Power drill chuck

A power tool chuck for a power tool having a plurality of chuck jaws which grip a work tool, said chuck comprising:

• a front sleeve and a rear sleeve having a central chuck axis wherein said front and rear sleeves are mounted to rotate relative to each other during opening and closing of the jaws;
• a plurality of non-threaded chuck jaws having nose ends with bites for gripping the work tool and remote ends;
• a unitary support body including a support head affixed in said front sleeve and a support shaft extending from said support head into said rear sleeve, said support head having a plurality of closed cylindrical bores receiving said chuck jaws, and said operator base and said rear sleeve are press fitted together so that manual rotation of said rear sleeve causes said operator barrel to rotate about said support shaft whereby said traveler reciprocates relative to said operator barrel and said support body, and said support shaft being adapted for a driving attachment to the power tool;
• a traveler carried within said rear sleeve for reciprocation along said chuck axis;
• said remote ends of said chuck jaws being carried by said traveler with said jaws being slidably carried and constrained in said support body;
• an operator for reciprocating said traveler along said chuck axis and
• said operator being rotated by rotation of said rear sleeve relative to said front sleeve.

A chuck for a power tool having a plurality of chuck jaws which grip a work tool in said chuck comprising:

• a front sleeve and a rear sleeve having a central chuck axis;
• a non-rotating traveler carried within said sleeve for reciprocation along said chuck axis;
• a plurality of non-threaded chuck jaws having tool gripping ends and remote ends and said remote ends being carried by said traveler;
• an operator operatively connected to said traveler for reciprocating said traveler so that said chuck jaws are caused to open and close as said operator is rotated in one direction and then another;
• and
• said operator including an operator base fitted with said rear sleeve having a hollow interior;
• and said operator base including a rear sleeve opening through which a support shaft of said support body extends from said operator base to form a protruding shaft end, and a rear-loaded locking member engaging said protruding shaft end for locking said support shaft in place with respect to said rear sleeve, said locking member being loaded by a rearward reactive force produced by rotating said rear sleeve causing said jaws to grip the work tool.

A chuck for a power tool having a plurality of chuck jaws of the type that open to receive a work tool and close to grip the work tool, wherein said chuck comprises:

• a front sleeve;
• a rear sleeve carried with said front sleeve for relative rotation;
• a stand-alone, integral chuck jaw unit fitted within said front and rear sleeves in a removable manner;
• wherein said chuck jaw unit includes:
• a plurality of chuck jaws having nose ends for gripping the work tool about a central chuck axis and remote jaw ends;
• a support body having a support head fitted within said front sleeve with individual closed cylindrical jaw bores formed in said support head for receiving said chuck jaws;
• said support body having a support shaft with a remote end extending through said rear sleeve for mounting to the power tool;
• a traveler affixed to said remote ends of said chuck jaws;
• an operator rotatable received about said support shaft and, fixed for rotation with said rear sleeve;
• said operator operatively associated with said traveler to cause said traveler to reciprocate along said chuck axis to open and close said chuck jaws;
• whereby said stand-alone chuck jaw unit may be assembled with and disassembled from said front and rear sleeves for assembly and repairs as a stand-alone operating unit.

An integral stand-alone chuck jaw unit assembly for a power tool chuck, said power tool chuck being of the type which includes a front sleeve and a rear sleeve with a central chuck axis, and a plurality of chuck jaws extendable from the front sleeve of the type that open to receive a work tool and close to grip the work tool, wherein said stand-alone chuck unit assembly comprises:

• a plurality of chuck jaws having nose ends for gripping the work tool and remote ends remote from said nose ends;
• a support body including a support head having individual closed jaw bores slidably receiving and constraining said chuck jaws;
• said support head for being affixed in said front sleeve, and a support shaft extending from said support head for extending through said rear sleeve for mounting to the power tool;
• a reciprocating traveler to which said fitted ends of said chuck jaws are fitted;
• a central operator for being fitted in said rear sleeve, said central operator being operatively associated with said traveler to cause said relative axial movement between said traveler and said operator so that said chuck jaws are reciprocated in said support body between open and closed positions for receiving and gripping a work tool, respectively;
• and
• a removable locking member for locking said support shaft and central operator together so that said chuck jaws, said support body, said traveler, and said operator are assembled together as an integral stand-alone chuck unit whereby said chuck unit may be assembled and tested as a power tool chuck before assembled with said front and rear sleeves, and may be disassembled for repair.

A method for assembling and disassembling a chuck of a power tool which grips a work tool comprising:

• providing a front sleeve;
• providing a rear sleeve movable rotationally and axially relative to said front sleeve when assembled;
• providing a stand-alone, integral chuck jaw unit which includes a support body having a plurality of chuck jaws slidably carried within said support body, a traveler affixed to ends of said support jaws for moving said chuck jaws forward and backwards in said support body between closed and open positions, respectively, and an operator carried with said rear sleeve for reciprocating said traveler;
• pressing said support body in said front sleeve;
• pressing said operator in said rear sleeve and placing said operator around a circular shaft of the support body;
• and
• affixing a removable locking member around said circular shaft of said chuck jaw unit to retain said rear sleeve and complete the assembly which locking member can be removed for disassembling the chuck.