Indexable jaw universal vise

A machine vise having a base member with a longitudinal axis, and a pair of rails defining an elongated slot that extends along the longitudinal axis, a first jaw and a second jaw mounted on said base and supported on upper surfaces of the rails, the upper surfaces being coplanar and said second jaw being movable in directions toward and away from the first jaw between a jaw closed position with the second jaw adjacent the first jaw and a jaw open position with the second jaw spaced from the first jaw by a distance, a nut mounted in the slot for moving the second jaw upon actuation of the nut, said nut having a rib member that fits in the slot and extends to fill the slot to a level substantially equal to the upper surfaces of the rails, the rib being of length to extend the entire distance between the first and second jaws with the first and second jaws in the jaw open position the first and second jaws being supported on the upper surfaces of the rails and positioned entirely above a plane lying on the upper surfaces of said rails, said first jaw being fixed to said vise base and spanning the slot, a pair of guide blocks mounted on said vise base, and extending upwardly from the surfaces of the rails to engage slots in said first jaw, said first jaw being secured with fasteners relative to the vise base.

An indexable movable jaw for a machine vise comprising a movable jaw having a plurality of outer side workpiece clamping surfaces bounding the movable jaw and the side clamping surfaces being spaced from a central axis, said movable jaw having top and bottom surfaces joining the side surfaces, a recess formed on the bottom surface and bounded by a circular flange enclosed within the outer side surfaces bounding the movable jaw, a load receiving element carried by the movable jaw and open to the recess and accessible from the bottom of the movable jaw for engagement by a drive element insertable into the recess from the bottom, the drive element being oriented to provide for a load on the load receiving element and selectively acting to move each of the side clamping surfaces toward a fixed jaw in separate indexable positions about the central axis, guides for guiding the movable jaw in each of the separate positions as the movable jaw is moved to clamp a workpiece, and a spring detent between the drive element and the movable jaw to urge the drive element to engage the load receiving element.

A vise body and nut assembly comprising a base, a pair of rails extending longitudinally along said base and being spaced apart to form a slot, said rails having upper surfaces that lie on a common plane and form support surfaces for a vise jaw, a jaw nut positioned on said body and movable between said rails, a head portion on the nut projecting above the plane, a movable jaw having a recess to receive the head portion with the movable jaw resting on the upper surfaces, a hook member on one end of the head portion, and a load carrying member on the interior of the recess including at least a first part conical upwardly facing surface engaging a complimentary mating part conical surface on the hook member overlying the first part conical surface for transferring forces from the nut to the movable jaw in at least a plurality of annular position of the movable jaw, the part conical surfaces permitting rotation of the movable jaw with the part conical surfaces overlapping.

A machine vise having a base member with a longitudinal axis, and a pair of rails defining an elongated slot that extends along the longitudinal axis, a first jaw and a second jaw mounted on said base and supported on upper surfaces of the rails, the upper surfaces being coplanar and at least one of said jaws being movable in directions toward and away from the other jaw;

• a nut mounted in the slot for moving the at least one jaw upon actuation of the nut, said nut having a rib member that fits in the slot and extends to fill the slot to a level substantially equal to the upper surfaces of the rails, and having guide surfaces guided along sides of said slot;
• and
• a key on the nut and protruding upwardly from the vise base beyond a plane lying on the upper surfaces of the rails, said second jaw being the at least one jaw and being a movable jaw coupled for driving movement to said nut and having a recess for receiving the key on said nut.