Improvements in Drilling and other Machine Vices.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 5th July, 1894-Accepted, 11th Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drilling and other Machine Vices.
I, JOHN ROPER, of Dudley Road, Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford,
Manufacturer of Cycle Ball Bearings, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
--
This invention has for its object the construction and employment of a vice of
which the jaws may be readily turned on a horizontal axis to move the article they
hold through any desired angular distance in a vertical plane, and of which the
jaws may be moved endways so as to bring the article into the desired position in
relation to the tool by which it is to be drilled or machined.
A vice constructed according to this invention has the moving jaw mounted on a
slide forming a portion of the fixed jaw. The fixed jaw is pivoted on a bed or
block which is capable of being moved to-and-fro along a bed slide in the direction
of the plane in which the jaw moves when turned on the pivot axis. To enable
the operator to readily turn the jaws any required angular distance on the pivot
axis an index and pointer may be used. When the jaws have been turned into the
desired position they are held securely from turning on the pivot axis by means of
any suitable appliance, such as a coned unt screwed upon the end of a fixed pivot
pin and capable of being tightened up into a conical opening in the side of the
fixed jaw.
A vice constructed as above described is very convenient for use in drilling the
lugs of bottom brackets and ball heads of cycles.
As an example of the manner of using the vice I will describe its application in
the case of drilling out the lugs of a bottom bracket which are for receiving the
ends of the lower tubes of the back framing of a cycle. These lugs are in the
same plane but are at an inclination with one another. The bracket having been
truly bored and faced at its ends is held between the jaws of the vice in position
with its longitudinal axis transverse to the faces of the jaws and with the two lugs
which are to be drilled out upwards in a vertical plane. The faces of the jaws are
trued vp and form planes parallel to one another, and thus the bracket is held with
its longitudinal axis truly at right angles to the faces of the jaws. The jaws are
turned on their pivot axis to bring one of the lugs into vertical position, and the
bed or block to which the jaws are pivoted is moved to bring the vertical lug
immediately under the tool. When the lug has been drilled the jaws are turned
on their pivot axis through an arc corresponding to the desired inclination between
the lugs and then the second lug, which has of course been cast or forged
approximately at the proper angle with the bracket, is brought into a vertical or
approximately vertical position and the bed or block to which the jaws are pivoted
is moved to bring this lug immediately under the tool which as it is brought down
drills it out vertically. These two lugs are consequently drilled truly in the same
plane and at the desired inclination with one another.
The moving jaw is operated to-and-fro along its slide by the aid of a screw, and
the bed or block to which the fixed jaw is pivoted is moved along the bed slide by
the aid of a screw.
A sideway motion may be given to the jaws if desired, in addition to the to-and-
fro movement, by carrying the portion described as the bed slide on a suitable
lower slide so that it may be moved in a direction at right angles to the plane in
which the jaws turn on their pivot axis; and the bed or block to which the fixed
jaw is pivoted may be formed in two parts of which one is mounted to be capable
of turning through any desired angular distance upon the other.

page_text: The vice is described as if the bed slide were placed flat upon a support, but it
may be used with such slide fixed against a vertical support in the case of a
borizontal drilling machine or other machine requiring it to be in such position.
Dated the 4th day of October 1893.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drilling and other Machine Vices.
I, JOHN ROPER, of Dudley Road, Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford,
Manufacturer of Cycle Ball Bearings, 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 leading purpose or object of this invention is the construction and employ-
ment of a vice of which the jaws may be readily turned on a horizontal axis to
move the article they hold through any desired angular distance in a vertical plane,
and of which the jaws may be moved endways so as to bring the article into the
desired position in relation to the tool by which it is to be drilled or machined.
The invention is capable, however, as hereinafter explained, of certain amplifica-
tions or developments which enable additional movements to be given to the jaws of
the vice.
A vice constructed according to this invention, in its simplest form, has the
moving jaw mounted on a slide forming a portion of the fixed jaw. The fixed jaw
is pivoted on a bed or block which is capable of being moved to-and-fro along a
bed slide in the direction of the plane in which the jaw moves when turned on the
pivot axis, that is to say in a direction transverse to such pivot axis.
In addition to constructing the vice as above described, the portion described as
the bed slide may be carried on a suitable lower slide in such manner that it may
be moved in a direction at right angles to the plane on which the jaws turn on their
pivoted axis, that is to say in a direction end wise of such axis, and thus a sideway
movement may be given to the jaws if desired, in addition to the to-and-fro
movement above described. Moreover, the bed or block to which the fixed jaw is
pivoted may be formed in two parts, of which one is mounted to be capable of
turning through any desired angular distance upon the other, and thus the jaws may
be turned on a vertical axis.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to describe
a practical application thereof with reference to the drawings herewith, which
illustrate a vice constructed according to the invention of which the jaws may be
readily turned on a horizontal axis, moved to-and-fro and also sideways, and be
turned on a vertical axis, that is to say a vice comprising all the features of the
invention.
arrow a.
