MEW 265 dropped onto the mat this morning, and in my first quick scan my eye was drawn to the article/request to identify and odd looking vice on p65.

The patent number leads to a 1934 patent by Robert Rawnsley of Leeds for a what appears to be an attempt at a universal fitters vice capable of accepting many types of attachments. The inventor claims "This invention relates to tool and work-holders for hand use, and has for an object to provide an improved apparatus whereby numerous operations connected with maintenance and other work in various trades, for instance electrical, plumbing, gas fitting and light engineering trades, can be performed with facility. More specifically the invention is concerned with tool and work-holders for hand use of the general type comprising a vice of conventional form, hereinafter referred to as the main vice, and means for performing shearing, punching, drilling, stamping, grinding, pipe bending or other operations…."

The link above is to the abstract, you can get to the full * page patent with illustrations by clicking on "original document" in the left hand menu.

I wonder if it was really that practical, or whether the auxiliary work/tool holders would just get in the way

Chris