VISE

Abstract

 There is provided a vise (1) adapted to be fastened to a workbench (10) and defining a longitudinal axis (1a) and a main plane (1b) parallel to the longitudinal axis (1a), wherein the vise (1) comprises a support (2) comprising at least one supporting surface (2a) aligned with the longitudinal axis and extending along the main plane (1b), and connection means (20) adapted to fasten the support (2) to the workbench (10), and a plurality of fastening means (3) each defining a fastening direction (3a) and a housing direction (3b) perpendicular to the fastening direction (3a), wherein the fastening means (3) are fastened to the supporting surface (2a), the fastening directions (3a) are mutually parallel and non-aligned, and each housing direction (3b) is aligned with the longitudinal axis (1a).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a vise of the type specified in the preamble of the first claim.

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to a support vise adapted to fasten one or more objects to points above it.

[0003] Precision vises are known in the current state of the art. Precision vises are support devises adapted to be secured or fastened to workbenches.

[0004] Generally, therefore, precision vises are made of particularly resistant metal materials, for example steel, and have a gripping area and a fastening area.

[0005] The gripping area generally consists of a jaw, i.e. a mechanical member adapted to frictionally fasten an element therein placed between two ends of the jaw.

[0006] The fastening area, on the other hand, is generally defined by a support suitable for supporting the jaw and to be fastened to a workbench.

[0007] Since workbenches generally consist of mounting tracks or rails, the fastening area may comprise a protrusion adapted to be inserted inside the workbench tracks, and/or they consist of secondary means such as, for example, holes for fastening screws used to secure the vise to the workbench.

[0008] The described prior art has a few major drawbacks.

[0009] In particular, the procedures for installing the vises, for precision machining, require qualified personnel and are time-consuming as the vises must be correctly positioned to be able to fasten an external object.

[0010] In addition, these vises are exclusively support objects and do not provide any significant direction to an operator since they do not include any reference in terms of space.

[0011] In this context, the technical task underlying the present invention is to devise a vise, which is capable of substantially obviating at least some of the above-mentioned drawbacks.

[0012] Within the scope of said technical task, a major object of the invention is to obtain a vise, which allows installation and configuration of the supports, for example, above a workbench, to be considerably reduced.

[0013] Another major object of the invention is to provide a vise, which gives directions, in terms of space, to the vise operator for fastening an external object.

[0014] The technical task and the specified objects are achieved by means of a vise as claimed in the appended claim 1. Preferred embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0015] The features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the vise according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the fastening means in the operative configuration; and

Fig. 3 is a top view of the fastening means in the closed configuration without external objects.

[0016] In the present document, the measures, values, shapes and geometric references (such as perpendicularity and parallelism), when associated with terms like "about" or other similar terms such as "almost" or "substantially", are to be understood as except for measurement errors or inaccuracies due to production and/or manufacturing defects and, especially, except for a slight difference from the value, measure, shape, or geometric reference with which it is associated. For example, these terms, if associated with a value, preferably indicate a difference not exceeding 10% of the value itself.

[0017] Furthermore, when used, terms such as "first", "second", "higher", "lower", "main" and "secondary" do not necessarily identify an order, a priority relationship or a relative position, but can simply be used to distinguish more clearly the different components from each other.

[0018] The measurements and the data reported in this text are to be considered, unless otherwise indicated, as carried out in the International Standard Atmosphere ICAO (ISO 2533).

[0019] With reference to the Figures, the vise according to the invention is indicated as a whole by the numeral 1.

[0020] The support vise 1 is preferably adapted to be fastened to a workbench 10.

[0021] Therefore, the workbench 10 is of the type known in the current state of the art and may have holes, for fastening objects by means of screws, and/or rails or tracks in which abutments may slide so as to fasten any external objects along at least two directions.

[0022] The vise 1 preferably defines a longitudinal axis 1a and a main plane 1b.

[0023] The main plane 1b is parallel to the longitudinal axis 1a.

[0024] The vise 1 comprises a support 2 and a plurality of fastening means 3.

[0025] The support 2 is preferably adapted to support the fastening means 3.

[0026] It includes, in particular, at least one supporting surface 2a. This supporting surface 2a is preferably flat. Also preferably, the supporting surface 2a is aligned with the longitudinal axis 1a and extends along the main plane 1b.

[0027] This surface 2a is adapted, in detail, to house the fastening means 3 along its extension.

[0028] Therefore, the fastening means 3 are fastened to the supporting surface 2a.

[0029] The support 2 also has connection means 20.

[0030] Preferably, the connection means 20 are adapted to fasten the support 2 to the workbench 10.