Figure is a side elevation of the vice; Figure 2 a plan; and Figure 3 a
transverse section taken on line xx of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the
The fixed jaw A is formed with lugs A' A' which pass down on each
side of a lug B standing out from a bed or block C, and the lugs A' A' are pivoted
to the lug B by means of a pin D. The jaw A is formed also with a backwardly
projecting portion A3, the upper or outer face of which is formed as a slide; and
the moving jaw E is carried upon this slide, being moved inwards and outwards
therealong towards and from the fixed jaw A by means of a screw F. The moving
jaw E may be prevented from rising from the part A2 along which it slides, by
means of a sliding-plate P which slides against the underside of a web or plate R
which connects the two sides of the part A, the said plate P being fixed by
screws s to a lug T of the jaw E the lug being a sliding fit within a slot R' in the
The bed C is carried upon a bed-slide G, along which it may be traversed
web R.

page_text: by means of a screw H; and the bed-slide G is carried upon a lower or inner
bed-slide J, along which it may be traversed at right angles to the direction
along which the bed C is traversed along itself. The bed-slide J is fixed to the
machine bed by means of bolts passing through snugs t projecting from the
ends of the bed-slide. The bed C, bed-slide G, and bed-slide J, constitute
together a kind of compound slide rest, the mounting and traversing of the
parts. being effected similarly as the corresponding parts are mounted and traversed
in a compound slide rest. In the illustration, the bed C is not formed in
one piece or otherwise fixed permanently rigidly to the lug B to which the fixed
jaw A is pivoted; but the part 6 of the bed C from which the lug B directly
projects, and with which it is conveniently formed in one piece, is mounted upon a
portion c of the bed so as to be capable of turning thereon around an axis at right
angles to the axis of the pin D, and thus the jaws of the vice may be turned
horizontally in relation to the bed C.
It will now be seen that the jaws A E of the vice may be moved in a vertical
plane around the axis of the pin D, and may be moved in a horizontal plane
around the common axis of the parts b and c of the bed C, and that they may be
moved end ways in one direction by traversing the bed C along the bed-slide G, and
may be traversed in a direction at right angles thereto by moving the bed-slide G
along the bed-slide J.
When the jaws A E have been turned in a vertical plane into any desired
position, they are of course held securely from turning on the pivot axis of the
pin D. This may be accomplished by any suitable appliance, such for instance as
the appliance illustrated by Figure 3 which consists, of a coned collar K capable of
eliding upon the pin D but prevented from turning thereon by means of a key e
fixed to or formed with the collar and being just an easy sliding fit within a slot f
formed in the surface of the pin, of an end of the pin-hole flared or cone-shaped to
correspond with the exterior shape of the collar K, and of a nut L screwed on the
outer end of the pin D and capable of being tightened up against the hinder or
outer end of the cone K. The pin D is prevented from turning on its axis by
means of a steel pointed set-pin M screwed through the hinder end of the lug B
into a conical hole formed in the side of the pin. A collar g is formed on the
opposite end of the pin D to that on which the nut L is screwed, and bears against
the outer face of one of the lugs A¹. When it is desired to turn the jaws through
a vertical plane, the nut L is slackened back; and when the jaws have been turned
into the desired position in such plane, the nut L is screwed up and thus tightens
the cone-shaped collar K into the flared or coned end of the pin-hole and securely
fixes the jaws from turning in such plane.
To enable the operator to turn the jaws A E any required angular distance only
on the pivot axis of the pin D, an index or dial N, marked with suitable divisions
around its circumference, may be fixed to an extension of the end of the pin D as
shewn, and a pointer be fixed to the side of the jaw A; and gauges i i may be
connected with the index or dial N to form stops to the movement of the jaws in
either direction in a vertical plane, the gauges being of course adjusted in position to
suit the angle through which the jaws are to be moved for the special purpose
which may be required. A section through one of the gauges i, and the portion of
the index with which it is immediately connected, is shewn as a detached view by
Figure 4. The gauge is conveniently formed of angle-shape, of which one
member of the angle passes across the rim of the disc and against which the
pointer comes in contact, and the other member of the angle passes partially
across the face of the disc and is held back to the disc by means of a pin j.
Curved slots k are formed in the index along which the pins are moved to adjust
the gauges to any required positions.
