CA2357769C - Workpiece vice holding system - Google Patents

Abstract

In this manually operable, free standing, workpiece vice holding system, two "C"clamp vices are arranged parallel to one another, each "C"clamp vice able to exert force (laterally) and hold independently, seperate pieces of a work object. These "C"clamp vices are connected together by guide rods (threaded and unthreaded) that move the two "C"clamp vices (and their captured pieces of a work object) together and apart as needed, along a longitudinal axis. The primary purpose of this manually operable, free standing work piece holding system is to be able to take this tool easily into a workplace environment and hold two workpieces firmly, and with each piece held independently, press them together in a controlled way, holding the two workpieces in a desired postion, thereby freeing both hands of the worker to enable a more perminent join to be excecuted.

Description

2,357,769 WORKPIECE VICE HOLDING SYSTEM
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a manually operable "C"clamp vice for holding together two or more parts of a workpiece.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A "C"clamp vice is known to be manually operable, freestanding and adaptable to many workplace environments. It is common to use a "C"clamp vice to hold parts of a workpiece together. For this purpose, a typical "C"clamp vice is very much like one open hand pressing a part of a workpiece against another part of a workpiece with another open hand. Tools of this type are however, limited in that the force used to hold the workpiece(s) together and the force used to simply hold the pieces) are the same force. This can prove awkward when a vice is required to operate in it's widest configuration, in that the force that is at work holding the workpieces together tends to exert an eccentric force bending the workpieces apart and preventing a controlled and strong bond. Similarly, a problem can arise when attempting to hold two workpieces together at a desired angle, or when a workpiece must be joined at an angle other than 90 degrees and the force used to press the two workpieces together simply forces the pieces out of the desired angle as they are pressed together. Another problem can arise because, unless the workpiece shapes permit, vices often have to be quite large to span both parts of the entire workpiece object.
Finally, as a result of the aforementioned shortcomings, it is common for a worker operating a"C"clamp vice to assist the vice by holding one or both of the workpieces, thus leaving only one hand free to perform the task for which the workpieces are in the "C"clamp vice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have found these disadvantages may be overcome by creating a vice which has an enhanced ability to hold the separate pieces of a work object firmly while pressing them together. This is achieved in the following manner. One of the two workpieces to be joined together, is placed in one of the two "C"clamp vices. This "C"clamp is closed exerting a force along a lateral axis of the workpiece object, thereby holding it firmly. 'The second "C"clamp vice parallel to this one is made to do the same thing to the other piece of the work object. Thus, both pieces of the work object are held independently and firmly. This gives more control over connecting the two workpieces than when using a conventional "C"clamp, as well, this arrangement also allows more flexibility as to the types of workpieces being joined. The two "C"clamp vices can now be wound together along a longitudinal axis in order to press the two pieces together. Thus, this arrangement works in very much the same way as one's hands, each independently gripping a piece of the work object, can be brought together by one's arms in order to press separate pieces of a work object firmly together in a controlled way.
In that this invention is freestanding and doesn't have to be mounted to a table to work, it can easily be used in and around many different types of work enironments.
Moreover, this tool is ideally suited for a work environment in which adding like parts together or adding parts to an existing system is the objective. These types of operations are made easier because using this tool to temporarily join two parts together allows the worker to use both hands to excecute a permanent connection.
WEX/C/04desciip4 1 2,357,769 CA 02357769 2005-02-24 .Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will be better understood and further objects, characterizing features, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly with reference to the diagrammatic drawing illustrating a presently preferred specific embodiment of the invention by way of non-limiting example only.
Fig. 1 is a right side view of the workpiece vice holding system Fig. 2 is a front view of the workpiece vice holding system Fig. 3 is a plan view of the workpiece vice holding system Detailed Desription The tool illustrated comprises a Moveable "C"ClampVice Body (5) that houses a screw-threaded Holding Rod (3) in it's Holding Rod Receiver (16). When a part of a workpiece object is placed in this vice and the Turnstile (13) is operated thereby exerting force along a lateral axis, the workpiece object is held firmly by the Fixed Holding Pad (7) and the Floating, Auto-Adjustable Pad(9) A second part of a workpiece object is then placed in the Fixed"C"ClampV ce (6) and it's Turnstile( 12) is operated to turn the Holding Rod (4) through it's Holding Rod Receiver( 17) thereby exerting force along a lateral axis. Thus the second workpiece object is held firmly between the Fixed Holding Pad(8) and the Floating, Auto-Adjustable Pad(10) These two "C"clamp vices(5,6) are connected in the following manner. The Positioning Rod with screw thread ( 1 ) passes through the Positioning Rod Receiver Housing( 19) and through the body of the Moveable"C"ClampVice (5) and is attached to a matching point on the Fixed"C"ClampVice (6) but is prevented from travelling further by a combination oi; a reduction in the diametre of the Positioning Rod ( 1 ) at it's tip, where there is also no threads, a Washer( 1 S) and Nut( 14). This arrangement allows the Positioning Rod ( 1 ) to turn freely while keeping the Fixed"C"ClampVice(6) in a fixed position whilist cranking the Turnstile( 11) ofPositioning Rod ( 1 ), the Moveable V ce Body (5) can be moved along a longitudinal axis thereby forcing the two pieces of a work object together or apart as needed.
Stability of this tool is enhanced with a tight fitting, unthreaded, Guide Rod (2) that parallels the threaded Positioning Rod ( 1 ) and also connects the two C-clamp vices (5,6) by extending completely through matching points on the bodies of both C-clamps vices, the guide rod is capped at both ends ( 18, 20) preventing it from becoming detached from the C-clamps (5,6) whilst allowing free move-ment ofthe Moveable C-clamp (S) along a longitudinal axis yet preventing one or the other C-clamp vices (5,6) from rotating around the axis ofthe threaded Positioning Rod (1) when it is operated.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1 A manually operable, free standing, workpiece vice holding system comprised of two C-clamp vices, one moveable, one fixed, arranged parallel to one another and connected together by a threaded positioning rod that is threaded through the body of the moveable C-clamp vice and connected with a washer and nut to a matching point on the fixed C-clamp vice allowing it to turn freely, yet hold this fixed C-clamp vice in such a way that when the threaded positioning rod is manually operated, the distance between the two C-clamps vices can be decreased or increased allowing the two C-clamp vices, each independently holding seperate parts of a workpiece object, to be brought together in a controlled way, whilst the stability of this tool is enhanced with a tight fitting, unthreaded, guide rod that parallels the threaded positioning rod and also connects the two C-clamp vices by extending completely through matching points on the bodies of both C-clamps vices, the guide rod is capped at both ends preventing it from becoming detached from the C-clamps whilst allowing free movement of the moveable C-clamp along a longitudinal axis yet preventing one or the other C-clamp vices from rotating around the axis of the threaded positioning rod when it is operated and in a variety of sizes, this said workpiece vice holding system meets a variety of workpiece diameters, yet remains free standing so this tool can be moved easily in and around a worksite environ-ment.