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US 4,317,578 AGranted
Keyless chucking system
OwnerThomas R. Welchinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The chucking system is used with a machine tool having a spindle which drives a chuck. The chuck-tightening sleeve can be locked to the machine tool frame so that rotation of the spindle causes tightening or loosening of the chuck, depending upon direction of spindle rotation. In this way, key-locking of the chuck is avoided.
Claims33
A control system for controlling the direction and
- speed of a motor which drives a chuck for the selective opening and closing of the chuck, said control system comprising:
- means for varying the current fed to the electric motor by varying the phase chopping of alternating electric current supplied to the motor to control the motor speed, said means including two solid-state electric current switching devices for passing current for driving the motor in a first direction, and two solid-state electric current switching control devices for passing current to the motor for driving the motor in the second direction;
- means for controlling the solid-state switching devices for controlling the motor speed to a preselected lower speed than maximum speed and for selectively controlling the speed of rotation by controlling the duration of conductivity of the solid-state switching devices;
- and
- means for locking a portion of the chuck with respect to the motor frame in order to open or close the chuck in accordance with the selected motor rotation direction.
2 more elements
A chucking system comprising:
- a frame, a motor connected to said frame for rotating a spindle with respect to said frame;
- a chuck having a body mounted on said spindle for rotation with said spindle;
- a sleeve on said chuck for rotation on said chuck with respect to said chuck body for selectively opening or closing said chuck in accordance with the selected direction of rotation;
- actuating means for both interengaging between said frame and said sleeve and for energizing the motor for rotation in a direction and at a speed for selected chuck-opening and -closing;
- and means connected to said motor for selectively controlling the speed thereof between a maximum motor speed and a lower chuck-opening and -closing speed.
2 more elements
A chucking system comprising
- a chuck having first and second elements;
- means for holding said first element of said chuck;
- means for driving said second element of said chuck at a controlled high and low speed and in the selected direction while said first element of said chuck is being held, said means for driving said second element of said chuck including means for disconnecting a high-speed drive of said element of said chuck while said first element of said chuck is being held so that said means for driving said second element of said chuck selectively applies low-speed rotation and torque for the tightening and loosening of said chuck.
A chucking system comprising:
- a tool having a frame and a spindle rotatably mounted in said frame, a motor for rotating said spindle with respect to said frame;
- a chuck having a chuck body mounted on said spindle and having a chuck sleeve rotatably mounted on said body for opening and closing said chuck by rotation of said sleeve in a selected first or second direction;
- a first switch connected to control said motor to rotate said spindle at a reduced speed in a forward direction for closing said chuck;
- a second switch connected to control said motor to open said chuck by driving said motor to rotate the spindle at a reduced speed in the reverse direction;
- an actuator element movable into engagement with said sleeve for engaging said sleeve when one of said switches is operated so that said element can engage and lock said sleeve of said chuck so that said chuck is opened or closed depending upon which of said first and second switches is operated;
- and
- means interlocking said movable element and said switches so that said movable actuator element is restrained from engagement with said chuck sleeve unless one of said first or second switches is operated.
4 more elements
A system comprising
- a chuck having a body member and a sleeve member;
- a machine tool having a motor and rotatable spindle, one of said chuck members being connected to be driven by said spindle;
- means for holding said other member of said chuck so that said motor will rotate said chuck members with respect to each other, jaws in said chuck connected to said sleeve member and said body member so that relative rotation between said members selectively opens or closes said jaws;
- and
- motor control means for controlling the direction of rotation and speed of rotation of said spindle, said spindle speed and direction control means being actuated when said chuck member holding means is actuated to rotate said motor at a speed less than maximum motor speed.
2 more elements
A chucking system comprising:
- a machine having a frame and having a spindle rotatably mounted in said frame, a motor connected to said spindle for selectively rotating said spindle in a first direction or a second direction:
- a chuck having a chuck body mounted on said spindle, said chuck having a sleeve rotatably mounted with respect to said chuck body and arranged so that, when said spindle drives said chuck body in said first direction and said sleeve is held, said chuck closes, and, when said spindle rotates said body in said second direction while said sleeve is held, said chuck opens;
- an actuator movably mounted with respect to said frame for engaging said chuck sleeve so that, when said actuator is engaged with said chuck sleeve and said spindle is rotated in said first direction, said chuck is closed and, when said actuator is engaged with said chuck sleeve and said spindle is rotated in said second direction, said chuck is opened;
- and
- an electric motor speed control system, said electric motor speed control system controlling the speed of the motor so that, when said actuator is engaged with said sleeve, said motor rotates at a speed less than maximum motor speed.
