NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN BENCH VICES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Sherman Hoar, of the State of Massachusetts,
of the United States of America, for the Invention of "NEW AND USEFUL
IMPROVEMENTS IN BENCH VICES."
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said John Sherman Hoar at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and Declaration,
on the 6th February 1867, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent
Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, BE IT KNOWN
that I, JOHN SHERMAN HOAR, of the State of Massachusetts, of the United
States of America, have invented "NEW AND USEFUL IMPROVEMENTS IN BENCH
VICES," and do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which it is to be performed, to be fully described in the following
Specification, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings making
part thereof:
Of such Drawings Figure 1 is a top view; Figure 2 a vertical and longi-
tudinal section; Figure 3, a side elevation, and Figure 4 a transverse section
of it; Figure 5 is a top view of its bed plate. In this vice the bed plate is
so constructed as to enable the jaws of the vice to be revolved on it through
an entire circle. For this purpose the bed plate shown at A has a circular or
what may be termed, a dovetailed groove or railway a extending around it

page_text: below and from its upper surface, and it also has a port or opening 6 leading
laterally out of such groove. This port is to enable clamp screws c, c, formed
with dovetailed heads or their equivalents to be inserted into the groove, which
they can be by passing each of them through the port and into the groove.
The bed plate has holes d, d, made through it to receive screws when used
for the purpose of fastening the plate upon a bench. The clamp screws c, c,
pass up through a stationary jaw carrier supporting plate B, which is circular in
form, and rests on the bed plate A. On each of the screws c a clamp nut d
is screwed, and when screwed down upon the plate B.it serves to confine the
plate B to the plate A. There may be a pivot to extend down from the
central part of the jaw carrier plate B, and enter a corresponding step or
a tubular
bearing in the plate A. The stationary jaw C is supported by
carrier C', which is raised on the plate B, and with the said jaw and plate is
or may be cast in one piece. D is a movable jaw, whose shank E is grooved
er channeled lengthwise, as shown at k, to receive the screw F and the standard
or block G employed for giving motion of the movable jaw relatively to the
stationary jaw; such standard is tenoned into the plate B, and has a female
screw for receiving the male screw F, which is screwed through the said
standard. The screw F should be provided with a lever I, and be so applied
to the movable jaw shank as to be stationary relatively thereto, except in being
capable of being revolved, so as to effect the necessary movements of the shank
to cause the movable jaw either to approach toward or recede from the
stationary jaw. The arrangement of the jaws is such that their middles
extend beyond a vertical line passing through one side of the jaw shank E, or,
in other words, each jaw is arranged so as to project nearly, if not entirely,
beyond such line, as will be scen by examination of Figure 1. This eccentric
arrangement of the jaws is to enable any long article when projecting below
them to be held by them without interference from the shank, such articlo
extending down by the side of the shank, my said arrangement affording
more scope to the use of the vice than exists when the jaws are arranged in
the ordinary manner with respect to their carriers, that is, so that each jaw
shall have its middle directly over the axis of its carrier or shank. There
extends from the stationary jaw carrier, in manner as represented in the
Drawings, an anvil or horn G thereof, such anvil as well as the horn is
oftentimes useful for enabling a person to bend or hammer down a rod or
crooked piece of metal when grasped by the jaws; it will also be found useful
in other respects.
Figure 6 denotes a top view, and Figure 7 represents a bottom view of the jaw
of a vice provided with another improvement constituting part of my Invention;

page_text: Figure 8 is an end elevation, and Figure 9. is a transverse section of the
same.
In carrying out this part of my Invention I combine with the vice jaw A
a false adjustable obtuse angle triangular jaw B made with a slotted flange a
projecting back from it. The obtuse angle of the triangular jaw bears
against the face of the vice jaw, while the flange projects over and rests on
the upper surface of such vice jaw. The slot a made through the flange,
which is semicircular in form, is curved from a center coincident with the
vertex of the obtuse angle of the jaw B; a hook C is passed through the slot
and hooked upon the flange in its rear, and is secured to the vice jaw A by
means of a set screw 6, which screws into the vice jaw and goes through a
slot:c made in the shank of the hook. The purpose of the hook C and the
curved slot a is to hold the jaw B in place in connection with the jaw A,
and allow the jaw B to adjust itself laterally or turn on the vertex of its
angle. If desirable the adjustable jaw B may have a small stud d extended
from the vertex of its obtuse angle and into a cavity or hole e made in the
vice jaw. The purpose of the adjustable triangular jaw is to adapt the vice
to holding an article whose opposite sides may be out of parallelism. I am
aware that it is not new to so apply a vice to a bench as to enable the vice
to be revolved through an entire circle, but in such case the clamping devices
of the jaw plate or carrier of the vice extended beneath the bench and so as
to be more or less difficult of access; I am also aware that clamping devices
have been arranged above the jaw carrier plate; therefore, I lay no claim to
the Invention of such in the abstract.
I have made an improvement by constructing the base plate with the
continuous circular dovetailed groove or railway and its entrance port or
passages, and providing such groove with screws to move around in it and go
through the jaw carrier plate and receive thumb nuts as described, my improve-
ment enabling me to effect the revolution of the jaws of the vice in a full
circle, whereby the vice is rendered more convenient than it would otherwise
be. Furthermore, by my arrangement of the dovetailed groove in the bed
plate it becomes so covered by the cap plate B that any filings or chips
proceeding from an article when held by the jaws will be prevented from
getting into and clogging the groove.
Of such parts of my Invention as are represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and
5 of the Drawings I claim the bed plate A as made with the dovetailed and
circular groove a, and its entrance port b, as described, to receive the clamp
screws applied to the jaw carrier plate, as set forth.
I also claim the arrangement of the dovetailed circular groove, and its

page_text: clamp screws, viz., in the bed plate A, and with respect to the jaw carrier
plate B, and the jaws as specified, the said plate B under such an arrangement
serving as a cover of the groove to prevent filings and chips of metal, when the
vice is in use, from getting into and clogging the groove.
I also claim the arrangement, as well as the combination, of the anvil or horn
G¹ with the vice, the whole being substantially as specified.
Of such parts of my Invention as are represented in Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9 of
the Drawings I claim the adjustable jaw, made substantially as described.
Also the arrangement, as well as the combination of such adjustable jaw B
with the vice jaw.
Also the combination, as well as the arrangement, of the slotted hook C, and
its set screw b, with the vice jaw A, and with the adjustable jaw B, made as
described.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 17th
January 1867.