Year: 1899

page_text: I, SYLVANUS N. HUBBELL, of Danville, Vermont, U.S.A., Inventor, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of vice for holding articles whilst being
operated upon by tools and which are simultaneously "leg-vices" and "parallel-
vices."
The object of the invention is to provide certain new and useful improvements
whereby an exceedingly simple vice of the kind aforementioned is provided, and
in which the operation of the vice is greatly facilitated.
A vice constructed in accordance with my improvements consists of a vertical
leg or support having a jaw at its upper end to correspond with a movable jaw
which extends downwardly for a suitable distance and parallel to the leg or
support.
The movable jaw has one or more arms projecting at right angles to its inner
face, and extending through an aperture or apertures in the support, and by
means of which arms the jaw is held in place. A bar, having saw-like teeth
on its upper edge, projects through both jaws at points near their upper ends,
is bifurcated at one end, and has a stop-pin at its other end.
The bifurcation in the forward end engages a hand-lever having an eccentric-
boss which operates in contact with a rectangular metal frame, having its upper
part thinner than its lower part, and adapted to hang over the toothed-bar with
its upper horizontal part in engagment with one of the teeth of the bar, and
in contact with the front face of the movable jaw. The other end of the bar
has a similar frame or washer suspended upon it and made vertically movable
in contact with the rear face of the fixed jaw.
A similar bar, but having teeth on its under edge, extends through the lower
part of the movable jaw and the support of the fixed jaw. It is pivoted in the
movable jaw, and its teeth engage a metal strip which extends horizontally across
the opening in the support through which it passes. A bell-crank is pivoted
in the opening of the first referred-to rectangular frame, and has one arm
resting in contact with the eccentrically pivoted boss of the hand-lever, and its
other arm connected, by a rod,, to the forward end of the lower toothed-bar. This
bar is connected, at the rear of the support, to the slidable frame or washer
secondly referred-to.
When the hand-lever is raised the lower toothed bar is raised out of engagement
with the cross-bar on the support and, by means of the connecting-rod, the
movable frame or washer at the back of the fixed jaw is also raised out of engage-
ment with the upper toothed-bar.
The movable jaw can then be adjusted to the position required with reference
to the fixed jaw, and, when the lever is depressed, the lower toothed bar is lowered
together with the frame at the rear of the fixed jaw. Simultaneously, the article
placed between the jaws is firmly gripped, by reason of the eccentrically mounted
boss bearing against the frame on the front part of the upper toothed bar,
The jaws are kept parallel by the extending arms aforementioned.

page_text: Instead of the toothed bars, plain bars may be used and the extending arms
aforementioned be dispensed with. The frame at the rear of the fixed jaw,
and also the connecting-rods and bell-crank may be dispensed with. In this
form of construction, a detent is pivoted at the back of the fixed jaw in such
manner as to impinge on the upper edge of the upper bar when it tends to move
through the bar in one direction, as when the hand-lever is operated to grip an
article between the jaws. The eccentric or cam on the lever is preferably ribbed
to engage a ribbed surface on the wedge-shaped frame, aforedescribed, which is
raised, so that its lower and thicker end, entering between the eccentric or cam,
and the face of the movable jaw, cooperates therewith to move the jaw forward.
Dated this 29th day of September 1899.
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicant.
I, SYLVANUS N. HUBBELL, of Danville, Vermont, U.S.A., Inventor, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to that class of vice used for holding articles whilst being
operated upon by tools, and the object of the invention is to provide certain new
and useful improvements whereby a vice of such class is provided of simple con-
struction, easy manipulation, and efficiency in action.
Reference being had to the drawings:-
Fig. 1 shews a partly sectional elevation of a vice embodying my invention,
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the tapered wear-plate, and Fig. 3 a perspective
view of the clutch hereinafter described.
The letter A indicates a leg or support, provided at its upper end with a jaw A¹,
and B a vertical member having at its upper end a jaw B registering with the
jaw A. A guiding member C is fixed to the member B at right angles thereto,
and is adapted to enter and work within a tapered slot A2 in the support A. Below
the guiding member C a toothed member D is pivoted at 1' to the member B
and passes through an aperture A³ in the support A. To the inner face of the
support A, and projecting upwardly into the aperture A3 is fixed a plate E, with
which the teeth in the member D are adapted to engage. F is a toothed draw-
bar, adapted to pass through and work within apertures A4 132 in the support A
and member B, and carrying on a cross-pin G, adjacent its outer extremity, the
lever H. The lever H has bifurcated jaws which are cam-shaped as at H¹. J is
a tapered or wedge-shaped wear-plate having a vertical slot J through which
the draw-bar F is adapted to be passed in such manner that the wear-plate J
may rest between the lever H and the outer face of the meinber B, its tapered
surface facing the lever H and its thicker end lowermost. K is an annular or
ring clutch arranged in contact with the back of the support A and adjustably
engaging the teeth of the draw-bar F.
'
In operation, when it is desired to grip an article between the jaws A' B¹ the
clutch is set in the tooth of the draw-bar I agreeing with the thickness of the
article to be gripped, and the member D is so set in relation to the plate E that
the support A and member B are approximately parallel.
The article being inserted between the jaws the lever H is forced down to the
position shewn in full lines on the drawing, the cam portions H₁ acting on the
wear-plate J and through it on to the member B. It will be seen that the
cam

