Vise system

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6598867
  • Patent Number
    6,598,867
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, October 11, 2001
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, July 29, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
A vise system including a plurality of jaws associated with a vise body. A first jaw is attached to a first shaft which are both slidable with respect to the vise body. A second jaw is attached to a second shaft which are both slidable with respect to the vise body independent of the first jaw and first shaft. A locking mechanism is associated with the first and second shafts for locking the first and second shafts, and first and second jaws, in place. The locking mechanism includes a first collet partially surrounding the first shaft, and an aligned second collet partially surrounding the second shaft. First and second stops are operatively connected to a handle so that as the handle is turned, the first and second stops engage the respective first and second collets to compress the collets over the shafts to immobilize them.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The present invention generally relates to vises. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vise system which enables clamping of work pieces of different sizes very rapidly.




It is common practice to utilize a vise for securing a work piece when performing a manufacturing operation on the work piece. Such vises are typically utilized on precision machining equipment to hold a work piece during a defined machining operation. Such vises typically employ a pair of moving jaws and, in many of the prior structures, at least one fixed central jaw so as to simultaneously hold two work pieces to permit a single work station to simultaneously perform machining operations on two different work pieces. Such vises typically include two outward jaws which are simultaneously moved towards a central stationery jaw, such as by hydraulics or oppositely threaded shafts, to clamp the two objects simultaneously. Alternatively, one of the moving jaws may be connected in a non-threaded manner to the drive shaft so as to move toward the fixed jaw only after the other moving jaw has been moved into a work piece engaging position with the fixed jaw.




However, the vises of the prior art have certain drawbacks in that often times the objects to be clamped must be of the same size as the outward jaws are simultaneously moved towards the fixed jaw. There are vises which allow objects of different sizes to be clamped, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,694. However, these vises require many manual turns of the handle, to clamp one of the jaws, engaging a brake and then actuating the other jaw by turning the handle several turns again. These devices have been found to be very time consuming, resulting in increased costs of the products manufactured.




Accordingly, there is a need for a vise which enables the secure clamping of objects of different sizes. Such a vice should be easy to operate and permit the clamping of the objects very rapidly. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention resides in a vise system which allows the secure clamping of two objects of equal or different sizes simultaneously in a fast and easy manner. The vise system generally comprises a vise body and a plurality of jaws associated with the body, including a first jaw slidably disposed on the vise body and a stationery jaw attached to the vise body. A first shaft is attached to the first jaw and slidable with respect to the vise body as the first jaw is moved. A locking mechanism is associated with the first shaft for locking the first shaft, and first jaw in place.




In a particularly preferred embodiment, a second jaw is slidably disposed on the vise body independent of the first jaw. A second shaft is attached to the second jaw and slidable with respect to the vise body independent of the first shaft as the second jaw is moved. Typically, the first and second shafts are concentric with one another.




The locking mechanism includes a first collet having an aperture through which the first shaft slidably travels. In the preferred embodiment, a second collet is generally aligned with the first collet and includes an aperture through which the second shaft slidably travels. First and second stops have ends which are configured to engage and compress the respective first and second collets. The first and second stops have threads of opposite hand. A handle is connected to a rotatable sleeve, which is connected to first and second nuts threadably engaged with the respective first and second stop distal the handle.




As the handle is turned, the sleeve and nuts rotate causing the first and second stops to move apart from one another and compress the adjacent ends of the respective first and second collets to immobilize the first and second shafts, and first and second jaws. The first and second stops adjacent to the respective first and second collets each include an aperture having internally tapered side walls which compress the ends of the first and second collets as the first and second stops are increasingly moved towards to respective first and second collet ends.




In operation, one or more objects are placed between a movable jaw and the fixed jaw. The movable jaws are then slid into contact with the object manually. The handle is then turned, typically less than one turn, to hold the jaws, and objects, in place.




Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a vise system embodying the invention, clamping two objects therein;





FIG. 2

is a side cross-sectional view of the vise system of

FIG. 1

, illustrating an outer jaw thereof in an unclamped position;





FIG. 3

is a side cross-sectional view taken generally along line


3





3


. of

FIG. 1

, illustrating the jaws in a clamped and closed position;





FIG. 4

is an enlarged sectional view of a locking mechanism used in accordance with the present invention in an unlocked state; and





FIG. 5

is a sectional view of the locking mechanism of the present invention in a locked state.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration the present invention is concerned with a vise, generally referred to by the reference number


10


. The vise


10


is designed to hold and securely clamp objects


12


, which may. be of different sizes, in a quick and easy manner.




