In prior art, several stands are known which comprise a ball socket joint and which are designed to facilitate handwork in the making of small objects, such as fishing flies and ornaments. The shape and si- ze of the ball and the cup-like socket are fitted to each other so that they substantially correspond to each other, the socket height being larger than the radius of the ball. The ball is thus accommodated in the socket cup so that the height of the ball segment remaining outside the ball is smaller than the radius of the ball. The working device is connected in a known manner to the ball segment remaining outside the socket. Often the ball is locked in place relative to the socket by applying a pressure to the ball from la- teral directions by means of the socket.

When shaping and finishing an object, a han- dicraftsman wants to see the object from all direc- tions. The object is therefore rotated and turned by moving the ball in the socket. Every time the ball is to be turned, the locking must be released.

The problem is the necessity to release and re-engage the locking, which clearly retards working.

Moreover, a locking system as described above means that the socket cup has to be large enough to receive more than one half of the ball. This means a signifi- cant reduction of the deflection angle of the working device, in other words, the working device attached to the ball segment remaining outside the cup can only be turned through an angle of max. 90" relative to the vertical direction.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks described above.

A specific object of the present invention is to disclose a new type of stand that allows clearly faster and easier working in the making of handiwork objects. Another object of the invention is to dis- close a stand which can be easily and quickly manufac- tured and which comprises no superfluous moving parts such as locking clamps or the like. A further object of the invention is to disclose a stand that is simple and easy to use and that allows the working device at- tached to it to be turned through a considerably larger angle relative to the vertical direction than previously known stands.

As for the features characteristic of the in- vention, reference is made to the claims.

The stand of the invention for a working de- vice, such as a fly binding device, anvil, screw clamp or equivalent, comprises a ball and a cup-like socket.

The ball and the cup-like socket preferably have a shape and size substantially adapted to each other.

According to the invention, the stand comprises a friction element disposed in the socket between the ball and the socket to generate a frictional force on the ball exceeding the force exerted on the ball by the working device. The friction element is preferably a ring of rubber, plastic, wood or corresponding mate- rial, disposed in the socket cup or on the circumfer- ence of the socket cup. The size of the friction ele- ment and the mass of the ball are so chosen that the frictional force generated between the ball and the friction element is sufficient to keep the working de- vice attached to the ball in position when the working device and the object held in it are being manipu- lated.

In a preferred embodiment of the present in- vention, the stand comprises a vacuum device to create

a vacuum in the space between the socket and the ball and to increase -the frictional force acting on the ball. In this case, the vacuum device may be con- trolled e.g. by means of a foot-operated switch so that pressing the switch releases the vacuum and per- mits the ball to be turned in the cup. On the other hand, the vacuum device may be replaced with a magnet- ising device connected to the ball to magnetise the ball and to lock it with respect to the socket. The magnetising device can also be controlled by means of a foot-operated switch. The magnetising device is preferably an electromagnet and the switch is used to control the supply of electricity to the electromag- net.

In an embodiment of the invention, the size and shape of the socket are so chosen that the socket is as large as or smaller than a ball segment of the ball having a segment height h that is smaller than the radius r of the ball. By suitably selecting the size of the socket cup it is possible to adjust the ball size that can be accommodated in it. The smaller the segment that goes into the socket, the larger is the maximum deflection angle of the working device to be attached to the ball.

As compared with, the present invention has the advantage that the invention allows a signifi- cantly larger deflection angle of the working device than earlier solutions as well as clearly easier and faster setting of the working device into a new posi- tion.

A further advantage of the invention is that the stand of the invention is easy and simple to manu- facture and comprises no superfluous mechanical moving parts.

In the following, the invention will be de- scribed by the aid of a preferred embodiment presented as an example by referring to the attached drawing,

which presents a stand according to the present inven- tion in lateral vew and partially sectioned.

The stand depicted in the drawing comprises a ball 2 and a socket 3, in which the ball is placed.

The ball 2 is placed in the socket cup 7 of the socket 3, and the depth of the socket cup has been so chosen that it corresponds to the height h of the circular segment shown in the figure. Moreover, the stand pre- sented in the figure comprises two friction rings 4, which are placed on the circumference of the socket cup at a distance from each other so that they remain between the ball 2 and the socket 3. Due to the fric- tion elements 4 and the mass of the ball, the ball is acted upon by a frictional force whose magnitude is substantially determined by the mass of the ball 2.

Moreover, the frictional force generated depends on the size and shape of the friction elements 4. The frictional force is so chosen that it is larger than the force acting on the working device, so frictional force will keep the ball 2 and the working device 1 in the set position during manipulation of the object at- tached to the working device.

In addition, the stand may comprise a vacuum device 5 and/or a magnetising device 6. In this em- bodiment, the stand may also comprise a switch 8 used to control the vacuum device and the magnetising de- vice 5, 6. The vacuum device 5 and the magnetising de- vice 6 are preferably disposed below the ball at the lowest point of the socket cup 7. In this case the switch 8 is used to control the flow of the vacuum generating suction air into the space between the ball 2 and the socket cup 7. On the other hand, the switch 8 can be used to control the electric current supplied to an electromagnet. The function of the vacuum device 5 and magnetising device 6 is to draw the ball 2 against the socket 3 and especially against the fric- tion element 4. The larger the force drawing the ball

downward, the smaller is the mass of the ball 2 and the size of friction element that are required for the generation of the frictional force needed.

The arrows 9 and 10 indicate the achievable deflection angle of the ball and the working device 1.

As shown in the figure, the ball 2 can be rotated horizontally through 360". In addition, depending on the selected socket cup depth in relation to the ra- dius of the ball, the ball 2 can be rotated in a ver- tical direction through more than 1800. Depicted with broken lines in the example in the figure is a working device 1', which has been turned left through about 1200 in relation to the vertical direction.

The stand is used as follows. Grasping the stand e.g. by the working device 1, the ball 2 is turned and rotated in the desired direction so as to bring the working device and the work object held in it to the desired position. If the frictional force is too large, the ball can be eased a little during the turning and rotating movement. Moreover, if a vacuum and/or magnetising device 5, 6 is used, the ball is released by pressing the switch 8 e.g. with a foot and the ball is then turned and rotated into the desired position. When the ball is in the desired position, the switch 8 is allowed to return to its normal posi- tion, whereupon the vacuum and/or magnetising device will again draw the ball against the socket 3. In this way, the stand of the invention can be used as a ver- satile and handy mounting for objects to be made by handwork.

In addition, it is to be noted that, as can be seen from the figure, the ball 2 is somewhat flat- tened at the poles. A flat surface is formed at the poles to allow attachment of a working device 1. The working device can be fixed in a manner known in it- self. Moreover, the ball may comprise several flat ar- eas. The essential point about the shape of the ball 2 is that the size of the flat area is substantially smaller than the shape and size of the socket cup 7.

In this way, the ball 2 will retain its spherical form in relation to the socket cup 7 and can be rotated and turned to the desired position.

The invention is not restricted to the examples of its embodiments described above, but many variations are possible within the scope of the inven- tive idea defined by the claims.