Patent Application
20180297175
This invention relates generally to work holders, and, more specifically, to a vise.
Machinist jigs and fixturing may include vises and associated parts for positioning and subsequently milling workpieces. For example, a vise is typically used when milling a part on a milling machine, such as a Bridgeport milling machine or its equivalent. Such a vise typically has a flat bottom base plate that mounts against the bed of the milling machine. On the top are jaws that hold a workpiece so that a cutter head can shape the workpiece without its moving about. Vise jaws may typically be of a fixed or removable type to accommodate varying workpiece shapes. In shaping a workpiece the cutter head typically moves about a fixed workpiece. In alternative examples a workpiece held in a vise may move about with the cutter head being held in a fixed position.
In either configuration a problem often encountered is the quick changeability of vise jaws and a desire for the vise. Additionally it is desirable for the jaws of the vise not to interfere with the path of the cutter head as it shapes the workpiece. This typically involves moving and repositioning the workpiece for each pass of the cutter heads, as the workpiece is shaped. To maintain the dimensional accuracy of a part produced from a workpiece it is important to maintain dimensions when the part is repositioned, and to provide a set up that can be quickly changed so that accurate parts may be produced in quick fashion. Accordingly providing devices that aid in the set up and rapid production of parts with repeatable and accurate dimensions from workpieces tend to be desirable.
The disclosed invention provides a vise which includes a base plate with longitudinal and latitudinal slots which receive tabs on the underside of a fixed jaw, the base plate also including a worm shaft arrangement configured for driving a pusher jaw into which threads are milled on its underside that mate with a worm shaft coupled to the base plate.
The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity, simplifications, generalizations and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, embodiments, features and advantages of the device and/or processes and/or other subject matter described herein will become apparent in the teachings set forth herein.
Certain embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings:
a,
1
b, and 1c are a top perspective view, a top view, and a right side view of a vise.
Specific details of certain embodiments of the invention are set forth in the following description and in the figures to provide a thorough understanding of such embodiments. The present invention may have additional embodiments, may be practiced without one or more of the details described for any particular described embodiment, or may have any detail described for one particular embodiment practiced with any other detail described for another embodiment.
Importantly, a grouping of inventive aspects in any particular “embodiment” within this detailed description, and/or a grouping of limitations in the claims presented herein, is not intended to be a limiting disclosure of those particular aspects and/or limitations to that particular embodiment and/or claim. The inventive entity presenting this disclosure fully intends that any disclosed aspect of any embodiment in the detailed description and/or any claim limitation ever presented relative to the instant disclosure and/or any continuing application claiming priority from the instant application (e.g. continuation, continuation-in-part, and/or divisional applications) may be practiced with any other disclosed aspect of any embodiment in the detailed description and/or any claim limitation. Claimed combinations which draw from different embodiments and/or originally-presented claims are fully within the possession of the inventive entity at the time the instant disclosure is being filed. Any future claim comprising any combination of limitations, each such limitation being herein disclosed and therefore having support in the original claims or in the specification as originally filed (or that of any continuing application claiming priority from the instant application), is possessed by the inventive entity at present irrespective of whether such combination is described in the instant specification because all such combinations are viewed by the inventive entity as currently operable without undue experimentation given the disclosure herein and therefore that any such future claim would not represent new matter.
The fixed jaw mounts at particular stations within the fixed jaw receiving portion of the base plate, the fixed jaw receiving portion being depicted in
The fixed jaw receiving portion of the base plate includes a fixed jaw slot arrangement, which is shown in
Selecting a particular latitudinal fixed jaw slot of the base plate for coupling with the latitudinal tab on the bottom of the fixed jaw will determine one of four stations for the fixed jaw from front to back of the vise. Once the fixed jaw is rested on top of the base plate at the particular station (i.e. with the latitudinal tab of the fixed jaw inserted into one of the latitudinal fixed jaw slots of the base plate and with the longitudinal tab of the fixed jaw inserted into the longitudinal fixed jaw slot of the base plate), the fixed jaw may be securably mounted to the base plate by passing threaded fasteners through counterbore holes disposed within the fixed jaw and into fixed threaded mount holes of the base plate, including a left threaded mount hole 27 and a right threaded mount hole 28. The threaded mount holes are located along the base plate so as to align with the counterbore holes in the fixed jaw. In the embodiment depicted herein, to utilize the second position from the rear for the fixed jaw, the latitudinal tab of the fixed jaw would engage the latitudinal fixed jaw slot 24″ and the two counterbore holes disposed within the fixed jaw would align with left threaded mount hole 27″ and right threaded mount hole 27″ of the base plate.
The pusher jaw receiving portion of the base plate includes two overhangs, a left overhang 29 and right overhang 30, which create a left slide bar cavity 34 and a right slide bar cavity 35. The slide bar cavities are sized to receive slide bars of the pusher jaw, enabling the slide bars of the pusher jaw to be slid into position underneath the overhangs and pushed towards the back until the fixed jaw comes to rest against the threaded portion of the worm screw. The pusher jaw receiving portion of the base plate also includes cavities which, from front to back, include front keeper cavity 33, worm shaft cavity 31, and rear keeper cavity 32. The front keeper cavity and rear keeper cavity include mount holes for receiving threaded fasteners that have been passed through counterbore holes in a front keeper and rear keeper (as discussed with respect to
It is noted that the double-lead threaded bolts will hold the fixed jaw in place more securely, with twice the holding torque available, than with standard single-lead threaded bolts, enabling the fixed jaw to more strongly resist pressure brought against it during machining operations on a workpiece held by the vise and partially supported by the fixed jaw.
It is further noted that providing the longitudinal and latitudinal tabs which interface with corresponding longitudinal and latitudinal slots in the base plate key the fixed jaw in both axes, providing additional security against the fixed jaw moving in an undesirable way due to pressure applied to the fixed jaw during milling operations.
In some embodiments, the fixed jaw and pusher jaw are machineable, enabling them to be fabricated into custom shapes for particular work holding and fixturing needs.
While particular aspects of the present subject matter described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this subject matter described herein. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “ a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.).
While preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of these preferred and alternate embodiments. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.
The present application is related to and/or claims the benefits of the earliest effective priority date and/or the earliest effective filing date of the below-referenced applications, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith, as if fully set forth herein: (1) this application constitutes a non-provisional of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/523,088, entitled WORK PIECE POSITIONING ASSEMBLY AND HEMBACK VISE, naming Edward Mack as the inventor, filed Jun. 21, 2017, with attorney docket no. 72477.001, which is currently co-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date; and (2) this application constitutes a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/011,891, entitled VISE STOP ARRANGEMENT, naming Edward Mack is the inventor, filed Jun. 19, 2018, with attorney docket no. CTSL-1-1001-1, which is currently co-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62523088 | Jun 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16011891 | Jun 2018 | US |
| Child | 16014653 | US |
