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US 5,911,421 AGranted
Sealed collet having improved radial flexibility for facilitating removal from a locknut
AssigneeKennametal Inc.
InventorJack W. Steele
Life of this patent
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AssigneeKennametal Inc.
InventorJack W. Steele
Estimating the term…
A sealed collet having improved radial flexibility is provided for facilitating removal from a locknut of a chuck assembly. The sealed collet includes a collet body formed from a tubular configuration of elongated gripping fingers separated by elongated slots which render the body radially resilient in response to pressure applied by a locknut. The slots are filled with a bonding agent, which may be a silicon rubber compound, for preventing dirt and debris from entering the collet slots and for preventing pressurized coolant intended to flow through a bore in a tool shank from flowing through the walls of the collet body. To increase the radial compressibility of the collet, agent-free gaps are provided in the slots immediately behind a distal portion of the collet body. In the preferred embodiment, the length of the agent-free gap is between 20% and 30% of the overall length of its respective slot. The location of the gaps immediately behind the distal end of the collet body advantageously increases the radial compressibility of the collet while allowing the bonding agent in the slots to continue to prevent debris from entering the collet.
A sealed collet comprising a tubular body formed from a plurality of elongated gripping fingers separated by elongated slots for rendering said body radially resilient in response to pressure applied by a locknut, said slots being filled with a bonding agent which includes an elongated agent-free gap in the slots of the collet body for increasing the radial flexibility of the body and facilitating the removal of a locknut therefrom, wherein said tubular collet body includes a proximate end and a distal end separated by an annular recess, the distal end is radially compressible by a cam surface of said locknut, and at least some of said slots extend through said distal end of said body, and wherein said elongated agent-free gap in each of said slots is located in at least one of the annular recess and proximate end.
A sealed collet comprising a tubular body formed from a plurality of elongated gripping fingers separated by elongated slots for rendering said body radially resilient, said body including a distal end that is radially compressible by a locknut, and a proximal end that is receivable in an opening of a drive shaft, said slots being filled with a bonding agent which includes
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.