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US 6,551,042 B1Granted
Spring collet clamp and method
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsAnthony J. Grant, Leonard M. Mallak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spring collet clamping system and method therefor including a collet disposed about a shaft, for example a rotary motor shaft, a substantially balanced spring clamp having a coil portion with arms extending from generally opposite portions thereof, the coil portion of the spring clamp is disposed about a portion of the collet, for example resilient arms thereof, to constrict and clamp the collet about the shaft.
Claims19
A spring collet clamping system comprising:
- a rotatable shaft;
- a collet disposed about the rotatable shaft;
- and
- a reusable spring clamp having a generally cylindrical, three-turn helical portion with arms extending from generally opposite portions thereof, and an inner diameter of the coil portion being smaller than an outer diameter of the collet, the spring clamp being substantially balanced about an axis of the coil portion and being rotatable by force against the arms to enlarge the inner diameter of the coil portion, and releasable to allow radial contraction of the spring portion on the collet;
- whereby when the generally cylindrical, helical coil portion of the spring clamp is disposed about a portion of the collet the collet is clamped about the rotatable shaft for rotation therewith, balanced by the arms.
2 more elements
A motor shaft collet spring clamping system comprising:
- a rotatable motor shaft;
- a collet disposed about the shaft;
- and
- a reusable spring clamp having a generally cylindrical, helical coil portion with a pair of arms extending from generally opposite portions thereof in opposite directions away from a central axis of the coil portion, an inner diameter of the coil portion being smaller than an outer diameter of the collet, the spring clamp being substantially balanced about an axis of the coil portion and being rotatable by force against the arms to enlarge the inner diameter of the coil portion, and releasable to allow radial contraction of the spring portion on the collet;
- the spring clamp substantially balanced about an axis of the generally cylindrical, helical coil portion;
- the generally cylindrical, helical coil portion of the spring clamp disposed about a portion of the collet for rotation with the collet, balanced by the arms;
- the collet retained about the shaft by the spring clamp.
4 more elements
A method for securing an outer member to a rotatable member via a spring clamp comprising:
- assembling a generally cylindrical, helical outer member with a rotatable axial inner member, the outer member disposed about the axial inner member;
- disposing a generally cylindrical, helical coil portion of a spring clamp about a non-threaded outer surface portion of the outer member by rotating the spring clamp, the spring clamp having a coil portion with arms extending from generally opposite portions thereof in opposite directions away from a central axis of the coil portion, an inner diameter of the coil portion being smaller than an outer diameter of the outer member, the spring clamp being substantially balanced about an axis of the coil portion and being rotatable by force against the arms to enlarge the inner diameter of the coil portion, and releasable to allow radial contraction of the spring portion on the outer member;
- clamping the outer member about the axial inner member with the spring clamp to enable the outer member to rotate with the axial inner member, balanced by the arms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.