Pallet for seating interchangeable clamping jaws of a chuck

A pallet assembly for seating interchangeable clamping jaws on base jaws distributed in a pattern on a chuck, with each base jaw having an axially movable spring detent, comprising:

• a pallet having a plurality of radially extending open-faced recesses distributed in the pattern of the base jaws, each recess being bounded by a floor of said pallet;
• a clamping jaw disposed in each open-faced recess, said jaw being spaced above said floor, each radially extending open-faced recess being wider in a circumferential direction than a clamping jaw disposed therein for guiding each clamping jaw with lateral clearance;
• a plurality of clamping bolts on each side of each recess for entering each recess and engaging a clamping jaw in a respective recess, each clamping bolt mounted for movement with a selected limit to said pallet for movement in one of said open-faced recesses to engage and disengage a clamping jaw therein;
• pressure means associated with said pallet and with each clamping bolt for biasing each clamping bolt into engagement with a respective clamping jaw to hold the respective clamping jaw in its open-faced recess;
• each clamping jaw having a seating hole for receiving one of the spring detents of a base jaw and for locking the clamping jaw to the base jaw when the clamping jaw is removed from said pallet;
• and
• an unlocking bolt fixed in each open-faced recess and extending axially into said seating hole of a clamping jaw in said open-faced recess, each unlocking bolt engageable with a spring detent for dislodging the spring detent from a seating hole to permit unlocking of the clamping jaw from a base jaw, each unlocking bolt having a collar engaged on said floor and against which the clamping jaw for said unlocking bolt is engaged for supporting the clamping jaw axially spaced from said floor.