[0031] Therefore, the connection means 20 may comprise holes adapted to receive screws so as to fasten the support 2, and then the vise 1, to the workbench 10.

[0032] Alternatively, or simultaneously, the connection means 20 may comprise a protrusion extending along the longitudinal axis 1a, which is shaped complementarily to, for example, a track of the workbench 10 and adapted to fasten the vise 1 to said workbench 10.

[0033] For example, the vise 1 can be fastened to a workbench 10 by sliding the protrusion within the track, so as to translate the vise 1 along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 1a on the workbench 10.

[0034] In addition, the vise 1 can be secured to the workbench by using screws housed in the holes of the support 2 and fastened to the holes in the workbench 10.

[0035] The fastening means 3 each define a fastening direction 3a and a housing direction 3b.

[0036] The fastening direction 3a is preferably the direction along which the fastening means 3 provide the force for the clamping of an external object 4.

[0037] The external object 4 can be a beam, a plate, or an irregularly shaped object.

[0038] The housing direction 3b is the direction along which the external object 4 is positioned on the fastening means 3. The housing direction 3b is preferably perpendicular to the fastening direction 3a.

[0039] Furthermore, since the fastening means 3 secured to the support 2 are many, the fastening directions 3a of the fastening means 3 are mutually parallel and non-aligned.

[0040] Preferably, each housing direction 3b is aligned with the longitudinal axis 1a.

[0041] Preferably, in addition, the fastening directions 3a are equally spaced with respect to the longitudinal axis 1a.

[0042] Preferably, the fastening means 3 define a single vise or jaw adapted to trap, on command, an external object 4 therein.

[0043] In detail, the fastening means 3 comprise a first portion 30 and a second portion 31.

[0044] These portions 30, 31 preferably define a compartment 32.

[0045] The compartment 32, for example, extends mainly along the housing direction 3b.

[0046] Furthermore, at least one, and preferably only one, of the first and second portions 30, 31 can be moved relative to the other along the fastening direction 3a so as to enlarge or reduce the compartment 32 along the fastening direction 3a.

[0047] In addition, the first portion 30 preferably comprises a first abutment surface 30a perpendicular to the fastening direction 3a and the second portion 31 comprises a second abutment surface 31a perpendicular to the fastening direction 3a.

[0048] Preferably, the abutment surfaces 30a, 31a face the compartment 32.

[0049] Therefore, they are substantially opposite and designed to fasten the external object 4 when the latter is at least partially inserted in the compartment 32.

[0050] In particular, the abutment surfaces 30a, 31a adhere to at least part of the external object 4.

[0051] These surfaces 30a, 31a thus adhere, on command, to the external object 4 so as to engage the latter by friction.

[0052] Preferably, therefore, the abutment surfaces 30a, 31a have a static friction coefficient of at least 0.1.

[0053] These surfaces are preferably flat and free of protuberances or grooves.

[0054] However, they may include abutments 33.

[0055] Said abutments 33, for example, are adapted to define cavities 34 when the abutment surfaces 30a, 31a adhere to each other.

[0056] In other words, if the compartment does not house an external body 4 and the opposite surfaces 30a, 31a are brought into contact, the abutments 33 are such as to provide cavities 34, for example cylindrical cavities, between the first and the second portion 30, 31.

[0057] As said, the fastening means 3 can be moved on command.

[0058] Therefore, the vise 1 also comprises control means 5.

[0059] These control means 5 are preferably suitable for controlling the movement of at least one of the first and second portions 30, 31.

[0060] In the preferred configuration, the first portion 30 is fastened to the support 2, whereas the second portion 31 is movably fastened to the support 2.

[0061] Therefore, the control means 5 are preferably suitable for moving the second portion 31 along the fastening axis 3a.

[0062] The control means 5 may comprise different types of devises for activating the second portion 31.

[0063] Brushless motors, rotary mechanical devises, hydraulic actuators or the like can be provided.

[0064] Preferably, the control means 5 comprise a threaded guide constrained to the support 2 and a screwing member 50.

[0065] The latter is preferably constrained to the second portion 31 and adapted to translate along the fastening axis 3a with respect to the threaded guide when set in rotation.

[0066] By translating, the screwing member 50 drags and translates the second portion 31 with it.

[0067] Finally, preferably, the screwing member 50 comprises a connector 51. The connector 51, for example, is adapted to connect the screwing member 50 to a known type of screwer.

[0068] This screwer can be of various types such as, for example, a hydraulic, mechanical or electrical screwer.

[0069] The operation of the support vise 1, previously described in structural terms, is as follows.

