Work holders – Plural holders to hold workpieces relative to each other – Workpieces parallel to each other
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-14
2001-06-12
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)
Work holders
Plural holders to hold workpieces relative to each other
Workpieces parallel to each other
C269S271000, C269S043000, C269S136000, C269S134000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244580
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 OFFSETTABLE 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, 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. This design also allows fluid and debris to enter the internal workings of the vise, causing it to fail or wear out earlier than anticipated.
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 machining vise. The vise a main body having a longitudinal axis, a stationary vise jaw mounted on the main body, and at least a first movable slide mounted in the main body for guiding a first movable vise jaw along the longitudinal axis. The first movable slide includes a first upwardly extending knuckle on which the first movable vise jaw is mounted. The first knuckle further includes a resiliently biased plunger shaped and dimensioned to engage the first movable vise jaw, wherein the resiliently biased plunger extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis and engages the first movable vise jaw to releasably coupled the first movable vise jaw on the first knuckle. The vise also including a drive for moving the first movable slide.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a machining vise wherein the first knuckle includes a pin adapted to engage a camming surface formed within the recess of the first movable vise jaw, and wherein the resiliently biased plunger and the pin engage the first movable vise jaw to releasable coupled the first movable vise jaw on the first knuckle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machining vise wherein the pin is rotatably mounted to the first knuckle to ensure a proper connection to the camming surface formed within the recess of the first movable vise jaw.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a machining vise wherein the pin includes a flat surface shaped to engage the camming surface formed within the recess of the first movable vise jaw.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a machining vise wherein the resiliently biased plunger includes first and second plunger members extending from opposite sides of the first knuckle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machining vise wherein the resiliently biased plunger engages a camming surface formed within the recess of the first movable vise jaw causing the first movable vise jaw to be drawn downwardly under the pressure of the resiliently biased plunger.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a machining vise wherein the resiliently biased plunger includes first and second plunger members extending from opposite sides of the first knuckle, and the first and second plunger members respectively engage first and second camming surfaces formed with the recess of the first movable vise jaw causing the first movable vise jaw to be drawn downwardly under the pressure of the resiliently biased plunger.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a machining vise including a main body having a recess, a stationary vise jaw removably mounted at a mid-point on the main body, a first movable slide and a second movable slide mounted in the recess. A first vise jaw is mounted to the first movable slide and a second vise jaw is mounted to the second movable slide. The vise also includes a drive for moving the first and second movable slides, wherein a controlled release assembly associated with the first movable slide controls the movement of the first movable slide and the second movable slide. The controlled release assembly includes an offset adjustment mechanism and a spring biasing mechanism.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machining vise wherein the controlled release assembly causes the first movable slide to release a work piece before the second movable slide releases a work piece.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a machining vise wherein the offset adjustment mechanism is formed within the main body and is associated with the first movable slide to limit movement of the first movable slide as a work piece is released from the machining vise.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a machining vise wherein the offset adjustment mechanism includes a stationary screw member and a stop block threaded thereto, the stop block being moved by rotation of the stationary screw member to adjust an offset distance.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a machining vise wherein the spring biasing mechanism includes at least one spring and a stationary retainer plate, and the spring
Hail III Joseph J.
Parlec, Inc.
Shlesinger Fitzsimmons & Shlesinger
Wilson Lee
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