Year: 1896

page_text: I. CHARLES DUBOIS, of Segries, Department de la Sarthe in the Republic of
France, Vicar, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved vice which I terin "Universal vice" and
which in a practical manner permits of securely holding pieces of material of any
shape while they are being operated upon.
For this purpose the jaws of the vice are provided with clamps mounted on
pivoted poppets carried by the jaws in such a manner that these clamps can,
according to requirement, be variably inclined and directed according to the shape
of the piece required to be held fast. The jaws are likewise hinge jointed or
pivotally connected at their lower ends so that they are likewise adjustable.
The screw of this improved vice is made in two parts, one provided with right
hand, and the other with left hand screw threads; these two shafts can be inclined
to one another and may cause the two jaws of the vice to symmetrically recede from
or approach toward one another relatively to the axis. The two screw portions
carry at their adjacent extremities two sectors provided with ovally curved teeth
which are kept constantly in engagement irrespective of what may be the inclina-
tion of the screws to each other.
The vice substantially comprises two jaws jointed at their lower ends to two
portions forming a hinge with a vertical pivot or shaft; the said shaft has its upper
end rigidly connected to flat portions which serve to maintain the toothed sectors
provided at the inner extremities of the screws, in gear, and finally that flat
piece nearest the bench or other support, is fixed thereto by means of two lateral
stays or in any other appropriate manner.
The screws are threaded left and right hand; they each turn in nuts, provided
with two pivots partly located in the jaws of the vice and held in place by means of
stays or flanges.
As the toothed sectors remain constantly in engagement, it is evident that if one
of the screws is caused to turn when the vice lever or handle is acted upon, the
other screw turns likewise and the jaws simultaneously recede from or approach
toward each other while remaining symmetrical relatively to the fixed vertical
shaft.
The head of each of the jaws is formed by a poppet mounted on a pivot which
allows the poppet to be set in any direction relatively to the corresponding jaw.
Each clamp movable in the vertical direction and provided with overlapping
cheeks or side plates. has an axis or pivot which enters a recess of corresponding
shape arranged in the upper part of the poppet or head, and can occupy any
required inclination according to the shape of the piece to be held by the vice.

page_text: One of the clamps may, if so desired, be rendered immovable upon its poppet or
head, by the aid of a hook turning on a pivot carried by the said poppet and
turning down so as to embrace a tenon or stud; the pivot traverses the cheek of the
clamp in a circular groove which, when the hook is lifted, allows the clamp to take
up any desired inclination upon the poppet or head without being impeded by tho
said pivot. The poppet or head may be fixed upon its jaw preferably by a pin and
one or the other of the jaws is fastened to a base plate, either by means of hooks,
or by the aid of screws traversing this plate vertically so as to engage with the parts
of the hinge-joint.
After the hooks have been fastened or turned down or after the pins and screws
have been put in place, as the case may be, the vice is ready for use in the ordinary
way; but it is evident that it is easy to make the different constituent parts of
the vice adjustable, according to the work required, by simply lifting one or the
other of the hooks, or by withdrawing one or more pins.
On disengaging the hooks at the hinge joint alone, a vice with a swivelling jaw
is obtained which renders the same services as ordinary vices of this kind.
Moreover the use of two screws jointed where they meet, in combination with the
adjustable clamps permits of using the vice as a parallel vice.
Finally the variable adjustability of the clamp-holding poppets or heads rela-
tively to one another, permits of dispensing with any packing or device for firmly
holding the material to be operated on in position, when its surfaces are not parallel
to each other.
The clamps may be kept disengaged from their hooks and returned to their
medium position by means of counter-acting springs: these springs may be leaf or
spiral springs and he arranged at any suitable place so as not to impede the operator.
I may vary the shape, material and dimensions of the different constituent parts
of the vice. Moreover the joint connection of the two screw stems formed by the
twe toothed sectors, kept in constant gear, may be replaced by a universal or any
ether suitable joint.
Data: 1 L
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
I, CHARLES DUBOIS, of Segries, Department de la Sarthe in the Republic of
France, Vicar, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved vice which I term a "universal" vice,
and which in a practical manner enables pieces of material or articles of any shape
to be securely held and conveniently operated upon.
To this end the jaws of the vice are fitted with hinged clamps, mounted upon
pivoted poppets supported by the jaws in such a manner that the said clamps may
be inclined or turned in directions varying according to requirements and according
to the shapes of the pieces to be held fast in the vice. The jaws also, moreover
are hinged at their lower ends, and thereby made capable of adjustment in different
directions.
The screw of the improved vice is made in two parts, one provided with right

