Keyless self-tightening chuck

A self-tightening chuck for gripping an object such as a tool bit or the like comprising:

• a nose piece having a tapered surface that defines an internal opening for receiving a tool bit along an axis;
• a plurality of gripping elements located within said opening in contact with said tapered surface to define a tool receiving gap therebetween, said gripping elements movable relative to said tapered surface throughout a range of adjustment to engage a tool bit in the tool receiving gap and for applying a gripping force to the tool bit in response to a thrust force applied to said gripping elements;
• a control sleeve rotatably mounted on said nose piece and adjustably connected to a chuck body means for relative adjustment therebetween throughout a range of adjustment to vary the size of the tool receiving gap and to cause said gripping elements to forcibly grip a tool bit therebetween;
• a first axial-face cam located in said chuck and coupled to said gripping elements for applying a thrust force thereto;
• a second axial-face cam confronting said first axial face cam for coupling through said chuck to a drive source;
• said first and second confronting axial face cams defining plural, opposed sets of cam surfaces therebetween, a rolling element disposed between the cam surfaces of each set, said axially face cams mutually cooperating to apply a thrust force to said gripping elements in response to a torque applied though said chuck to increase the gripping force applied by said gripping elements to the tool bit, said cam surfaces configured to apply a thrust force to said gripping elements in either a first or a second rotary direction.

A self-tightening chuck for releasably gripping an object such as a tool bit or the like comprising:

• a nose piece having a tapered surface that defines an internal opening for receiving a tool bit along an axis;
• a plurality of tapered gripping elements located within said opening and defining a tool receiving gap therebetween, said gripping elements movable relative to said tapered surface throughout a range of adjustment for engaging a tool bit in said tool receiving gap and for applying a gripping force to the tool bit in response to a thrust force applied to said gripping elements;
• a control sleeve rotatably mounted on said nose piece and adjustably connected to a chuck body for relative adjustment therebetween, adjustment of said control sleeve relative to said chuck body causing said gripping elements to move relative to said tapered surface to forcibly grip a tool bit;
• axial face cam means located within said chuck for applying a thrust force to said gripping elements in response to the torque transmitted through said chuck to increase the gripping force applied by said gripping elements to a tool bit gripped therebetween, said axial face cam means including at least two confronting axial face cams rotatable relative one another from a neutral position to thereby apply the thrust force to said gripping elements;
• and
• elastomeric link means connected in tension between said at least two axial face cam means to resiliently urge said axial face cam means to said neutral position.

A self-tightening chuck for releasably gripping an object such as a tool bit or the like comprising:

• a nose piece having a tapered surface that defines an internal opening for receiving a tool bit along an axis;
• a plurality of tapered gripping elements located within said opening defining a tool receiving gap therebetween, said gripping elements movable relative to said tapered surface throughout a range of adjustment to engage a tool bit in said tool receiving gap and for applying a gripping force to the tool bit in response to a thrust force applied to said gripping elements;
• a control sleeve rotatably mounted on said nose piece and adjustably connected to a chuck body for relative adjustment therebetween, adjustment of said control sleeve relative to said chuck body causing said gripping elements to move relative to said tapered surface to forcibly grip a tool bit;
• first axial-face cam means located in said chuck and coupled to said gripping elements for applying a thrust force thereto;
• second axial-face cam means confronting said first axial face cam means for coupling through said chuck to a drive source;
• said first and second confronting axially face cams having a plurality of opposed cam surface sets and a roller element disposed between the cam surfaces of each set, said cam surfaces mutually defining a neutral position, said cams rotatable relative one another in response to a torque applied through said chuck to apply a thrust force to said gripping elements to increase the gripping force applied by said gripping elements;
• and
• elastomeric link means coupled in tension between said first and second axial face cam means to resiliently urge said axial face cam means to said neutral position.

A self-tightening chuck for releasably gripping an object such as a tool bit or the like comprising:

• a nose piece having a tapered surface that defines an internal opening for receiving a tool bit along an axis;
• a plurality of gripping elements located within said opening and in contact with said tapered surface and defining a tool receiving gap therebetween, said gripping elements movable relative to said tapered surface throughout a range of adjustment to engage a tool bit in said tool receiving gap and for applying a gripping force to the tool bit in response to a thrust force applied to said gripping elements;
• a control sleeve rotatably mounted on said nose piece and adjustably connected to a chuck body for relative adjustment therebetween, adjustment of said control sleeve relative to said chuck body causing said gripping elements to move relative to said tapered surface to forcibly grip a tool bit;
• a thrust receiving anti-friction bearing located between said control sleeve and nose piece for reducing the friction therebetween;
• a first axial face cam means located in said chuck and coupled to said gripping elements to apply a thrust force thereto;
• a second axial face cam means confronting said first axial face cam means for coupling through said chuck to a drive source;
• said first and second confronting axial face cams defining plural opposed sets of cam surface sets therebetween, a rolling element disposed between the opposed cam surfaces of each cam surface set;
• said first and second axial face cam means cooperating to apply a thrust force to said gripping elements in response to a torque applied through said chuck to increase the gripping force applied by said gripping element.