2 more elements
A tool chucking system for a tool having a frame
- and having a spindle rotatably mounted in said frame, a motor connected to rotate said spindle with respect to said frame;
- said motor adapted to operate at maximum motor speed and at a lesser speed
- a chuck having a body, said body being mounted on said spindle for rotation with said spindle, a chuck sleeve rotatably mounted on said chuck body;
- jaws in said chuck for clamping a tool therein, said jaws being opened and closed by relative rotation of said chuck sleeve and said chuck body;
- means for holding said chuck sleeve with respect to said frame;
- and
- means for selectively controlling and operating said motor at said lesser speed to drive said chuck body in a first direction while said chuck sleeve is held with respect to said frame to close said chuck and to drive said chuck-motor in a second direction while said chuck sleeve is held with respect to said frame to open said chuck.
4 more elements
A chucking system comprising:
- a frame, a spindle rotatably mounted on said frame, a motor for rotating said spindle with respect to said frame, a chuck having a body mounted on said spindle and having a sleeve rotatably mounted on said body so that rotation of said sleeve on said body opens and closes said chuck;
- a movable actuator member movable from a first position where it is unengaged with said chuck sleeve to a second position where it is engaged with said chuck sleeve, a resilient member urging said movable member from its first position to its second position;
- a switch member movable from an unoperated position to an operated position, said switch member being mechanically interconnected with said actuator member to retain said actuator member in its disengaged position when said switch member is in its unoperated position and for releasing said actuator member to permit it to move from its disengaged to its engaged position when said switch member is moved from its unoperated to its operated position;
- a control circuit for controlling said spindle drive motor, said switch member having switch contacts in association therewith, said switch contacts being connected to said motor control circuit for operating said motor at less than its maximum speed when said switch member is operated.
1 more element
A chucking system comprising:
- a frame, a spindle rotatably mounted in said frame, a motor for rotating said spindle with respect to said frame;
- a chuck having a body mounted on said spindle for rotation with said spindle, a chuck sleeve mounted for rotation on said chuck body so that rotation in a first direction opens said chuck and in a second direction, closes said chuck;
- said spindle drive motor having a separate field and armature;
- a motor direction and speed control system comprising a plurality of electric current solid-state switching devices connected to said motor armature and field so that, when a first selected group of solid-state devices is energized, said motor armature runs in a first direction, and, when a second selected group of solid-state devices is energized, said motor armature runs in a second direction, said control system controlling said solid-state devices to control the duration of current conduction on- and off-time of said solid-state devices to control the amount of current so that control of said solid-state devices controls both the speed and direction of rotation of said motor and of said chuck body;
- and
- actuator means interengaging between said frame and said chuck sleeve so that, upon rotation in first direction, said chuck is closed, and, upon rotation in said second direction, said chuck is opened.
3 more elements
A tool chucking system for a tool having a frame and having a spindle rotatably mounted in said frame, a motor connected to rotate said spindle with respect to said frame;
- a chuck having a body, said body being mounted on said spindle for rotation with said spindle, a chuck sleeve rotatably mounted on said chuck body;
- jaws in said chuck for clamping a tool therein, said jaws being opened and closed by relative rotation of said chuck sleeve and said chuck body;
- means for holding said chuck sleeve with respect to said frame;
- and
- means for selectively controlling said motor to drive said chuck body in a first direction while said chuck sleeve is held with respect to said frame to close said chuck and to drive said motor in a second direction while said chuck sleeve is held with respect to said frame to open said chuck, said means for driving said motor including speed control means to limit the motor speed to an amount less than maximum motor speed when said chuck sleeve is being held.
2 more elements
A chucking system comprising:
- a chuck having a body member and a sleeve member, said chuck members being movable with respect to each other and having jaws which are opened and closed by relative rotation of said members;
- a drive motor connected to said chuck members for relative rotation of said chuck members, including solid-state switching devices in electrical series with said motor and controllable for operating said drive motor at a speed suitable for chuck jaw-opening and -closing, said speed being less than maximum motor speed;
- and
- means for reversing said chuck member drive motor so that said motor can selectively open and close said chuck.
1 more element
An automatic chucking system comprising:
- a chuck having first and second relatively movable members for causing opening and closing of the chuck upon relative movement of said first and second members;
- a drive motor connected to said chuck members for relative rotation of said chuck members;
- means for holding one of said members;
- control means connected to said drive motor for driving said other member at less than maximum speed in a closing direction for closing said chuck on a tool;
- and
- control means connected to said drive motor for driving said other member at less than maximum speed in the opposite direction for chuck opening, said means for closing said chuck being operated at a lower speed than said means for opening said chuck.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.