page_text: hand and the other with left hand screw threads; each of these parts is adapted to
tilt or incline at the desired angle to the horizontal, and thereby to cause the two
jaws of the vice to move apart symmetrically in relation to the centre or axis
thereof. Each of the two screw portions carries at its adjacent extremity an ovally
curved toothed quadrant or sector, which quadrants or sectors are kept constantly
in engagement irrespective of what may be the inclination of the screws to each
other.
In order that my invention may be readily understood I will proceed to describe
the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a part sectional elevation of my improved vice;
Figure 2 is a top-view or plan corresponding to Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an elevation (at right angles to Figure 1) viewed from the hand lever
side; and
Figure 4 is a vertical section of a modified construction of clamp or head of the
jaws.
it
The improved vice essentially comprises two jaws or arms A B, the lower ends of
which are pivoted at a, a, to the two parts a and b, respectively, of a hinge mounted
on a vertical shaft or spindle d, the upper part of which is rigidly connected to a
pair of flat or dished piecus e e', which serve to maintain in gear the toothed quad-
rants or sectors f g that are carried at the inner extremities of the screws fg.
The piece e, that is nearest to the bench, is adapted to be secured to the same by
means of two lateral stays FF, or in any other suitable manner.
The screwed portions 7 am threadied in opposite directions and arranged to
turn in the nuts fg, respectively, which are provided with two trunnions partially
located in the jaws or arms of the vice and retained in position by the flanges h
As the toothed quadrants f g invariably remain in gear it will be understood that
whenever one screw is turned, by operating the lever L, the other screw is also
thereby caused to turn, and the arms A and B are made to recede from or approach
each other simultaneously, while remaining symmetrical relatively to the fixed
vertical shaft or spindle d.
The head of each of the jaws consists of a poppet C, mounted on a pivot so as
to be capable of being set in any desired direction, in relation to its corresponding
jaw. The dotted lines, Figure 2, indicate a second position of one of the poppets C.
Each clamp D, movable in the vertical direction and provided with overlapping
cheeks or side plates s, carries a horizontal pin or pivot o adapted to enter a recess
of corresponding shape formed in the upper part of the poppet or head C, so that it
may tilt at any convenient angle, according to the shape of the piece or article
to be held in the vice.
Either of the clamps may be made fast on its poppet at will, by means of a hook
turning on a pivot a provided on the said poppet and adapted to be turned down
towards the jaw so as to engage with the stud . The said pivot passes through
the cheeks s of the clamp, travelling in a circular groove which enables the
clamp, when the hook is raised, to take up any angle of inclination towards its
poppet without being hindered by the pivot. The poppet may be attached to its
arm in a similar manner, perferably by means of a pin y; and one of the jaws or
arms A B is connected to the base-plate E, either by means of hooks 2 or by screws
passing vertically through the said plate E. so as to engage with the parts & and e
of the hinge mounted on the vertical shaft or spindle.
When all the hooks are fastened or turned down, or assuming that the pins and
screws are all in their normal positions, the vice is ready for use in the ordinary
manner; but it will be understood that by raising either one or the other of the
two hooks, or by withdrawing one or more of the pins, the several parts of the vice
may be rendered adjustable or movable according to the requirements of the work
in hand.
By raising the hooks p only, a vice with a swivelling jaw is obtained capable
of answering all the purposes of ordinary vices of this kind.
Moreover, the employment of two screws linked together at their meeting point,

page_text: in combination with the clamps whose angle of inclination is adjustable at will,
permits the vice to be used as a parallel vice.
Again, the facility of turning the clamp-holding poppets to any extent required
relatively to each other, enables me to dispense with the use of any additional
insertion in the form of lining or packing for firmly holding the piece to be operated
upon in position when its surfaces are not parallel to each other.
The clamps D may be retained in position when the vice is empty or not in use,
and moved back to their intermediate position by means of springs, not shown,
which may be either flat or helical and located in any convenient situation, so as
not to impede the operator.
The shapes, materials and dimensions of the several parts of my improved vice
may be varied. Thus the clamps, in particular, may take either the shape repre-
sented in Figure 1 or that which is shown in Figure 4; or they may be hinged to
the poppet after the manner of the arms of compasses, whereby great strength
will be imparted to them, while the overlapping cheeks can in that case be omitted.
Also the joint connection of the two lengths or portions of the screw by means of
two toothed quadrants or sectors constantly maintained in gear, may be replaced
by a coupling comprising sleeves toothed on their opposite faces, with the teeth of
one entering the tooth-spaces of the other, so that, whatever the angle of inclination
and direction given to the screws, a number of their teeth in all cases remain in
gear. Or a universal joint may be interposed between the lengths of the screw.
And in conclusion I may point out that to enable the direction of the jaws or
arms of the vice to he varied at will by means of a single screen, whilst retaining
the lower hinge, I may construct that screw in such a manner that one end thereof
terminates in a ball located in a correspondingly shaped recess in one jaw of the
vice, which jaw will then be fired; while its other end would, through the medium
of a screw-nut, pass through the movable jaw of the vice.
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) An improved vice comprising various movable parts calculated to facilitate
the performance of work of every description, whatever the configuration of the
articles or parts of machinery to be secured or fitted, and consisting essentially
of clamps hinged to pivoted poppets that are supported by the jaws of the vice, which
jaws are themselves hinged together at their lower ends in such a manner as to be
capable of turning in any desired direction; and the screw of the vice, being formed
in two parts or lengths screw-threaded in opposite directions, each length of screw
being movable in the jaw of the vice that supports it, said lengths of screw being
connected together at their adjacent extremities in such a manner as to ensure
the simultaneous and symmetrical approach or retreat of the jaws to or from the
fixed shaft or spindle of the vice.
(2) In a vice, such as is referred to in the 1st claim, a screw constructed in two
lengths f and g, having opposite screw threads and fitted with toothed quadrants
or sectors such as f¹ g', at their adjacent extremities, whereby they are constantly
maintained in gear with each other; the said lengths of screw f and g turning in
screw-nuts and 92, respectively, provided with trunnions or journals partially
located in the jaws of the vice and retained in position by flanges h h¹, substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(3) In a vice such as referred to in the 1st claim, the jaws or arms A and B,
pivoted at their lower ends to the two parts c and 6 of a hinge mounted on a vertical
shaft or spindle d so as to enable the said jaws to turn on the vertical shaft or
spindle and to be moved further apart or closer together as required, substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(4) In a vice such as referred to in the 1st claim, a head for each of the jaws of
the vice, consisting of a poppet such as C, mounted on a pivot h fitted in the jaw
proper, and the poppet being provided with a recess in which engages the horizon-
C

page_text: tal pin or pivot o of the a clamp D provided with overlapping cheeks or side plates s,
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings."
Dated this 25th day of June 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.