Back to results
US 5,816,581 AGranted
ID chuck providing workpiece registration and operable by push or pull to attach a workpiece
OwnerR. Lee Chaseinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ID chuck is defined by a rotating tube pushed or pulled by a left hand cylinder and piston. The tube moves an extender cooperating with a plug surrounded by a set of collet fingers. The fingers move radially to lock a workpiece against a registration surface, and move inwardly to release the workpiece.
Claims19
An ID chuck comprising:
- (a) a headstock tube movable axially between two positions;
- (b) an extender cooperating with one end of said tube and to support an exposed registration surface at right angles with respect to an axis of rotation central of said headstock tube so that a workpiece can be registered thereagainst;
- (c) at least a pair of radially movable jaws defining an ID gripping device extending forwardly of said registration surface and having a gripping surface to reach into and grip a workpiece at an axial passage therein so that the workpiece is gripped and held for rotation imparted by a lathe to said headstock tube;
- (d) a tapered internal surface on said movable jaws;
- (e) a movable plug positioned for movement between first and second positions internally of said movable jaws having an external surface shaped to cooperate with said tapered internal surface on said movable jaws to move said jaws radially outwardly or inwardly into an ID workpiece gripping position so that said jaws grip said workpiece, wherein said workpiece is gripped when said headstock tube is moved axially toward said extender;
- and
- (f) a connection from said plug to said tube to move said plug in response to said tube.
4 more elements
A method of aligning a hollow workpiece with an ID chuck on a lathe wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- (a) positioning an internal push tube through a headstock so that motion applied at one end of said tube prompts motion at the other end of said tube between engage and disengage positions;
- (b) positioning an extender at the end of said tube wherein said extender supports a plug having an exposed transverse registration surface at right angles with respect to an axis of rotation for said registration surface so that said registration surface can abut a hollow workpiece positioned thereagainst for machining;
- (c) positioning at least a pair of radially deployed, radially movable jaws cooperating with said plug and defining an ID gripping surface extending forwardly of said registration surface and having a gripping surface thereon to reach into and to grip at the interior ID of a workpiece with axial alignment therewith so that the workpiece is gripped and held for rotation for machining by a lathe and is registered with respect to said registration surface;
- (d) radially moving said jaws
- (i) outwardly in response to movement of said tube in an axial direction toward said extender when said plug is movable with respect to said extender, and
- (ii) outwardly in response to movement of said tube in an axial direction away from said extender when the position of said plug is fixed with respect to said extender;
- (e) radially moving said jaws inwardly for release of said workpiece in response to movement of said tube;
- and
- (f) wherein said tube movement is initiated independently of headstock rotation applied to said registration surface on operation of a lathe supporting said ID chuck.
6 more elements
An ID chuck comprising:
- (a) a headstock tube movable axially between two positions;
- (b) an extender at the end of said tube supporting an exposed registration surface at right angles with respect to an axis of rotation central of said headstock tube so that a workpiece can be registered thereagainst, wherein said extender comprises
- (i) a ring connected to said extender and said ring has an elongate attached portion thereto having lengthwise splits therein to thereby define said radially movable jaws,
- (ii) said ring is relatively thin and said jaws are thicker to define said tapered internal surface on said movable jaws, and
- (iii) said splits enable said tapering jaws to move radially inwardly, and said splits are sufficiently wide to support dogs extending through said splits to define an angled surface exposed on the exterior of said jaws;
- (c) at least a pair of radially movable jaws defining an ID gripping device extending forwardly of said registration surface and having a gripping surface to reach into and grip a workpiece at an axial passage therein so that the workpiece is gripped and held for rotation imparted by a lathe to said headstock tube;
- (d) a tapered internal surface on said movable jaws;
- (e) a movable plug positioned for movement between first and second positions internally of said movable jaws having an external surface shaped to cooperate with said tapered internal surface on said movable jaws to move said jaws radially outwardly or inwardly into an ID workpiece gripping position so that said jaws grip said workpiece;
- and
- (f) a connection from said plug to said tube to move said plug in response to said tube.
7 more elements
An ID chuck comprising:
- (a) a headstock tube movable axially between two positions;
- (b) an extender at the end of said tube supporting an exposed registration surface at right angles with respect to an axis of rotation central of said headstock tube so that a workpiece can be registered thereagainst;
- (c) at least a pair of radially movable jaws defining an ID gripping device extending forwardly of said registration surface and having a gripping surface to reach into and grip a workpiece at an axial passage therein so that the workpiece is gripped and held for rotation imparted by a lathe to said headstock tube;
- (d) a tapered internal surface on said movable jaws;
- (e) a movable plug positioned for movement between first and second positions internally of said movable jaws having an external surface shaped to cooperate with said tapered internal surface on said movable jaws to move said jaws radially outwardly or inwardly into an ID workpiece gripping position so that said jaws grip said workpiece;
- and
- (f) a connection from said plug to said tube to move said plug in response to said tube, wherein said connection from said plug to said tube comprises a ring having an adjoined tubular portion thereto and said tubular portion incorporates multiple lengthwise splits therealong to define said radially movable jaws, and said ring is moved with said tube between said two positions.
4 more elements
An ID chuck comprising:
- (a) a headstock tube movable axially between two positions;
- (b) an extender, wherein
- (i) said extender cooperates with which one end of said tube,
- (ii) said extender supports an exposed registration surface at right angles with respect to an axis of rotation central of said headstock tube so that a workpiece can be registered thereagainst,
- (iii) said registration surface is formed on the end of a hollow housing fixedly attached to said extender, and
- (iv) said hollow housing encloses a bias spring maintaining said housing in contact and alignment with said extender;
- (c) at least a pair of radially movable jaws defining an ID gripping device extending forwardly of said registration surface and having a gripping surface to reach into and grip a workpiece at an axial passage therein so that the workpiece is gripped and held for rotation imparted by a lathe to said headstock tube;
- (d) a tapered internal surface on said movable jaws;
- (e) a plug affixed to said extender and having an external surface shaped to cooperate with said tapered internal surface on said movable jaws to move said jaws radially outwardly or inwardly into an ID workpiece gripping position so that said jaws grip said workpiece, wherein said workpiece is gripped when said headstock tube is moved axially away said extender;
- and
- (f) a connection from said jaws to said tube to move said jaws in response to said tube.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.