The part 6 from which the lug B projects has a shallow bung (see Figure 3)
which is turned to be just an easy turning fit within a corresponding recess in the
face of the part c of the bed or block C. The part 6 is securely fixed to the part c
by means of T-headed bolts, capable of sliding within an annular slot m of

page_text: T-section formed in the block C, which pass up through holes in the part 6 and are
provided with nuts a' at their outer ends. These nuts are, of course, slackened
back when it is desired to turn the part 6 upon the part c, and are tightened up
again when it is desired to securely fix the part 6 to the part c so as to prevent it
turning thereon.
The endway movement of the block C may be stopped in each direction,
respectively, by means of adjustable stops n n, against which a stop-piece o fixed to
the block C is brought in contact. The adjustable stops n n may be conveniently
mounted upon a bar p carried in lugs 9 at each end, respectively, of the
bed-slide G.
The movement of the bed-slide G at right angles to the endway movement of the
block C may be stopped in each direction, respectively, by means of adjustable
stops and stop-piece o corresponding to the stops n and stop-piece o above
described.
It will be seen that where it is not required for the jaws of the vice to be capable
of being turned in what has been described as a horizontal plane, the lug B may
project from, or be otherwise formed permanently rigid with, the block C; and that
where it is not required that the jaws may be capable of being moved sideways,
the bed-slide J may be dispensed with, and the bed-slide G be fixed, in lieu thereof,
direct to the machine bed.
The
As an illustration of the purposes for which a vice as above described may be
very conveniently used, even when constructed in the simpler form described, I
may mention its use for drilling the lugs of bottom brackets and ball heads of
cycles. An example of its use is illustrated by Figures 5 and 6, which I will now
proceed to explain. Each of these views shews a bottom bracket S fixed endways
between the jaws A E of the vice, with the lugs vw, which are for receiving the
ends of the lower tubes of the back framing of a cycle, in an upward position.
These lugs are in the same plane, but are at an inclination with one another.
bracket is truly bored and faced at its ends before being fixed in the vice, and when
it is screwed up between the jaws, with its longitudinal axis transverse to the faces
of the jaws, such axis is truly at right angles to the faces of the jaws, which are of
course trued up in planes parallel with one another and at right angles to the
direction of movement of the moving jaw in relation to the fixed jaw. Figure 5
shews the jaws to have been turned into such position vertically as to bring
the lug of the bracket into a vertical position, and shews the jaws to have been
moved into such position end ways as to bring the lug v concentric with the axis u
of the drilling tool; and Figure 6 shews the jaws to have been turned into such
position vertically as to bring the lug w, at the opposite end of the bracket, into a
vertical position, and shews the jaws to have been moved end ways to bring the lug w
concentric with the axis u of the drilling tool. The two lugs vwo are consequently
drilled truly in the same plane and at the desired inclination with one another.
The vice has been described above as if the fixed bed-slide were placed flat upon
a support, but it may be used with such slide fixed against a vertical support in the
case of a horizontal drilling machine or other machine requiring it to be in such
position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A drilling or other machine vice having the jaws mounted on an axis running
parallel with the faces of the jaws and on which they may be turned to present to
the drill or other tool a portion of an article to be drilled or otherwise machined at
any desired angle with another portion of such article, in combination with means
by which the pivot axis may be moved in a direction transverse to itself, sub-
stantially as described.
2. A drilling or other machine vice having the jaws mounted on an axis running
parallel with the faces of the jaws and on which they may be turned to present to

page_text: the drill or other tool one portion of an article to be drilled or otherwise machined
at any desired angle with another portion of such article, in combination with means.
by which the pivot axis may be moved in a direction transverse to itself and means
by which the jaws may be moved sideways, that is to say in a direction lengthways
of the pivot axis, substantially as described.
3. A drilling or other machine vice having the jaws mounted on an axis running
parallel with the faces of the jaws and on which they may be turned to present to
the drill or other tool one portion of an article to be drilled or otherwise machined
at any desired angle with another portion of such article, the part to which such
jaws are pivoted being itself mounted to be capable of being turned in a plane at
right angles to that in which the jaws are turned on their pivot axis, in combination
with means by which the jaws may be moved in one direction in a plane at right
angles to the axis around which the part may be turned to which the jaws are
pivoted, and also if desired in combination with means by which the jaws may be
moved in such plane in a direction at right angles to such direction, substantially
as described.
4. A drilling or other machine vice constructed substantially as described with
reference to the drawings herewith, whether in the more complex or in the simpler
form described.
Dated this 2-1 d. of T.1 1004
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.