US 6,077,003 A · Tool holder

Abstract

A tool holder with an elongate and expanding sleeve within a confining recess of a machine spindle to circumferentially engage the machine spindle and accurately, firmly and concentrically engage a machine tool adjacent to a machine spindle. In one form, a tapered expanding sleeve is disposed about the exterior of the tool holder and is received between the tool holder and the machine spindle in a tapered recess of the machine spindle. A hydraulic fluid is disposed between the tool holder and the expanding sleeve and is pressurized to expand the sleeve into firm engagement with the machine spindle. In another form, the expanding sleeve is received interiorly of a central bore within the tool holder and longitudinal grooves are provided in the sleeve about its circumference forming generally individual fingers. An expander member is disposed within the expanding sleeve and is slidably displaceable to expand the expansion sleeve into firm engagement with the inner wall of the tool holder, which preferably has slots machined through the wall to facilitate displacement of the wall, and thereby urge the tool holder into firm engagement with the machine spindle.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A tool holder mountable in a rotating machine spindle having an end face and a tapered cavity wall, the tool holder comprising:

a body having a generally tapered sidewall and constructed to engage and retain a cutting tool holder coaxial with the tapered wall;
a central bore in the body;
an adjustment rod disposed interiorly of the central bore and axially moveable relative to the body;
a collar attached adjacent one end of the rod;
a radially extending flange adjacent an end of the body constructed to engage the end face of the machine spindle;
an annular expansion sleeve carried by the body and in communication with the rod so that force applied to the collar first pulls the tool holder into the machine spindle until the flange firmly engages the end face of the spindle and further movement of the rod applies a force to generally radially expand the expansion sleeve to urge one of the body and sleeve of the tool holder into contact and firm engagement with the tapered cavity wall of the machine spindle, and in its unflexed state the one of the sleeve and body engageable with the tapered cavity wall has a slight clearance between them when the flange engages the end face of the spindle and before the sleeve is radially expanded.

3 more elements

A tool holder mountable in a rotating machine spindle having an end face and a conical cavity with a tapered wall, the tool holder comprising:

a body having a radially extending flange constructed to engage the end face of the machine spindle and a tapered sidewall portion complementary to the tapered cavity wall of the machine spindle with a space between them when the flange engages the end face of the machine spindle, the body being constructed to engage and retain a cutting tool coaxial with the tapered wall of the body,
a central bore in the body,
an adjustment rod received in the central bore and axially movable relative to the body,
a circumferentially continuous expansion sleeve carried by the body and having a tapered wall complementary to the tapered cavity wall of the spindle and in a relaxed state having a slight clearance between them when the flange engages the end face of the spindle and before the sleeve is generally radially expanded,
a first annular chamber between the expansion sleeve and the body,
a pressure chamber communicating with the annular chamber, defined at least in part by the adjustment rod and constructed to contain a fluid therein so that axial movement of the rod in one direction reduces the size of the pressure chamber and increases the pressure of the fluid in the pressure chamber and the annular chamber to expand generally radially the expansion sleeve into firm engagement with the tapered cavity wall of the machine spindle, and
the rod is constructed and arranged so that axial movement of the rod in one direction first pulls the tool holder into the machine spindle until the flange firmly engages the end face of the machine spindle and further movement of the rod in the same direction applies a force to the fluid in the pressure chamber and the annular chamber to generally radially expand the sleeve into contact and firm engagement with the tapered cavity wall of the machine spindle after the flange engages the end face of the machine spindle.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Tool holder

Life of this patent

Tool holder

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17