page_text: pressure can be adjusted if requisite by raising the wear-plate to any desired
extent during the gripping operation.
The cams H are so related to their pivot G that they serve to lock the lever H
against release except by applied force. If preferred the parts may be so con-
nected that the raising of the lever H will also release the connections of the
member D with the plate E and of the clutch K with the draw-bar F as shewn
in dotted lines in Fig. I where a swing lever L is pivoted to the vertical
member B at M, the outer half of the lever being preferably curved and bifurcated
the bifurcations passing one on each side of the lever H and in the path of the
travel of the cams H. The inner extremity of the lever L is connected by a
rod N to the toothed member D, at 0. The latter is provided with a longitudinal
slot P, extending for the greater part of its length, in which can slide a pin Q
connected by a rod R, supported by a bracket S. to the clutch K. The rods N
and R may be double and pass on each side of the guiding member C, or may
be single and bent to clear the same. When this arrangement is adopted the
aperture A is enlarged to allow sufficient space for the upward movement of the
outer end of the toothed member D.
It will be seen that upward movement of the lever H will cause the cams H¹
to engage the curved bifurcations of the lever L, depressing them and raising
the opposite end of the lever and, through the rod N, the toothed member D
which in turn raises the clutch K through the rod R, and when the lever His
lowered the toothed member ]) and connected parts will fall into position by
the force of gravity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
Claim 1. In a vice, the combination with relatively adjustable jaws, of a
toothed draw-bar fitting in registering openings in the jaws and provided at
one end with a cam-operating lever for exerting pressure upon the back of one
of the jaws, a tapered or wedge-shaped wear-plate interposed between the cam of
said lever and the back of the jaw in operative relation with which said lever is
arranged, said plate having a longitudinal slot fitted upon the intermediate
portion of the draw-bar, and an annular or ring clutch arranged in contact with
the back of the other jaw and adjustably engaged with the teeth of the said
drawbar, said clutch being diametrically tapered in thickness, and having an
internal annular detent to engage the teeth of the draw-bar, substantially as
specified.
2. In a vice, the combination with relatively adjustable jaws, of a toothed
draw-bar fitting in registering openings in the jaws and provided at one end
with a cam-operating lever for exerting pressure upon the back of one of the
jaws, a tapered or wedge-shaped wear-plate interposed between the cam of said
lever and the back of the jaw in operative relation with which said lever is
arranged, said plate having a longitudinal slot fitted upon the intermediate
portion of the draw-bar, an annular or ring-clutch arranged in contact with
the back of the other jaw and adjustably engaged with the teeth, of the said
draw-bar, said clutch being diametrically tapered in thickness, and having an
internal annular detent to engage the teeth of the draw-bar, a serrated guiding
member adapted to engage with a plate on one of the jaws and be pivoted to
the other, and means for connecting the cam-operating lever with the said serrated
guiding member and the latter with the said ring-clutch, substantially as
described.