Referring to

FIG. 1

, the vise


10


includes a vise body


14


having a track


16


on an upper surface thereof upon which are slidably mounted clamping jaws


18


and


20


. A stationery jaw


22


is fixed to the vise body


14


and positioned between the jaws


18


and


20


. The vise body


14


and jaws


18


-


22


are typically comprised of a hard and durable material, such as metal. In order to prevent scratching, marring and other damage to the objects


12


, the jaws


18


-


22


may have pads


24


attached thereto which are comprised of a softer material. Although a vise


10


having two outward jaws


18


and


20


is illustrated and described, it should be understood by the reader that a vise


10


having only one slidable jaw


18


or


20


and a fixed stationery jaw


22


is also contemplated by the invention. However, as can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the use of two outward movable jaws


18


and


20


allows the user of the vise


10


to beneficially hold two objects simultaneously further increasing the productivity of the worker.




With reference now to

FIGS. 2-3

, the left clamping jaw


18


extends into the vise body


14


, or it is attached to a corresponding piece which moves with the clamping jaw


18


. Within the vise body


14


the clamping jaw


18


is attached to a first shaft


26


. This shaft


26


slides within the vise body


14


as the clamping jaw


18


is manually slid on track


16


. Similarly, the right movable clamping jaw


20


extends into the vise body


14


, or is connected to a corresponding piece, and is attached to a second shaft


28


which slides with respect to the vise body


14


independent of the first shaft


26


as the right jaw


20


is manually slid along the vise track


16


. The first shaft


26


extends through the inner portion of the right clamping jaw


20


and second shaft


28


, so as to be positioned concentric with the second shaft


28


. The first and second shafts


26


and


28


extend through the vise body


14


and into a locking mechanism


30


attached at an end of the vise body


14


.




With reference now to

FIGS. 4 and 5

, enlarged sectional views of the locking mechanism


30


are shown. The locking mechanism


30


includes a generally circular sleeve


32


which has an end extending from the locking mechanism


30


for attachment to a handle


31


. The sleeve


32


has pins


34


extending through the sleeve


32


and into two nuts


36


which are internally threaded


38


. Thus, as the handle is turned, the sleeve


32


is rotated within a body


40


of the locking mechanism


30


causing the circular nuts


36


to rotate by the same degree of rotation.




The internal threads


38


of the nuts


36


are engaged with external threads


42


and


44


of first and second stops


46


and


48


. The first and second stops external threads


42


and


44


are of opposite hand so that as the nuts


36


are rotated, the first and second stops


46


and


48


move in opposite directions. Each stop


46


and


48


has an open end


50


and


52


which is bowl-shaped, or otherwise configured to have internally tapered side walls as will be more fully described herein.




The locking mechanism


30


includes two collets


54


and


56


which are attached to the body


40


at substantially opposite ends of the locking mechanism


30


so as to remain stationery. The collets


54


and


56


are generally aligned with one another, and the stops


46


and


48


. The collet


54


closest to the vise body


14


includes a central aperture


58


which is sized to slidably accept the first and second concentric shafts


26


and


28


therethrough. The first stop


46


similarly has an aperture therethrough sized to slidably accept the first and second shafts


26


and


28


. The second stop


48


may have a central aperture


62


sized to accept both the first and second shaft


26


and


28


, or only the longer internal shaft


26


as dictated by the design of the vise


30


. The second collet


56


includes a central internal aperture


64


extending therethrough and sized to slidably accept the first internal shaft


26


. The internal first shaft


26


is of a much greater length than the external second shaft


28


, and may even extend without the locking mechanism


30


depending upon the position of the left clamping jaw


18


. It should be understood by the reader that the designations “right” and “left” when referring to the jaws


18


and


20


are for exemplary purposes only, it being understood that such terms are interchangeable depending upon the location of the locking mechanism


30


with respect to the jaws


18


and


20


.




Each collet


54


and


56


has an end


66


and


68


facing a stop


46


and


48


, respectively, which is resiliently flexible and capable of being compressed onto the shaft


26


or


28


as the open end


50


and


52


of the stops


46


and


48


are increasingly brought towards the collet end


66


and


68


. Typically, the collet ends


66


and


68


are of increased thickness compared to the remainder of the collet


54


and


56


, and include slots (not shown) to facilitate the compression onto the shafts


26


or


28


, and release from the shafts


26


and


28


.




