Work holders – Plural holders to hold workpieces relative to each other – Workpieces parallel to each other
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-21
2001-06-26
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)
Work holders
Plural holders to hold workpieces relative to each other
Workpieces parallel to each other
C269S271000, C269S136000, C269S134000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250620
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to two station machining vises. More particularly, the invention relates to two station machining vises facilitating easy replacement of jaws, a highly stable body, guaranteed alignment of a central block, and an efficient drive system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Two station machining vises are known in the art. These stations permit an individual to non-simultaneously mount two work pieces on a single vise during the machining process. These vises are generally provided with great versatility to enhance the performance of the vise by limiting the effort required to use and modify the vise.
For example, many vises are known which include replaceable jaws to permit modification of the vise jaws when the vise is to be used with different work pieces. Many of these vises employ a knuckle on the vise slide which receives the replaceable vise jaw. As shown in Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,437, entitled “TWO STATION MACHINING VISE WITH REMOVABLE AND OFF-SETTABLE JAWS”, which is incorporated herein by reference, these knuckles include contoured surface which engages a pin mounted in the underside of the vise jaw.
While structures such as these provide secure attachment of the vise jaw to the knuckle, the incorporation of the pin with the vise jaw is expensive. When jaws are manufactured to engage a knuckle such as that disclosed in the '437 patent, the vise jaw must be drilled to include a hole through which the pin may be placed. Once the pin is properly secured within the vise jaw, and the vise jaw is ready for use. This is an expensive and time consuming process that must be performed for each vise jaw to be used with a vise assembly employing the structure embodied in the '437 patent.
In addition, the main body of most two station machining vises is manufactured to include a recess into which the front and rear slides of the vise may be placed. Generally, the bodies are extruded with a central recess having only side walls, and the front and rear ends of the main body are left open. Unfortunately, these extruded main bodies do not stand up to the substantial stress placed on the vises, and ultimately the vises may bend out of alignment. When this occurs the vises is no longer useful, and the vise must be replaced. In addition, vises designed in this manner allow for vibrations while work pieces are being machined. The vibrations produce undesirable finishes on work pieces and excessive wear of the machining tools.
It is often desirable to provided a two station vise in which the rear vise jaw does not move until the front vise jaw fully engages the work piece. This is generally accomplished by providing the rear slide with a braking assembly that resists the movement of the rear vise jaw until the front vise jaw fully engages the work piece. Many of these two station vises are also provided with offset assemblies that work with the brake assembly to create a initial predetermined offset of the rear jaw when a work piece is being removed therefrom.
Unfortunately, the braking assemblies and the offset assemblies employed by current two station vises employ many components to achieve their desired results. As a result, they are often cumbersome and very difficult to manufacture. Further, the many components employed in these braking assemblies and offset assemblies make them difficult to use, adjust and repair.
A need, therefore, exists for a two station vise that overcomes the shortcoming of the prior two station vises. The present invention provides such a two station vise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a vise assembly including a main body for guiding at least one movable vise jaw. The vise assembly also includes a stationary jaw mounted on the main body and at least a first movable slide mounted in the main body for guiding the movable vise jaw. The first movable slide includes a first upwardly extending knuckle shaped to removably mount a first jaw to the first movable slide. The first knuckle includes a resiliently biased latch shaped and dimensioned to engage the first jaw and a pin integrally formed with the first knuckle to engage a camming surface formed within the recess of the first jaw, wherein the resiliently biased latch and the pin engage the first jaw to releasable coupled the first jaw on the first knuckle. The vise finally includes means for moving the first movable slide.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a machining vise including a main body guiding a movable vise jaw mounted on a first movable slide. The machining vise also includes a stationary jaw removably mounted to the main body by at least one upwardly extending post removably mounted to the main body, wherein the upwardly extending post includes a tapered collar which engages a tapered surface of the main body to ensure proper positioning of the at least one upwardly extending post and the stationary jaw.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machining vise including a main body having a recess for guiding first and second movable vise jaws therein, wherein the main body is formed from a single block with a recess defined by a forward wall, a rear wall, side walls, and a bottom wall.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a machining vise including a main body having a recess for guiding movable vise jaws therein and a stationary jaw removably mounted at a mid-point on the main body. The machining vise also includes a first movable slide and a second movable slide mounted in the recess, wherein a first jaw is removably mounted to the first movable slide and a second jaw is removably mounted to the second movable slide. The machining vise further includes a brake assembly attached to the second movable slide to control the movement of the first movable slide and the second movable slide. Finally, the machining vise includes an offset assembly having an offset body integrally formed with the second movable slide to provide an initial offset movement of the second movable slide prior to the resistance of the brake assembly being overcome. The offset assembly includes an offset pin mounted for rotation within the offset body to establish a predetermined offset.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a machining vise including a brake assembly attached to the second movable slide to control the movement of the first movable slide and the second movable slide, wherein the brake assembly includes a brake body coupled to the second movable slide and a resilient biased brake pad extending between the brake body and the main body for controlling movement of the second movable slide.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a machining vise including a drive shaft coupled to the first and second movable slides for moving the first and second slides in a controlled manner. The drive shaft includes a spline drive shaft mounted on the main body for rotation by the user and main screw shaft floatingly coupled to the spline drive shaft for rotation therewith, wherein a buffer is positioned between the spline drive shaft and the main body to permit some movement of the spline drive shaft as it is drawn with the movement of the main screw shaft.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machining vise including a single jaw conversion member adapted for selective attachment to the main body and the second movable slide such that the machining vise is converted to a single jaw machining vise permitting the machining of larger work pieces.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a machining vise including a hydraulic drive for moving the first movable slide. The machining vise includes a first piston coupled to the first movable jaw and in fluid communication with the hydraulic drive, wherein hydraulic pressure supplied by the hydraulic drive causes the first movable slide to move the vise jaw between a clamped and an unclamped po
Hail III Joseph J.
Parlec, Inc.
Shlesinger Fitzsimmons & Shlesinger
Wilson Lee
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