Work holders – Relatively movable jaws – Jaw features
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-08
2001-03-06
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3723)
Work holders
Relatively movable jaws
Jaw features
C269S043000, C269S283000, C269S266000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196536
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates generally to a vise, and more particularly, to an improved grip set for an adjustable vise having a plurality of removable grip blocks, which allow a machinist, manufacturer, or hobbyist to efficiently and economically machine irregularly shaped parts by permitting access to all sides of a workpiece gripped between the jaws of the vise.
Vises are commonplace in both commercial manufacturing and residential settings, and are used to hold objects to be worked upon in a fixed position. Generally, a vise grips an article between a pair of cooperating jaws to allow a machinist, manufacturer, or hobbyist to cut, bore, or perform other mill work on the article's ungripped surfaces. For example, when a flat, square block is placed between the cooperating jaws of the vise, two sides of the block are gripped by the vise leaving the two remaining sides and the top exposed for machining and other mill work. The problem with and disadvantage of this conventional vise is that a user of the vise cannot machine or perform other mill work on the gripped sides of the workpiece without first repositioning it in the vise. This results in lost time and decreased efficiency, and, ultimately, represents increased expense to the manufacturer.
Often, an attachment is fixed to the face of each cooperating jaw, the attachment being used to either grip the workpiece held between the jaws, or to increase the maximum distance between the jaws of the vise to hold larger objects. Such attachments used to grip workpieces between the jaws are usually flat, but can also have a L-shaped ledge which allows a workpiece to rest upon a flat surface while being held between the opposing faces. An example of such an attachment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,949, to Dossey et al., which discloses the use of interchangeable attachments that may be attached to the jaws of a vise to hold irregularly shaped workpieces and perform different machining operations.
However, the Dossey et al. patent and other such attachments known in the art are troublesome to use because the attachments mounted on the cooperating jaws completely engage two entire sides of the gripped workpiece, thus preventing a machinist from accessing those sides. For instance, when the vise grips the generally flat, square workpiece previously described, only two sides and the top are accessible for machining or other mill work. Each of the attachments mounted on the cooperating jaws would cover each remaining two sides. Again, if such a workpiece required machining on all four sides, the machinist would need to release the article from the vise, rotate the article ninety degrees and then reinsert the article into the vise resulting in lost time and money.
Others have developed vise attachments that permit the clamping of workpieces of varying size. An example of such a product is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,629, to Carlson, which discloses the addition of accessory members for attachment to the jaws of a vise. The accessory members allow a vise to grasp a workpiece the size of which otherwise exceeds the maximum distance between the jaws of the vise. Indeed, the Carlson patent and other similar attachments taught in the art do not overcome the disadvantages mentioned above, because single piece grip attachments that span the entire grip face prevent access to the gripped sides of a workpiece held by the vise.
To overcome the problems and disadvantages associated with the prior art, it is a primary objective of the present invention that it provide a vise for gripping a workpiece or the like that offers ready access to substantial portions of the gripped sides of the workpiece. It is a related objective that the gripping be facilitated by a plurality of gripping members, selective ones of which may be removed from the vise jaws, with the remaining gripping members holding the workpiece firmly in place.
It is a further objective of the present invention that it provide a mechanism for attaching the plurality of gripping members to a vise for gripping articles. The mechanism should allow access to the gripped sides of a workpiece and should be affixed to the vise jaws in a manner that allows for quick and efficient installation and removal.
It is yet a further objective of the present invention that the plurality of gripping members be easily installable and removable from either the vise jaws or the mechanism for attaching the plurality of members to the vise jaws. This objective should be accomplished in a manner that allows a user of the vise to access substantial portions of the gripped sides of the workpiece, without having to remove the workpiece from the vise.
Finally, it is also an objective of the improved grip set of the present invention that all of the aforesaid advantages and objectives be achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The disadvantages and limitations of the background art discussed above are overcome by the improved grip set for attachment to a vise which is taught by the present invention.
In part, the vise with attachments of the present invention provides an enhanced degree of working access to all sides of a clamped workpiece. As with conventional vises, the vise with attachments may have a pair of cooperating jaws, with each jaw having a grip face opposite the other jaw. The grip face of each jaw is urged towards the grip face of the other jaw by most any means, including a threaded rod or the like, as is conventional. The vise with attachments of the present invention diverges from conventional vises in that each jaw has a plurality of grip blocks to grip a workpiece that are removably attachable to at least one jaw of the vise. However, it is readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that either one or both jaws may have such grip blocks attached thereto. Each of the grip blocks may be selectively removed to provide working access to an edge of the workpiece when held in the vise.
The grip blocks each have a recessed shoulder that extends laterally along the top surface thereof, and is used to grip the workpiece. Each of the grip blocks can also have a downwardly projecting extension which may fit in a mating relationship with a step extending upwardly from each of the jaws of the vise. The recessed shoulder has a flat resting surface parallel to the top surface of the grip block, and a gripping surface which is substantially normal to the resting surface, although the gripping surface may instead be at a variety of angles to the resting surface. When each of the grip blocks are removably installed on one of the jaws of the vise, the flat resting surface provides a level position to rest the workpiece upon while the jaws are urged towards one another so that the gripping surfaces may engage the workpiece and secure it firmly in place.
The grip blocks are removably attached to the vise jaws by a removable fastener such as bolt, which extends through a bolt hole in each of the grip blocks and into one of a plurality of threaded receiving holes tapped into each of the vise jaws. The grip block bolt hole may be counterbored so that upon inserting the bolt through the bolt hole and threading it into one of the receiving holes, the head of the bolt is recessed within the body of the grip block.
The extension projecting from the bottom surface of the grip block and the mating step on top of the vise jaws ensure that the bolt hole is quickly and properly aligned with the receiving hole. The mating step can be formed by cutting or forging a step into the top surface of each jaw. The step extends laterally across the grip face of each jaw and has a grip block stop and a grip block rest to fit the downwardly extending grip block extension in a mating relationship. When the grip block extension sits upon the grip block rest and abuts the grip block stop, the bolt hole and receiving hole align.
In part, the present invention further provides an attachment, otherwise known as a gr
Gerrity Stephen F.
Hintze Paul H.
Reinhart, Boerner, Van Deuren, Norris & Rieselbach, s.c.
Wilson Lee
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