Workpiece holder
AssigneeHydra-Lock Corporation
InventorEugene R. Andre SR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A workholding apparatus including a body and a drive member carried by the body, so that the drive member and body partially define a fluid chamber therebetween for containing a fluid. A driven member is also carried by the body and includes multiple displacement reliefs therein. An intermediate member with a displacement relief is received between the drive and driven members. The intermediate member prevents the drive member from extruding through the displacement reliefs in the driven member under fluid pressures of the fluid, thereby enabling use of the apparatus under higher performance applications that would not be possible without the intermediate member.
Claims20
A workholding apparatus comprising:
- a body;
- at least one drive member carried by said body, said at least one drive member and said body at least partially defining a fluid chamber therebetween for containing a fluid;
- at least one driven member carried by said body, said at least one driven member having at least one displacement relief;
- at least one intermediate member interposed between said at least one drive member and said at least one driven member, said drive, driven, and intermediate members being relatively lapped;
- and
- whereby said at least one intermediate member prevents said at least one drive member from extruding through said at least one displacement relief in said at least one driven member under fluid pressures of said fluid.
An apparatus to releasably retain a workpiece, said apparatus comprising:
- a body;
- at least one diaphragm carried by said body, said at least one diaphragm defining at least in part a fluid chamber constructed to contain a fluid;
- at least one collet having at least one displacement relief, a diaphragm engaging surface, and a workpiece engaging surface, said at least one collet being carried by said body;
- and
- at least one baffle interposed between said at least one diaphragm and said at least one collet;
- whereby when said fluid in said fluid chamber is pressurized a drive force is transmitted through said at least one diaphragm, said at least one baffle, and said at least one collet to urge said at least one collet into engagement with the workpiece to releasably retain the workpiece, and said body prevents said diaphragm from being extruded through said at least one displacement relief in said at least one collet.
An apparatus to releasably retain a workpiece with a generally cylindrical surface, said apparatus comprising:
- a body;
- at least one polymeric diaphragm carried by said body, said at least one polymeric diaphragm defining at least in part a fluid chamber constructed to contain a fluid;
- at least one metal baffle having a displacement relief, a polymeric diaphragm engaging surface, and a metal collet engaging surface, said at least one metal baffle carried by said body with said at least on polymeric diaphragm adjacent to and engageable with said polymeric diaphragm engaging surface;
- and
- at least one metal collet having a plurality of displacement reliefs, an inner surface, and an outer surface, said at least one metal collet carried by said body with said at least one metal baffle interposed between said at least one metal collet and said at least one polymeric diaphragm, one of said inner and outer surfaces being adjacent to and engageable with said metal collet engaging surface of said at least one metal baffle and the other of said inner and outer surfaces of said at least one metal collet being constructed to receive and directly engage the workpiece, said plurality of displacement reliefs being constructed to receive and directly engage the workpiece, said plurality of displacement reliefs being constructed and arranged to enable said at least one metal collet to undergo a change in diameter to engage the workpiece;
- whereby when the fluid in the fluid chamber is pressurized, the force of the pressurized fluid is transmitted through said at least one polymeric diaphragm, said at least one metal baffle, and said at least one metal collet to urge said at least one metal collet into engagement with the workpiece to hold the workpiece, and said at least one metal baffle prevents said at least one polymeric diaphragm from extruding through said plurality of displacement reliefs in said at least one metal collet under the force of the pressurized fluid.
A baffle for use with a workholding apparatus, said apparatus including a body, at least one drive member, and at least one driven member, said at least one drive member being carried by said body and defining at least in part a fluid chamber constructed to contain a fluid, said at least one driven member having a plurality of displacement reliefs, a baffle engaging surface, and a workpiece engaging surface, said at least one driven member being carried by said body, said baffle comprising:
- a body interposed between said at least one drive member and said at least one driven member, said body having at least one displacement relief therein;
- whereby when said fluid in said fluid chamber is pressurized a drive force is transmitted through said at least one drive member, said at least one baffle, and said at least one driven member to urge said at least one driven member into engagement with a workpiece to releasably retain the workpiece, and said baffle prevents said drive member from becoming extruded through said at least one displacement relief in said at least one driven member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.