How Does a Vice Grip Work?
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Vice Grips Resemble Pliers
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At first glance, a vice grip looks much like an oversized pair of pliers; it features a ridged jaw, a pivot point and a long, protruding handle. The similarities between a vice grip and pliers end at the physical resemblance, though, as the operation is significantly different when applying pressure to the handles. While pliers pivot around a single pivot point to apply pressure when the handles are squeezed, vice grips rely on multiple pivot points to expand and contract the mechanical jaw in direct proportion to the amount of force applied to the handles.
Vice Grips Rely on Pivot Points
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When pressure is applied to the handles of vice grips, the handle pivots around a lower pivot point on the jaw of the device; this action causes the distance between the jaw and another pivot point, the adjusting point, to expand somewhat. A third pivot point, located near the top of the device jaw, completes the action by pushing the vice grip jaws closed. Because the vice grips use levers and multiple pivot points, they are able to mechanically multiply the force applied to the lever by as much as tenfold, resulting in a force of 100 pounds generated by only 10 pounds of pressure on the vice grip handles.
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Vice Grips Lock in Place
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When the vice grips have been successfully applied to the intended project, the user simply pulls the lower portion of the handle away from the upper portion. When the lower portion reach an angle of at least 180 degrees, it locks in place due to simple mechanical principles. Once the device reaches 180 degrees of separation, it will want to retract in the opposite direction; components in the vice grip prevent this retraction from taking place. To release the vice grip's lock, a small lever on the handle releases pressure and allows the handle to return to an angle of less than 180 degrees.
Vice Grips Adjust
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To fine-tune a pair of vice grips, a user can twist a small screw on the rear of the upper handle either clockwise or counterclockwise. When the screw, known as an adjustment screw, is turned, the two upper pivot points move slightly closer together or further apart, depending on which direction the screw is turned. By adjusting the gap between the upper pivot points on the vice grip, the user can tune the size of the jaw and at what specific opening the jaw locks into place.
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