Quick change vise jaw system

Abstract

A master jaw assembly used in a vise including a locking jaw, a detachable jaw and a clamping device disposed in the locking jaw, securely clamping the detachable jaw to the locking jaw. The locking jaw has a groove extending along an inner surface of the locking jaw defined by a first and second edge. The second edge is tapered inward and downward toward the base. The detachable jaw has a dovetail protrusion along one side surface thereof. The clamping device includes a plurality of specially-shaped nuts having a downwardly tapered edge, said nuts designed to receive one end of a double-ended threaded stud. The detachable jaw becomes fixed to the locking jaw by inserting the protrusion into the groove and torquing the studs to tighten the nuts downward against the protrusion such that the protrusion is clamped between the taper of the second edge and the nuts.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.