A chuck for forcibly gripping a tool bit in response to manual adjustment thereof and for increasing the gripping force applied to the tool bit in response to a torque applied through the chuck, said chuck comprising:

• a nose piece having a tapered surface that defines an internal opening for receiving a tool bit along an axis;
• a plurality of tapered gripping elements located within said opening and defining a tool receiving gap therebetween, said gripping elements movable relative to said tapered surface throughout a range of adjustment to engage a tool bit in said tool receiving gap and for applying a gripping force to the tool bit in response to a thrust force applied to said gripping elements;
• a control sleeve rotatably mounted on said nose piece and adjustably connected to a chuck body for relative adjustment therebetween throughout a range of adjustment;
• a thrust receiving antifriction bearing mounted between said nose piece and said control sleeve to reduce the friction therebetween during adjustment of said chuck;
• first axial-face cam means located in said chuck and coupled to said gripping elements for applying a thrust force thereto;
• said second axial face cam means confronting said first axial face cam means for coupling through said chuck to a drive source;
• said first and second confronting axially face cam means having a plurality of opposed cam surface sets and a roller element disposed between the cam surfaces of each set, said cam surfaces mutually defining a neutral position, manual adjustment of said control sleeve relative to said chuck body causing said gripping elements to move relative said tapered surface to forcibly grip a tool bit and causing said axial face cam means and said rolling elements to assume said neutral position, said antifriction bearing reducing the friction between said control sleeve and said nose piece to facilitate the forcible gripping of the tool bit and the neutral positioning of the first and second axial face cams, said cams rotatable relative one another in response to a torque applied to said chuck to apply a thrust force to said gripping elements to increase the gripping force applied by said gripping elements and rotatable relative one another to return to said neutral position upon removal of said so-applied force, said antifriction bearing lowering the friction between said nose piece and control sleeve to facilitate relative rotation between said axial face cams during application of a torque through said chuck to increase the gripping force and to facilitate relative rotation between said axial face cams upon the removal of the so-applied torque to return said axial face cams to their neutral positions.

A self-tightening chuck for gripping an object such as a tool bit or the like comprising:

• a nose piece having a tapered surface that defines an internal opening for receiving a tool bit along an axis;
• a plurality of gripping elements located within said tool opening in contact with said tapered surface to define a tool receiving gap therebetween, said gripping elements movable relative to said tapered surface throughout a range of adjustment to engage a tool bit in said tool receiving gap and for applying a gripping force to said tool bit in response to a thrust force applied to said gripping element;
• a control sleeve rotatably mounted on said nose piece and adjustably connected to a chuck body means for relative adjustment therebetween throughout a range of adjustment to vary the size of said tool receiving gap;
• axial face cam means located within said chuck for applying a thrust force to said gripping elements in response to the torque transmitted through said chuck to increase the gripping force applied by said gripping elements to a tool bit gripped therebetween, said axial face cam means including at least two confronting axial face cams rotatable relative to one another from a neutral position to thereby apply the thrust force to said gripping elements;
• and
• flexible seal means positioned within said chuck to protect said first and second axial face cam means from foreign matter, said flexible seal means connected to and movable with said gripping elements and including a peripheral sealing lip in continuous sealing engagement with said tapered surface throughout the range of adjustment of said chuck.

A self-tightening chuck for releasably gripping an object such as a tool bit or the like comprising:

• a nose piece having a tapered surface that defines an internal opening for receiving a tool bit along an axis;
• a plurality of tapered gripping means located within said opening defining a tool receiving gap therebetween, said gripping means movable relative to said tapered surface throughout a range of adjustment to engage a tool bit in said tool receiving gap and adapted to apply a gripping force to said tool bit in response to a thrust force applied to said gripping means;
• a control sleeve rotatably mounted on said nose piece and adjustably connected to a chuck body for relative adjustment therebetween, adjustment of said control sleeve relative to said chuck body causing said gripping means to move relative to said tapered surface to forcibly grip a tool bit, said chuck body adapted to be connected to a drive source;
• fastener means for securing said chuck body to a drive source;
• a first axial face cam located in said chuck and coupled to said gripping means for applying a thrust force thereto;
• a second axial face cam formed on said fastener means and confronting said first axial face cam;
• said first and second confronting axial face cams defining plural opposed cam surface sets therebetween, a rolling element disposed between the opposed cam surfaces of each set, each rolling element contacting, on the one side, the cam surface of one of said axial face cams and, on the other side thereof, the cam surface of the other axial face cam, said first and second axial face cams mutually cooperating to apply a thrust force to said gripping elements in response to a torque applied through said chuck to increase the gripping force applied by said gripping elements.