improvements in Vices.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Feb., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 7th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 31st Dec., 1898
improvements in Vices.
I, CHARLES FRANCIS EDWARD SWINDEN, of 22, Queen Victoria Street, in the
City of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
This invention relates to vices and has for its object to improve the construc-
tion of these tools as hereinafter set forth.
The chief feature of the invention consists in an improved construction of
parallel vice, in which the whole of the sliding parts are made cylindrical instead
of square or rectangular, as has hitherto been the practice. By this method of
construction the head of the vice may be rotated and can be furnished with more
than one pair of jaws so that the same tool may be used with various kinds of
work by merely rotating the head and bringing the desired pair of jaws to the
top. Another feature consists in an improved construction of screw vice, whereby
the nut is enabled to be readily removed when worn with use, and replaced by a
fresh nut. The invention furthermore comprises an improved construction of
vice more especially adapted for light work, such for example, as is required in
some branches of cycle and gun manufacture, and for use by jewellers, clock-
makers, and the like. In this construction the jaws of the vice are brought
together by spring pressure, which pressure is capable of being varied if desired,
as hereinafter explained.
In order that the nature of the invention may be clearly understood, I will
now proceed to describe by way of example, how the same may be carried out in
practice. In the case of a screw vice, constructed according to this invention,
the back jaw is not rigidly secured to the base or stand of the vice, but is free
to rotate relatively to the same about an axis perpendicular to its gripping face.
For this purpose said jaw is provided with a cylindrical rearward extension,
passing through a sleeve forming part of the base, said extension being capable
of rotation, but not being longitudinally movable in said sleeve. Means are
provided for preventing the rotation of the back jaw when desired. The front
jaw which is of course adapted to slide towards and away from the back jaw is
provided with the usual screw or any other suitable device, for tightening the
jaws together, so as to grip the work. According to my invention in order to
facilitate and cheapen the construction of the vice, I form the front jaw with
a cylindrical portion which slides in and out of a cylindrical hole in the
rear jaw, means being provided whereby the rotation of one jaw
relatively to the other jaw is prevented. In the case of a screw vice, the nut
of the screw is, of course, secured in the back jaw, the screwed spindle passing
through the front jaw, said nut is however not secured in any way to the base
of the vice, hence the two jaws with the work gripped between them, can be very

page_text: readily rotated relatively to the base when desired. In order to provide for the
renewal of the nut when worn, said nut is provided with lateral extensions, which
slide in grooves formed in the cylindrical orifice provided in the back jaw, and
is tightly wedged in place. Suitable slots are provided in the rearward extension
of the front jaw for receiving the lateral extensions of the nut, so as to permit the
gripping faces of the jaws to be brought close together. When the nut has
become worn the screwed spindle is removed and the nut can readily be forced
out of the back jaw, and a new one inserted in its place.
The improved spring grip vice has its back jaw preferably rotatable in the base
as above described. The front jaw is provided with a rearwardly extending
spindle passing through an orifice in the back jaw, and provided at its back end
with a collar and between said collar and the rear face of the back jaw a cylin-
drical spiral spring of suitable strength is interposed. The rotation of the two
jaws of the vice relatively to each other is prevented by an excentric pin secured
to one of the jaws and passing through an orifice in the other jaw. In order to
regulate the strength of the spring the spindle hereinabove referred to may be
screw threaded at its rear end the collar being screwed thereon in place of being
firmly secured to said spindle, so that the length of the space occupied by the
spring when the jaws of the vice are together may be altered as desired, or
washers may be interposed between the end of the spring and the collar. For
small work interchangeable springs of different strength may be employed, the
vice being arranged to be readily taken to pieces for the purpose of changing the
spring. The jaws may in some cases be opened by hand by pulling on the front
jaw, a lever, however, is preferably provided for this purpose, which lever is
pivoted at the rear of the base of the vice and adapted to engage with the end of
the spindle, which is secured to the front jaw. In order that the rotation of the
jaws relatively to the base should not be interfered with, the end of the spindle is
rounded and engages with a grooved anti-friction wheel in the lever. The lever
may be arranged to be pressed down by means of a treadle or operated directly
by hand as required.
Any suitable form may be given to the grip faces of the jaws, for example, for
vices intended for use in making cycle frames, the jaws may be each provided
with three lateral extensions having grooves therein to grip the tubes forming
the members of the frame or other special forms of jaw may be used if desired.
Vices constructed according to this invention can be manufactured very cheaply,
since the sliding portions and in fact, nearly all the machined parts of the tool
can be turned in a lathe owing to their cylindrical form, whereas vices constructed
in the ordinary manner, having sliding parts of square or rectangular section,
require to have these portions machined in a shaping or slotting machine; the
time taken for such work is considerably greater than that required for drilling
cylindrical holes and turning cylindrical shafts. The improved vices have the
further very useful property that the work can be turned round, so as to bring
different portions of the surface uppermost, without being removed from the vice.
Dated this 17th day of February 1898.

