Chuck having quick change mechanism

A chuck for use with a manual or powered driver having a drive shaft and an elongated tool shaft, said chuck comprising:

• a. a generally cylindrical body having a nose section and a tail section, said tail section being configured to rotate with the drive shaft of the driver and said nose section having an axial bore formed therein;
• b. a plurality of jaws disposed radially reciprocally within said body in communication with said bore, each of said jaws having a jaw face formed thereon for engagement with the tool shaft;
• c. a first sleeve disposed on said body;
• d. a second sleeve rotatably disposed on said body in communication with said jaws so that rotation of said second sleeve moves said jaws toward and away from said axial bore, depending on the direction of said rotation;
• and
• e. a visual indicator disposed on said body,
• wherein one of said first sleeve and said indicator is moveable relative to the other of said first sleeve and said indicator between at least two positions relative to each other,
• wherein said visual indicator includes a surface on which is defined a visual indicia that is disposed with respect to said first sleeve so that when said indicator and said first sleeve are in a first relative position, said first sleeve exposes said indicia to view outside the chuck and so that when said indicator and said first sleeve are in a second relative position, said first sleeve blocks said indicia from view outside the chuck, and
• wherein said one of said indicator and said first sleeve is in operative communication with said jaws so that movement of said jaws to a predetermined position moves said one of said indicator and said first sleeve to said first relative position and movement of said jaws out of said predetermined position moves said one of said indicator and said first sleeve to said second relative position.

A chuck for use with a manual or powered driver having a drive shaft and a tool having an elongated tool shaft, said chuck comprising:

• a. a generally cylindrical body having a nose section and a tail section, said tail section being configured to rotate with the drive shaft of the driver and said nose section having an axial bore formed therein;
• b. a plurality of jaws disposed radially reciprocally within said body in communication with said bore, each of said jaws having a jaw face formed thereon for engagement with the tool shaft;
• c. a nut disposed on said body and in engagement with said jaws so that axial movement of said nut with respect to said body drives said jaws toward or away from said axial bore, depending on the direction of said axial movement;
• d. a first sleeve disposed on said body;
• e. a visual indicator having a disposition with respect to said first sleeve that is movable between at least two positions, wherein said visual indicator includes a surface on which is defined a visual indicia that is disposed with respect to said first sleeve so that when said indicator is in a first said position, said sleeve blocks said indicia from view outside the chuck and so that when said indicator is in a second said position, said sleeve exposes said indicia to view outside the chuck;
• and
• f. a first detent disposed in said body so that said first detent is biased into said axial bore and so that upon insertion of the tool shaft into said bore so that the groove in the tool shaft is aligned with said first detent, said first detent engages the groove and creates a positive axial lock so that the tool shaft cannot be removed until said positive axial lock is released,
• wherein at least one of said indicator and said first sleeve is coupled to said nut so that axial movement of said nut drives said disposition to said second position when said jaws are in a predetermined position and into said first position when said jaws are out of said predetermined position, and
• wherein, upon movement of said jaws to said predetermined position, said jaw faces engage flat sides of the tool shaft so as to rotationally retain the tool.