusting chain r,
the opposite end of which is adapted to be connected to and held by a hook s on
the bench a, or any suitable or convenient place.
The operation of my improved vice or clamp for tubes and rods is as follows:-
The tube or rod h after being passed through the openings g in the bearings f
of the body portion 6 and spiral spring clamp i to the most convenient position
desired for cutting or tapping the end thereof, the operator grasps the lever o
with one hand and throws said lever o forward to the position shown in Figure 1,
and, while holding the same in this position, with the other hand adjusts the
chain connected to the lever o around the hook s, so contracting the opening in
the spiral spring clamp i and clamping the same around the tube or rod, the lip p
on the lever o engaging with the exterior surface of the tube or rod and acting
to assist the spiral spring clamp i to hold the tube or rod firmly within the
clamp and body portion band prevent the same from turning. The side
supports hold the spiral spring clamp in position, and prevent any lateral
movement thereof. After the tube or rod h, has been cut or tapped and it is
desired to release the same from the vice or clamp in order to remove the tube or
rod therefrom, all that is necessary is, to move the lever o slightly forward and
release the adjusting chain from engagement with the hook s, which allows the
lever o to move back to the position shown in Figure 3 and opens the spiral spring
clamp and releases the tube or rod so that it can be removed.
It will be seen that in the use of my improved vice or clamp for tubes or rods
all liability of the polished surface of the tubes or rods becoming nicked or
scratched is entirely overcome, as there are no sharp teeth or jaws to come in
contact therewith. The polished surface of the tube or rod after being cut or
tapped does not appear to have been handled by a vice when it is set in the finished
work, and the appearance thereof is not marred or unsightly to the eye, as is the
case with the use of the ordinary vices on such work.
The device is exceedingly simple and performs its work without any liability
of breakage or danger to the pipe or rod. It can be operated by any unskilled
workman and is not liable to get out of order, as the parts are strong and durable.
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. A vice or clamp for tubes and rods, comprising a spring clamp adapted to
engage with the tube or rod having one end rigidly secured and its opposite end
provided with connections for securing the same around the tube or rod, substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. A vice or clamp for tubes and rods, comprising a spiral spring clamp adapted
to engage with the tube or rod having one end rigidly secured and its opposite end
provided with connections for securing the same around the tube or rod, substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. A vice or clamp for tubes and rods, comprising a body portion for supporting
the tube or rod, and a spring clamp adapted to engage with the tube or rod,
having one end rigidly secured and its opposite end provided with counections and
securing the same around the tube or rod, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
4. A vice or clamp for tubes and rods, comprising a body portion for supporting
the tube or rod, and a spiral spring clamp adapted to engage with the tube or rod

page_text: having one end rigidly secured and its opposite end provided with connections for
securing the same around the tube or rod, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
5. A vice or clamp for tubes and rods, comprising a body portion for supporting
the tube or rod, and a spring clamp adapted to engage with the tube or rod having
one end rigidly secured to said body portion and its opposite end provided with
connections for securing the same around the tube or rod, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.
°
6. A vice or clamp for tubes and rods comprising a body portion supporting the
tube or rod, and a spiral spring clamp adapted to engage with the tube or rod,
having one end rigidly secured to said body portion and its opposite end provided
with connections for securing the same around the tube or rod, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
7. A vice.or clamp for tubes and rods, comprising a body portion for supporting
the pipe or rod, a spring clamp adapted to engage with the tube or rod, having
one end rigidly secured and its opposite end provided with a lever, and connections
from said lever to hold the clamp in position, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
8. A vice or clamp for tubes and rods, comprising a body portion for supporting
the rod or pipe, a spiral spring clamp adapted to engage with the tube or rod
having oue end rigidly secured and its opposite end provided with a lever, and
connections from said lever to hold the clamp in position around the tube or rod,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
9. A vice or clamp for tubes and rods, comprising a body portion for supporting
the tube or rod, a spring clamp adapted to engage with the tube or rod and held
by side supports around the tube or rod, one end of said clamp being rigidly
secured and its opposite end provided with a lever, and connections from said lever
to hold the clamp in position around the tube or rod, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
10. A vice or clamp for tubes and rods, comprising a body portion for supporting
the tube or rod, a spiral spring clamp adapted to engage with the tube or rod and
held by side supports around the tube or rod, one end of said clamp being rigidly
secured and its opposite end provided with a lever, and connections on said lever to
hold the clamp in position around the tube or rod, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
11. A vice or clamp for tubes and rods, comprising a body portion for supporting
the tube or rod, a spiral spring clamp adapted to engage with the tube or rod and
held by side supports therein, one end of said clamp being rigidly secured and its
opposite end provided with a lip for engaging with the tube or rod, a lever on said
opposite end above said lip, and connections from said lever to hold the clamp in
position around the tube or rod, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
12. A vice or clamp for tubes and rods, comprising a body portion adapted to
engage with the tube or rod, a spiral spring clamp in said body portion encircling
said tube or rod and held in side supports therein, one end of said spiral clamp
being held stationary in said body portion, a lever on the opposite end baving a lip
thereon engaging with the tube or rod, and connections from said lever to hold the
same in position, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 24th day of December 1895.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.