IMPROVEMENTS IN VICES, AND IN THE MODE OF SECURING THE SAME TO WORK BENCHES.AL SP
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Arthur Henry, of the firm of Marchinton,
Brothers, of Bruce Works, Bridge Street, Sheffield, of the County of
York, Machinists, &c., for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VICES,
AND IN THE MODE OF SECURING THE SAME TO WORK BENCHES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Arthur Henry
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th May 1855.
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR HENRY, of the firm of Marchinton, Brothers, of
Bruce Works, Bridge Street, Sheffield, of the County of York, Machinists, &c.,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VICES, AND IN THE MODE OF SECURING THE SAME TO WORK BENCHES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of vice,
and mode of fitting the same, whereby a more effective grasping action is
obtained, and the jaws are enabled to adjust themselves to tapered objects, and
will consequently hold them more securely than by an ordinary vice. The
improvements consist in enabling the two jaws to turn in sockets, and thus

page_text: adjust themselves to tapered objects; and also in the employment of a peculiar
arrangement for adjusting or setting the fulcrum of the moveable jaw forward
or backward, so as to grasp large or small objects with equal facility without
altering the tension of its spring. The back jaw of the vice is made in
one piece, with a vertical column, which works loosely at its lower end in a
socket on the top of a screw spindle, which enables the vice to be raised or
lowered by means of nuts working on a small lug or bracket fixed to the front
of the work bench.
The upper part of the column is grasped by a collar secured to the bench,
and this collar is tightened up by means of a nut and screw, so that by simply
slackening the same the whole vice may be adjusted or turned either to the
right or to the left, as found most convenient iu working. The shank of
the moveable or front jaw rests also in a socket, and this socket works on a
pin in a sliding block, which serves as the fulcrum. This block slides in slots
in a strap or arm attached to the socket of the back jaw, being fixed thereon
by a set screw. The adjustment of the sliding block is effected by a curved
slotted segment lever, turning on the fulcrum of the front jaw as a centre,
and its slot working on a fixed antifriction roller, so that by turning the
segment lever more or less, the block will be slid along its guiding slots
accordingly; a detent and rack serve to retain it in position when adjusted.
The spring of the moveable jaw bears against a roller carried between two
brackets on the sliding block, so that whatever position the front jaw may be
in, the tension on the spring will remain the same. The two jaws when
required to work parallel are fixed in their sockets by transverse pins or keys
passed through them, which are, however, withdrawn when the jaws require to
turn in their sockets for the purpose of grasping a tapered object.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Arthur Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM 3
ARTHUR HENRY, of the firm of Marchinton, Brothers, of Bruce Works,
Bridge Street, Sheffield, of the County of York, Machinists, &c., send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord 3

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Arthur Henry, Her special license that I, the said William
Arthur Henry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others a
I, the said William Arthur Henry, my executors, administrators, or 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 Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN VICES, AND IN THE MODE OF SECURING THE SAME TO WORK BENCHES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Arthur Henry,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Arthur Henry, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
.
My said Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of
vice, and mode of fitting the same, whereby a more effective grasping action
is obtained, and the jaws are enabled to adjust themselves to tapered objects,
and will consequently hold them more securely than can be effected by an
ordinary vice.
The improvements consist in enabling the two jaws to turn in sockets, and
thus adjust themselves to tapered objects; and also in the employment of a
peculiar arrangement for adjusting or setting the fulcrum of the moveable jaw
forward or backward, so as to grasp large or small objects with equal facility
without altering the tension of its spring. The back jaw of the vice is made
in one piece, with a vertical column, which works loosely at its lower end in a
socket on the top of a screw spindle, which enables the vice to be raised or
lowered by means of nuts working on a small lug or bracket fixed to the front
of the work bench. The upper part of the column is grasped by a collar
secured to the bench, and this collar is tightened up by means of a nut and
screw, 50 that by simply slackening the same the whole vice may be adjusted
or turned either to the right or to the left, as found most convenient in

