Torque limiting vise for holding work on a machine tool table

A torque limiting vise for holding work on a machine tool table;

• means for fixing said vise on a machine tool table;
• said vise having a pair of holding jaws between which a part may be clamped and held during the performance of machine work thereon;
• means for forcing said jaws together with a predetermined amount of force which predetermines a precise degree of mechanical deflection of either or both of said jaws in response to pressure thereof against a part clamped between said jaws, whereby successively machined parts, held by said jaws, create precisely the same amount of deflection so that each successively machined part is held precisely in the same position relative to a cutting tool position of said machine tool;
• said means for forcing said jaws together comprising a rotatable jaw actuating shaft;
• screwthreaded means disposed for advancing one of said jaws toward the other one of said pair of jaws;
• and a torque limiting means coupling said shaft and said screwthreaded means;
• rotary force applied to said jaw actuating shaft is precisely limited by said torque limiting means, thereby precisely limiting force of said screwthreaded means applied to said one of said jaws;
• said torque limiting means being a slippable clutch;
• said slippable clutch provided with a plurality of first discs coupled to said actuating shaft;
• said clutch having a plurality of second discs coupled to said screwthreaded means;
• said first and second discs disposed alternately between each other and in contigous relationship;
• said actuating shaft and said screwthreaded means being on a common axis;
• and said discs being free to move into pressure contact with each other in a direction longitudinally of said common axis;
• and adjustable resilient means adjustable to apply force in a direction longitudinally along said common axis and against said first and second discs to thereby cause frictional engagement therebetween and to provide for the adjustment of a predetermined amount of torque transmitting force between said actuating shaft and said screwthreaded means before said first and second discs slip relative to each other while said actuating shaft is being rotated to force one of said jaws toward said other one of said jaws.