The end


66


of the first collet


54


compresses against the second outward shaft


28


as the first stop


46


is increasingly brought towards the collet


54


and the tapered internal wall of the open end


50


of the stop


46


compresses the end


66


of the collet


54


. This renders the second shaft


28


immobile, in turn rendering the right clamping jaw


20


to which it is attached immobile. As the second stop


48


is brought towards the second collet


56


, the tapered opened end


52


of the stop


48


increasingly applies pressure against the resilient end


68


of the collet


56


and causes the end


68


to clamp onto the internal first shaft


26


and immobilize it, and thus the left clamping jaw


18


. Of course, the first and second stops


46


and


48


are brought towards their respective first and second collets


54


and


56


by turning the handle causing the sleeve


32


, and nuts


36


to rotate as described above. A unique aspect of the present invention is that typically less than one turn of the handle, sometimes as little as ¼ of one turn, is required in order to move the stops


46


and


48


sufficiently to clamp the collets


54


and


56


onto their respective shafts


28


and


26


.




In use, objects which are to be clamped are inserted between the left and right movable jaws


18


and


20


, and the stationery jaw


22


. The clamping jaws


18


and


20


are manually slid into contact with the objects


12


until the object


12


is sufficiently clamped between the jaw


18


or


20


and the stationery jaw


22


. It should be understood by the reader that the jaws


18


and


20


are independently slid relative to the vise body


14


. This allows objects


12


of different sizes to be clamped by the vise


10


. As the clamping jaws


18


and


20


are manually positioned in place, the first and second shafts


26


and


28


are likewise slid back and forth through the vise body


14


and locking mechanism


30


. So long as the stops


46


and


48


are not compressing the ends


66


and


68


of the collets


54


. and


56


, the shafts


26


and


28


and the jaws


18


and


20


are freely moved. Once the jaws


18


and


20


are in place, the handle is turned to rotate the sleeve


32


and attached nuts


36


, causing the stops


46


and


48


to move in opposite direction and increasingly compress the ends


66


and


68


of the collets


54


and


56


onto their respective shafts


28


and


26


, rendering the shafts


26


and


28


immobile. After the desired machining etc. is performed on the objects


12


, the handle is turned, typically less than one full turn, and the jaws


18


and


20


can be manually slid away from the objects


12


for the removal and insertion of new objects


12


.




It will be appreciated by the reader that a worker needs very little if any training in order to operate the vise


10


of the present invention due to its intuitive design. As the handle need only be rotated a fraction of a turn, the worker does not expend a considerable amount of time clamping the objects


12


into place. This increases productivity, and decreases the cost of producing the finished objects


12


.




Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A vise system, comprising:a vise body; a plurality of jaws associated with the body, including a first jaw slidably disposed on the vise body, a second jaw slidably disposed on the vise body independent of the first jaw, and a stationary jaw attached to the vise body and positioned between the first and second jaws; a first shaft attached to the first jaw and slidable with respect to the vise body as the first jaw is moved; a second shaft attached to the second jaw and slidable with respect to the vise body independent of the first shaft as the second jaw is moved; and a locking mechanism associated with the first and second shafts for locking the first and second shafts, and first and second jaws, in place.
  • 2. The vise system of claim 1, wherein the first and second shafts are concentric with one another.
  • 3. The vise system of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism includes:a first collet having an aperture through which the first shaft slidably travels; a first stop having an end configured to engage and compress an end of the first collet; a second collet having an aperture through which the second shaft slidably travels; and a second stop having an end configured to engage and compress an end of the second collet; whereby upon actuating the first and second stops, the first and second collets are compressed around the respective first and second shafts immobilizing the first and second shafts, and first and second jaws.
  • 4. The vise system of claim 3, wherein the first and second collets are generally aligned with one another and the first and second shafts are concentric with one another.
  • 5. The vise system of claim 3, wherein the ends of the first and second stops adjacent to the respective first and second collets each include an open end having internally tapered sidewalls which compress the ends of the first and second collets as the first and second stops are increasingly moved towards the respective first and second collets.
  • 6. The vise system of claim 3, wherein the locking mechanism further includes:a handle; a first nut operably connected to the handle and threadably engaged with the first stop; and a second nut operably connected to the handle and threadably engaged with the second stop, the second stop having threads of opposite hand than the first stop; whereby upon actuating the handle, the first and second nuts are rotated causing the first and second stops to move apart from one another and compress the ends of the respective first and second collets.
  • 7. The vise system of claim 6, including a rotatable sleeve connected to the handle at one end thereof and connected to the first and second nuts distal the handle, whereby turning the handle causes the sleeve and nuts to rotate and the first and second stops to move apart from one another.
  • 8. A vise system, comprising:a vise body; a plurality of jaws associated with the body, including a first jaw slidably disposed on the vise body and a stationary jaw attached to the vise body; a first shaft attached to the first jaw and slidable with respect to the vise body as the first jaw is moved; and a locking mechanism including a first collet having an aperture through which the first shaft slidably travels, and a first stop having an end configured to engage and compress an end of the first collet; whereby upon actuating the first stop, the first collet is compressed around the first shaft immobilizing the first shaft, and the first jaw.
  • 9. The vise system of claim 8, wherein the end of the first stop adjacent to the first collet includes an open end having internally tapered sidewalls which compress the end of the first collet as the first stop is increasingly moved towards the first collet.
  • 10. The vise system of claim 8, wherein the locking mechanism further includes:a handle; a first nut operably connected to the handle and threadably engaged with the first stop; and a rotatable sleeve connected to the handle at one end thereof and connected to the first nut distal the handle, whereby turning the handle causes the sleeve and first nut to rotate and the first stop to move towards and compress the end of the first collet.
  • 11. The vise system of claim 8, including a second jaw slidably disposed on the vise body independent of the first jaw and a second shaft attached to the second jaw and slidable with respect to the vise body independent of the first shaft as the second jaw is moved.
  • 12. The vise system of claim 11, wherein the locking mechanism further includes:a second collet having an aperture through which the second shaft slidably travels; and a second stop having an end configured to engage and compress an end of the second collet; whereby upon actuating the first and second stops, the first and second collets are compressed around the respective first and second shafts immobilizing the first and second shaft, and first and second jaws.
  • 13. The vise system of claim 12, wherein the first and second collets are generally aligned with one another and the first and second shafts are concentric with one another.
  • 14. The vise system of claim 12, wherein the ends of the first and second stops adjacent to the respective first and second collets each include an open end having internally tapered sidewalls which compress the ends of the first and second collets as the first and second stops are increasingly moved towards the respective first and second collets.
  • 15. The vise system of claim 12, wherein the locking mechanism further includes:a first nut operably connected to the handle and threadably engaged with the first stop; a second nut operably connected to the handle and threadably engaged with the second stop, the second stop having threads of opposite hand than the first stop; and a rotatable sleeve connected to the handle at one end thereof and connected to the first and second nuts distal the handle, whereby turning the handle causes the sleeve and nuts to rotate and the first and second stops to move apart from one another and compress the ends of the respective first and second collets.
  • 16. A vise system, comprising:a vise body; a plurality of jaws associated with the body, including a first jaw slidably disposed on the vise body, a second jaw slidably disposed on the vise body independent of the first jaw, and a stationary jaw attached to the vise body and positioned between the first and second jaws; a first shaft attached to the first jaw and slidable with respect to the vise body as the first jaw is moved; a second shaft attached to the second jaw and concentric with the first shaft and slidable with respect to the vise body independent of the first shaft as the second jaw is moved; and a locking mechanism associated with the first and second shafts including: a first collet having an aperture through which the first shaft slidably travels; a first stop having an end configured to engage and compress an end of the first collet; a second collet generally aligned with the first collet and having an aperture through which the second shaft slidably travels; and a second stop having an end configured to engage and compress an end of the second collet; whereby upon actuating the first and second stops, the first and second collets are compressed around the respective first and second shafts immobilizing the first and second shaft, and first and second jaws.
  • 17. The vise system of claim 16, wherein the ends of the first and second stops adjacent to the respective first and second collets each include an open end having internally tapered sidewalls which compress the ends of the first and second collets as the first and second stops are increasingly moved towards the respective first and second collets.
  • 18. The vise system of claim 16, wherein the locking mechanism further includes:a handle; a first nut operably connected to the handle and threadably engaged with the first stop; and a second nut operably connected to the handle and threadably engaged with the second stop, the second stop having threads of opposite hand than the first stop; whereby upon actuating the handle, the first and second nuts are rotated causing the first and second stops to move apart from one another and compress the ends of the respective first and second collets.
  • 19. The vise system of claim 18, including a rotatable sleeve connected to the handle at one end thereof and connected to the first and second nuts distal the handle, whereby turning the handle causes the sleeve and nuts to rotate and the first and second stops to move apart from one another.
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