[0070] An external body 4 may be housed inside the compartments 32 defined by the fastening means 3 on the vise 1. Once the external body 4 has been inserted, it can be secured by moving the first or the second portion 30, 31 via the control means 5.

[0071] The abutment surfaces 30a, 31a come into contact with at least part of the external body 4 and secure it, by friction, to the vise 1, and therefore to a possible workbench 10.

[0072] The vise 1 according to the invention achieves important advantages.

[0073] In fact, the vise 1 can be accommodated above a workbench with few actions, since it is made up of a single body on which fastening means 3 or, better said, single vises, are formed.

[0074] Moreover, since it already has a plurality of fastening means 3, it is not necessary to perform the particular measurements or preliminary actions that are required with the vises of the conventional type.

[0075] The vise 1 is in fact already prepared for operation.

[0076] In addition, the distances between the fastening means 3 are known a priori, therefore the vise 1 offers reference points to a possible operator who can read, on the external body, the positions defined by the fastening means 3.

[0077] If, for example, the vise 1 comprises seven fastening means 3 defining a nominal width, i.e. the dimension parallel to the longitudinal axis 1a, of 1 dm, and each fastening direction 3a is spaced from the adjacent by 12 cm, then it is possible to place an 82-cm plate defining, via the fastening means, successive positions on the plate.

[0078] These positions, for example those comprised between the fastening means 3, can be used for the machining of the external object 4.

[0079] Said machining, for example, can involve cuts or the like.

[0080] The invention is susceptible of variations falling within the scope of the inventive concept as defined by the claims.

[0081] In this context, all details are replaceable by equivalent elements and the materials, shapes and dimensions may be any materials, shapes and dimensions.

Claims

1. A vise (1) adapted to be fastened to a workbench (10) and defining a longitudinal axis (1a) and a main plane (1b) parallel to said longitudinal axis (1a), said vise (1) comprising:

- a support (2) comprising at least one supporting surface (2a) aligned with said longitudinal axis (1a) and extending along said main plane (1b), and connection means (20) adapted to fasten said support (2) to said workbench (10),

and characterised in that it comprises

- a plurality of fastening means (3) each defining a fastening direction (3a) and a housing direction (3b) perpendicular to said fastening direction (3a),

- said fastening means (3) being fastened to said supporting surface (2a),

- said fastening directions (3a) being mutually parallel and non-aligned, and

- each of said housing directions (3b) being aligned with said longitudinal axis (1a).

2. The vise (1) according to claim 1, wherein said fastening directions (3a) are equally spaced with respect to said longitudinal axis (1a).

3. The vise (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said fastening means (3) comprise a first portion (30) and a second portion (31) defining a compartment (32) extending mainly along said housing direction (3b), at least one of said first and second portions (30, 31) being movable relative to said other portion (30, 31) along said fastening direction (3a) so as to enlarge or reduce said compartment (32) along said fastening direction (3a).

4. The vise (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said first portion (30) comprises a first abutment surface (30a) perpendicular to said fastening direction (3a) and said second portion (31) comprises a second abutment surface (31a) perpendicular to said fastening direction (3a), said abutment surfaces (30a, 31a) facing said compartment (32), being substantially opposite and designed to fasten an external object (4) when said external object (4) is at least partially inserted in said compartment (32) and said abutment surfaces (30a, 31a) adhere to at least part of said external object (4).

5. The vise (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said abutment surfaces (30a, 31a) have a static friction coefficient of at least 0.1 and comprise abutments (33) adapted to define cavities (34) when said abutment surfaces (30a, 31a) adhere to each other.

6. The vise (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, comprising control means (5) suitable for controlling the movement of at least one of said first and second portions (30, 31).

7. The vise (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said first portion (30) is fastened to said support (2), said second portion (31) is movably fastened to said support (2) and said control means (5) are suitable for moving said second portion (31) along said fastening axis (3a), said control means (5) comprising a threaded guide constrained to said support (2) and a screwing member (50) constrained to said second portion (31) and adapted to translate along said fastening axis (3a) with respect to said threaded guide when set in rotation.

8. The vise (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said screwing member (50) comprises a connector (51) adapted to connect said screwing member (50) to a known type of screwer.

9. The vise (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said connection means (20) comprise holes adapted to receive screws so as to fasten said vise (1) to said workbench (10).

10. The vise (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein said workbench (10) defines at least one track and said connection means (20) comprise a protrusion extending along said longitudinal axis (1a), which is shaped complementarily to said track and adapted to fasten said vise (1) to said workbench (10).

Drawing