IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VICES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Warren, of Regent Place, Birmingham, in
the County of Warwick, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VICES."
Sealed the 4th March 1856, and dated the 18th September 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Warren at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
September 1855.
I, WILLIAM WARREN, of Regent Place, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF VICES" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in vices, the object being to simplify
their construction and render them more convenient for use. In constructing
parallel vices, the fixed chap, or that which is attached to the bench, I so form,
that, on loosening the binding or clamping screw below the fixing plate, the
vice may be turned on a fulcrum to any angle (in the same plane) to suit
the convenience of the workman, and it may then be secured in that position.
A slot is formed through the centre of this chap to receive a hollow guide bar,
which is attached to and forms a part with the sliding chap. This guide bar
forms a cover for the screw, which works the sliding chap, and protects it from

page_text: dirt or filings. Within the slot in the fixed chap the screw box is placed,
a dovetail groove being formed in the bed of the slot to receive it. I apply
steel faces to the chaps by planing or cutting out suitable recesses for
the same, and secure them in place by means of dovetails, rebates, and
screws.
I would remark that I also propose to apply the principle of turning on a
fulcrum to bench vices generally. The mode of steeling the chaps is applicable
in all cases where the chaps are formed of cast or malleable iron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Warren in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
WARREN, of Regent Place, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Warren, Her special licence that I, the said William Warren,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Warren, my executors, administrators, 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 Chanuel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF VICES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Warren, my executors or administrators, 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 William Warren, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertamed in and by the tonowing
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in the methods, herein-after described and represented
in the accompanying Drawing, of constructing vices, the object of my said
Invention being to simplify the construction of the said vices, and render them
more convenient for use than vices of the ordinary construction.
Figure 1 represents, in side elevation, a vice constructed according to my
Invention, and Figure 2 represents a vertical section of the same. a is the
fixed chap or jaw; and b, the moveable chap or jaw. The jaw a is fixed to
the bench c in the manner herein-after explained. d is a guide bar, connected
with the moveable jaw ; the said guide bar d passes through a groove or slot
in the fixed jaw a; the said guide bar & is hollow, as seen in Figure 2, and in
its motion slides over the screw box e, fixed in the bed plate f, the said bed
plate being made in one piece with the fixed jaw a; g is the screw by which
the motion of the jaw bis produced. The said screw 9 is situated nearly in
the axis of the hollow guide bar d. When the screw g is turned, it advances
in or retires from the screw box e; as it advances in the screw box, the
shoulder h, bearing against the front jaw b, brings it towards the fixed jaw a,
and as the screw g is withdrawn from the screw box e, the moveable jaw b is
made to recede from the fixed jaw a. The opening of the vice, on the with-
drawal of the pin or screw g from the screw box e, is effected by the semi-
circular hollow collar i, which passes over the neck of the pin or screw, and
bearing against the shoulder h of the screw, effects the opening of the vice.
Figure 3 represents, in front elevation, the fixed jaw a; and by an inspection
of the said Figure 3, it will be understood how the screw box c is fixed in the
plate f by means of the dovetail, shewn in dotted lines. The groove or slot in
the fixed jaw, through which the guide bar d, Figures 1 and 2, passes, is
marked in Figure 3. Figure 4 represents, in elevation, the face of the
moveable jaw, the guide bar d being shewn in section. is the hole through
which the screw or pin passes, and m is the slot in which the support of the
screw box e is situated; n is a boss or projection on the under side of the
base plate f; the said boss enters a hole in the bench c. o is a screw which
engages in the boss n; p is a washer, through which the screw o passes, and
against the under side of which the head of the said screw bears. By
loosening the screw o, the vice may be turned upon the boss n as a centre,
and made to take any position in the plane of its motion. By tightening
the screw o, the vice may be fixed to the bench c in any desired position.
The faces of the jaws, marked q in Figures 1 and 2, are made of steel, and

page_text: are fixed to the jaws by forming recesses in the said jaws, of the form which
will be understood by an inspection of Figures 1 and 2. The parts 1,
Figures 3 and 4, of the faces q, q, dovetail into the jaws as indicated by dotted
lines, and the screws s, s, fix the said faces in their place.
Figure 5 represents, in side clevation, a vice in which the faces are fixed on
the jaws, in a manner different from that herein-before described. The said
faces t, t, may have dovetails in their lower part, such as are represented in
Figures 3 and 4, while the upper part of the said faces t, t, cover the upper
ends of the jaws of the vice, and are clamped thereto by screws u, u.
Figure 6 represents a vice, the facings of which resemble in general con-
struction the facings, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4; they are, however, somewhat
different in construction, being without the dovetailed lower part 1, Figures 3
and 4. The facings, Figure 6, are attached to the jaws of the vice by inserting
the projecting parts v, v, in a recess or rebate formed in the jaw of the vice,
and securing it in its place by screws w. Figure 7 represents the face of the
moveable jaw of the vice, Figure 6. The facings are cut with teeth or grooves,
as represented in the several Figures. I effect the cutting of the same by
ineans of revolving cutters used in a lathe, or stationary cutters fixed in a
planing machine. The stationary cutter in the planing machine I use for the
purpose of cutting the longitudinal grooves or teeth in the facings, and where
the said longitudinal teeth are crossed by transverse cuttings, I effect the latter
by means of revolving cutters actuated by a lathe. I sometimes construct my
improved vice in the manner represented in Figure 5, that is to say, without
the boss n, Figure 1, for the vice to turn upon; the said vice, Figure 5, being
firmly attached to the work bench by screwing or otherwise.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit
myself to the precise details herein described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my said Invention; but I claim as
my Invention,―
Firstly, the general arrangement of the parts of a parallel vice herein
described, and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the accompanying
Drawing.
Secondly, the methods herein described, and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, and 7 of the accompanying Drawing, of applying chaps or faces to the
jaws of vices, that is to say, by dovetailing the lower part, and grooving,
rebating, or overlaying the upper part, or by rebating, in the manner shown in
Figures 6 and 7.

page_text: Thirdly, making vices moveable upon a centre, so that the vice may take
any angle in the plane of its motion, as herein described, and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawing.
Lastly, cutting the teeth on the chaps or jaws of vices by means of cutters
fixed and worked in a planing machine, or revolving cutters worked by a
lathe, as herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Warren, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
WILLIAM WARREN. (L.S.)