Chuck having gripping and locating sensors

In an improved rotary chuck of the type having a generally cylindrical chuck body, a plurality of radially movable master chuck jaws and attached work gripping jaws for holding a workpiece, a plurality of jaw operating levers within the chuck body, and means within the chuck body to operate the levers to move the jaws, the improvement comprising:

• two transducers that change electrical characteristics when physically deformed, said transducers being located within the chuck body in a portion of a master jaw deformable by at least one of said operating levers when a workpiece is gripped with a predetermined force by said work gripping jaws and located so one transducer is on each side of a centerline of said master jaw, said transducers being deformed when said portion of the master jaw deforms, the changes in electrical characteristics of the two transducers being indicative of an average gripping force on opposite sides of the centerline, a first wire passageway aligned with a center axis of the chuck body, a receiving tube projecting radially from the first passageway, a second wire passageway in communication with said first passageway and said transducers, said second passageway including an extension tube fixed to the master jaw in which said transducers are located and telescoping into said receiving tube permitting continuous, unbroken communication between said first and second passageway during jaw motion, and electrical wires operatively connected to said transducers and extending through said second wire passageway into and through said first wire passageway to a connection terminal located rearward of the chuck body.