vice

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Machine vice with clamping iron for locking.
Parallel vice
Blacksmith vise or bottle vise

A vice is a device used to hold workpieces in place while they are being machined .

Structure and mode of operation

Parallel vice with
screw clamp attachment , approx. 1920

A vice consists of jaws between which the workpiece is clamped. While one jaw is firmly mounted, the other can be moved with a crank or a bare rod in conjunction with a threaded spindle . Depending on the type of guidance, a distinction is made between bottle vices and parallel vices.

In the case of bottle vices or forged vices, the movable jaws are rotatably mounted around a bolt below. They are only parallel when the jaws are completely closed. When opened, the movable jaw moves away from the fixed jaw by moving around a pivot point and thus forming an angle with the fixed jaw. This design is designed to forge workpieces that have been heated on embers. It allows a particularly fast clamping to minimize heat loss and transmits the impulse of the hammer blows through the leg directly into the ground.

In the case of parallel vices, the fixed and movable jaws are connected to one another both by the spindle and by a guide and slide rail, so that the angle of the position to one another does not change regardless of the opening. Usually the spindle runs inside the guide.

Exchangeable clamping jaws can be attached to the jaws so that if the jaws are damaged, only the replaceable jaws do not have to be replaced. Magnetic protective jaws made of aluminum and plastic are also available, the shape and hardness of which can be adapted to the workpiece.

Simple parallel vices are often attached to a workbench with a clamping screw ( clamping vise ) and take workpieces that are processed by hand. Vices that are permanently installed on workbenches are ideally height-adjustable in order to ensure optimal workplace ergonomics. In addition to the height adjustment, turntables, folding devices and folding lift devices are also available from specialist shops.

The vice is opened or closed by turning the spindle with the aid of a crank. It should be ensured that the vice opens to the front so that long workpieces can be clamped vertically past the workbench.

The spindle of the vice has a movement thread (trapezoidal thread). Thereby, the distance between the jaws to the size of the workpiece can be adjusted and, on the other hand a clamping force exerted on the workpiece. The body of a simple vice is often made of cast iron . Today, however, high-quality vices are forged from steel because of the better material properties ; the rear part of the vise, above the spindle, is often also intended as a small anvil (which is not possible with cast iron due to the brittleness of the material). The length of the hand crank is usually designed so that the torque on the spindle achieved via the lever is not too high. As a result, it is not possible to destroy the vice with just normal physical strength.

Machine vise

Machine vice for NC machines

Machine vices are used to clamp workpieces in machine tools such as drilling or milling machines , which are usually more precise and can absorb higher forces. Machine vices are also available in hydraulic or pneumatic versions. Often cranks or toggles , which are required for tensioning, can be removed. The main purpose of this is to avoid a collision with the clamping plate or the tool.

Pipe vice

There are special pipe vices that can be adjusted to the required pipe diameter for processing pipes . The main advantage of these pipe vices is that round workpieces are clamped from four sides and thus pipes made of soft material are not deformed during clamping.

Special forms

Vice with suction attachment and ball joint
Miniature plastic vice for model making. A suction surface is used for fastening

In the saddlery , a wooden vice known as a sewing horse is used, which is mounted on a bench. The saddler can sit on it and has access to both sides of the leather seam. The carving horse or the carving bench is similar to this . The sewing block is a kind of mobile vice, which is also used to clamp leather during sewing.

Specialized vices are also used in the joinery ; two of them are integrated components of the workbench . In technical terminology, however, they are not referred to as vices, but rather as "pliers". A distinction is made between the front clamp on the left side of the workbench and the rear clamp on the right side.

The filing clamp is used in precision engineering for small workpieces.

In addition to fixed assemblies or screw clamps, suction techniques can also be used to fasten the vice. This requires smooth surfaces that give the vice as firm a hold as possible.

literature

  • Alois Nedoluha: The historical development of the vice. In: Leaves for the history of technology. Issue 18, 1956, ISSN  0067-9127 , pp. 140-145.

Web links

Wiktionary: vice  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
Commons : Vices  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Illustration of a sewing horse