page_text: practice. The shank of the moveable or front jaw rests also in a socket, and
this socket works on a pin in a sliding block, which serves as the fulcrum.
This block slides in slots in a strap or arm attached to the socket of the back
jaw, being fixed thereon by a set screw. The adjustment of the sliding block
is effected by a curved slotted segment lever, turning on the fulcrum of the
front jaw as a centre, and its slot working on a fixed antifriction roller, so that
by turning the segment lever more or less, the block will be slid along its
guiding slots accordingly; a detent and rack serve to retain it in position when
adjusted. The spring of the moveable jaw bears against a roller carried
between two brackets on the sliding block, so that whatever position the front
jaw may be in, the tension on the spring will remain the same. The two.
jaws when required to work parallel are fixed in their sockets by transverse
pins or keys passed through them, which are, however, withdrawn when the
jaws require to turn in their sockets for the purpose of grasping a tapered.
object.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall refer
to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation of my impoved vice
with the jaws opened to their fullest extent; Figure 2 is an elevation of the
opposite side of the vice with the jaws close up; Figure 3 is a plan of the top
of the jaws, shewing the position they will assume in grasping a tapered
object; and Figure 4 is a plan of the bracket and collar for securing the upper
portion of the vice to the work bench. A, A', are the front and back jaws of
the vice; B, the screw box; C, an upright column, formed in one piece, with
the back jaw A', & resting in the round socket D. made in one piece with the
vertical screw spindle E. This screw spindle passes through the nuts F, F,
and through the small lug or bracket G, which is attached to the front of the
work bench for the purpose of raising or lowering the vice to any desired
position. H. H, are two slotted strap pieces, secured to the fixed portion of
the view just below the socket D, and hotween these straps works the
front or moving shank 1 of the vice, this shank being fitted at its lower end
in the round socket J, which works loosely on the centre pin or fulcrum K in
the sliding block L. This block slides in the slots in the straps II, and
may be moved or traversed to any desired position therein by means of the
lever handle M and slotted segment N, which turns on the centre pin K in

page_text: the block L, whilst in the curved slot of the segment works the fixed anti-
friction pulley O, fitted on to a stud in the side of one of the straps H. The block
L is held fixed in any desired position in the straps by the detent P and rack Q,
the detent working on the pin K as a fixed centre. A set screw R serves-to
fix the position of the straps on the back portion or socket D of the vice. The
column C and the moving shank I may be fixed in their respective sockets
and so prevented from turning by the transverse pins S, S, when the jaws are
required to close parallel; but when a tapered object is to be gripped, the
pins S are withdrawn, and the lower portions or shanks C and I of the jaws
will then be free to turn in their sockets, and permit of the jaws adjusting
themselves to the taper required, as is clearly shewn in the plan, Figure 8.
The blade spring T is attached at its upper end to the moving shank I, and
bears at its lower end against the antifriction roller U, carried between suitable
brackets on the sliding block L, and moving with it, so that however far apart
the shanks may be placed, the tension of the spring T will always remain the
The upper portion of the vice is connected to the work bench by the
collar piece W (Figure 4), which is fixed thereto, and grasps the upper
portion of the column C, the collar itself being tightened up by means of the
tightening screw X; should the position, however, of the back jaw A' require
adjusting to an oblique position to grip a tapered object, the screw X may be
slackened, and the jaw adjusted accordingly.
same.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,—
First, the general construction and arrangement of vice, as herein-before
described.
Second, the system or mode of rendering the jaws of vices adjustable to
tapered objects, by fitting the shank of each individual jaw in a suitable
socket, in which the shanks are free to turn, as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use of the sliding block L, and the mode of
adjusting the same in the straps H, for the purpose of regulating the distance
between the two jaws, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the peculiar arrangement of the spring U, whereby its tension will

page_text: always remain the same in whatever position the block L may be placed, as
herein-before described.
Fifth, the system or mode of attaching the vice to the work bench, and the
means of raising and lowering the same, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Arthur Henry, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of November, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
WILLIAM ARTHUR HENRY. (L.B.)