Portable workbench

In a portable workbench comprising a frame, a plurality of legs supporting the frame, a pair of work holding table members carried by said frame, one of said table members being fixed relative to said frame and the other of the table members being movable toward and away from said fixed member, and a pair of vise screws carried by said frame and operatively coupled to said movable table member, said vise screws being operable independently of one another thereby to selectively move said movable table member toward and away from said fixed table member and, upon rotating of one of the vise screws an amount different from the other of the vise screws, to angularly move said movable table member relative to said fixed table member, wherein the improvement comprises:

• said frame including a front frame member, a back frame member, and a pair of hollow end frame members extending between said front and back frame members, each of said end frame members having a longitudinal slot in the upper face thereof, each of said vise screws being disposed within a respective end frame member and being journalled relative to said front frame member, each of said end frame members having a guide movable axially therewithin, each said guide being threadably coupled with a respective vise screw and having a sliding fit within its respective end frame member and being constrained against substantial vertical and lateral movement with respect to its end frame member so as to effect axial sliding movement of the guide within said end frame member upon rotation of said vise screw, a pair of support fittings engagable with the lower face of said movable table member, each of said support fittings being positioned to bear against the upper surface of a respective said end frame member, a pair of elongate slots in said movable table member, each said elongate slot extending in generally lateral direction with respect to said movable table member and being disposed proximate a respective end frame member, means extending through said slot in the upper face of said end frame members interconnecting said support fitting and said guide for the transfer of force from said vise screw to said movable table member, and a pin carried by each said support fitting received in a respective said elongate slot in said movable table member for transmitting loads substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axes of said vise screws between said support fittings and said movable table member and for permitting said movable table member to move angularly with respect to said fixed table member upon rotating said vise screws different amounts, and means secured to said movable table member extending through said slots in the upper faces of said end frame members engagable with said end frame members for holding said movable table in a desired horizontal position, said guide further comprising a nut threadably engagable with said vise screw, said guide holding said nut against substantial axial and rotational movement relative to said guide, wherein said nut is a U-shaped member having a central web and flanges at the outer end of the web, the latter having an opening therethrough for reception of said vise screw, the portion of said web defining said opening threadably engaging said vise screw.

In a portable workbench comprising a frame, a plurality of legs supporting the frame, a pair of work holding table members carried by said frame, one of said table members being fixed relative to said frame and the other of the table members being movable toward and away from said fixed member, and a pair of vise screws carried by said frame and operatively coupled to said movable table member, said vise screws being operable independently of one another thereby to selectively move said movable table member toward and away from said fixed table member and, upon rotating of one of the vise screws an amount different from the other of the vise screws, to angularly move said movable table member relative to said fixed table member, wherein the improvement comprises:

• said frame including a front frame member, a back frame member, and a pair of hollow end frame members extending between said front and back frame members, each of said end frame members having a longitudinal slot in the upper face thereof, each of said vise screws being disposed within a respective end frame member and being journalled relative to said front frame member, each of said end frame members having a guide movable axially therewithin, each said guide being threadably coupled with a respective vise screw and having a sliding fit within its respective end frame member and being constrained against substantial vertical and lateral movement with respect to its end frame member so as to effect axial sliding movement of the guide within said end frame member upon rotation of said vise screw, a pair of support fittings engagable with the lower face of said movable table member, each of said support fittings being positioned to bear against the upper surface of a respective said end frame member, a pair of elongate slots in said movable table member, each said elongate slot extending in generally lateral direction with respect to said movable table member and being disposed proximate a respective end frame member, means extending through said slot in the upper face of said end frame members interconnecting said support fitting and said guide for the transfer of force from said vise screw to said movable table member, and a pin carried by each said support fitting received in a respective said elongate slot in said movable table member for transmitting loads substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axes of said vise screws between said support fittings and said movable table member and for permitting said movable table member to move angularly with respect to said fixed table member upon rotating said vise screws different amounts, and means secured to said movable table member extending through said slots in the upper faces of said end frame members engagable with said end frame members for holding said movable table in a desired horizontal position, said frame including a plurality of sockets, one for each of said legs, for removably securing said legs to said frame, each of said sockets including an upper portion for engagement with the upper end of its respective said leg and a lower portion spaced from the upper portion, the lower portion having an opening therethrough for reception of the leg into the socket, said pipe leg having means projecting outwardly therefrom, said projection means being spaced from the end of the pipe leg so as to be engagable with an upper surface of said lower portion when said leg is in its inserted position within said socket, said lower portion having notch means therein cooperable with said projection means thereby to permit the upper portion of said leg to be inserted in and removed from said socket, said upper surface of the lower portion of the socket being cammingly engagable with said projection means upon rotation of the leg relative to the socket thereby to wedgingly lock the leg with respect to the socket.

A portable workbench comprising a frame, a plurality of pipe legs, a plurality of sockets carried by the frame, one socket for each of said pipe legs, and quick-acting, twist lock means for locking said legs in said sockets thereby to securely lock each leg securely to the frame and to solidly support the frame and for selectively unlocking the legs relative to the frame for disassembly of the workbench, each of said sockets including an upper portion receiving the upper end of a respective pipe leg and a lower portion spaced from the upper portion, the lower portion having an opening therethrough for receiving the upper end of its respective pipe leg, each of said pipe legs having means projecting outwardly therefrom, said lower portion having notch means therein cooperable with said projection means thereby to permit the upper end of pipe leg to be inserted in and removed from said socket, said projection means being spaced from the upper end of the pipe leg so as to be engagable with a surface of said lower portion facing said upper portion when said leg is inserted in said socket, said surface of said lower portion being cammingly engagable by said projection means upon twisting of said pipe leg thereby to lock said leg in position within said socket, said socket being a one-piece, generally C-shaped member of resilient sheet metal, said upper and lower portions being resiliently forced apart upon rotating said legs relative to said socket and upon said projection means cammingly engaging said upper surface of said lower socket portion.