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:
-
This invention relates to vices and has for its object to improve the construc-
tion of these tools as hereinafter set forth.
The chief feature of the invention consists in an improved construction of screw
vice, whereby the nut is enabled to be readily removed when worn with use, and
replaced by a fresh nut. The invention furthermore comprises an improved con-
struction of vice more especially adapted for light work, such for example, as is
required in some branches of cycle and gun manufacture, and for use by
jewellers, clockmakers, and the like. In this construction the jaws of the vice
are brought together by spring pressure, which pressure is capable of being
varied if desired, as hereinafter explained.
In order that the nature of the invention may be clearly understood, I will
now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings
which show vices constructed according to the present invention.
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a screw vice.
Figure 2 a section on the line 2-2 Figure 1.
Figure 3 a section on the line 3-3 Figure 1.
Figure 4 a front view of a detail.
Figure 5 a side elevation of a spring grip vice, and Figure 6 a sectional eleva-
tion of the same.
A is the base having a cylindrical horizontal orifice A¹ therein in which is adapted
to slide and turn a cylindrical rearward extension B forming part of the back
jaw. A horizontal saw-cut made in the base and furnished with a pinching
screw G may be provided as shewn so that the extension B can be prevented in
a well-known manner L from turning when desired. The back jaw is secured
in position in the base by means of a ring B¹ secured to it with a screw 12. The
front jaw C has a rearward extension C which slides in a cylindrical hole B³ in
the back jaw B, and the nut D through which is passed the screwed spindle E
for drawing the jaws together is provided with wings D¹ passing through slots C³
in the side of the part C and engaged in shallow grooves B34 inside the cylinder B.
Said grooves B are made deeper at the rear of the vice than at the front portion
so that as the nut 1 is moved forward it becomes tightly fixed in the grooves.
F is a cap shewn in front elevation in Fig. 4 secured at the end of the part C¹.
It will be seen from the foregoing description that the more tightly the vice
is screwed up the more tightly will the nut 1 be jammed in its grooves B* and
when the same is worn the cap F can be taken off and the front jaw removed by
unscrewing the spindle E after which the nut D can be forced out and a fresh one
substituted.
In some cases a pin screwed through the side of the rearward portion of the
back jaw into or against the nut 1) or its wings may be provided for the better
securing of the same.
In the vice shewn in Figs. 5 and 6 the jaws are brought together through the
pressure of the spring H which is confined between a collar J loosely keyed on
the cylindrical extension C¹ of the front jaw which slides in the back jaw. To
prevent the front jaw rotating relatively to the back jaw the collar has an
upward extension which slides in a groove J2 in the collar B' or an eccentric
pin may be secured to one of the jaws passing through an orifice in the other
jaw. K is a nut screwed on the end of the part C which regulates the position
of the collar J and thereby the tension of the spring H. For moving the jaws
apart a lever L pivoted at L¹ to the base A is provided having a roller L² engaging
with the end of the part C. The lever may be arranged to be operated by ai
treadle if desired, or the jaws may be moved apart by pulling on the front jaw.
One side of the jaws is shewn adapted for holding a pipe as at M another portion,
being formed with ordinary steel faces as shewn at N other suitable forms may
be given to the grip faces of the jaws if desired. It is not absolutely necessary
that the tension of the spring H should be able to be regulated and where this is

page_text: not required the collar J is secured to the part C₁ with a set screw. Or inter-
changeable springs differing in strength may be employed, the vice being arranged
so as to be readily taken to pieces for the purpose of changing the spring.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A screw parallel vice the nut of which is secured tightly within an extension
of the back jaw so as to be removable when necessary, substantially as shewn
and described.
.
2. A vice in which a spring, the tension of which is adjustable or not, is used
for obtaining the necessary pressure between the jaws, substantially as described.
3. Vices constructed substantially as described with reference to either of the
forms shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 7th day of October 1898.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.