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US 6,883,407 B2Granted
Expanding collet assembly for pick-off spindle
AssigneeHardinge Inc.
InventorsRoger R. Smith, Matthew C. Roberts, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expanding, inner diameter gripping collet assembly for a pick-off spindle. An arbor base is connected to the pick-off spindle and is moveably connected to a moveable arbor. The moveable arbor engages and is driven by the pick-off spindle nose. The moveable arbor has motion-translating cam surfaces on one end that engage corresponding surfaces on one end of an expanding collet. A drawplug having motion-translating cam surfaces that engage corresponding ones on the other end of an expanding collet is inserted through the moveable arbor and secured into the arbor base. The collet assembly also includes an ejector housing, in which an ejector is positioned for sliding movement. A compression spring biases the ejector forwardly.
Claims14
An expanding collet assembly, comprising:
- a moveable arbor having
- first surfaces constructed and arranged to slidingly engage a pick-off spindle nose so as to place said moveable arbor in driven relation with the pick-off spindle nose, and
- second motion-translating surfaces constructed and arranged to slidingly engage an expanding collet to drive said expanding collet between expanded workpiece-gripping positions and contracted positions thereof;
- an expanding collet having one or more sets of collet motion-translating surfaces, at least one of said one or more sets of collet motion-translating surfaces corresponding to the second motion-translating surfaces of said moveable arbor and being constructed and arranged to engage the second motion-translating surfaces of said moveable arbor,
- said collet and second motion-translating surfaces being contoured so as to drive said expanding collet into said expanded workpiece-gripping position in response to an axially forward motion of said moveable arbor;
- and
- an ejector assembly coupled to a forward end of said moveable arbor;
- wherein said expanding collet is adapted to grip an inner circumferential surface of a workpiece.
5 more elements
An inner diameter gripping collet assembly for a pick-off spindle, comprising:
- an arbor base, a first end of said arbor base providing a connecting portion adapted for connection to a pick-off spindle, a second end of said arbor base including resiliently moveable connecting structure, said arbor base defining a cavity in at least a portion thereof;
- a moveable arbor adapted to receive the resiliently moveable connecting structure of said arbor base so as to be connected to said arbor base for resilient movement between base-adjacent and axially forward positions along a central axis, said moveable arbor defining an interior cavity therethrough, said interior cavity being oriented parallel to the central axis, said moveable arbor having:
- outer surfaces constructed and arranged to slidingly engage corresponding inner surfaces of a pick-off spindle nose so as to be in driven, motion-transmitting relation therewith;
- motion-translating surfaces;
- and
- ejector housing connecting structure on a portion thereof;
- an ejector housing adapted to be connected to said moveable arbor by said ejector housing connecting structure, said ejector housing having retaining structure on an interior surface thereof;
- an ejector adapted to be disposed within and retained by said ejector housing for resilient, sliding movement between workpiece-engaged and workpiece-ejected positions, said ejector having surfaces adapted to contact and eject a workpiece and retaining structure adapted to cooperate with the retaining structure of said ejector housing so as to retain said ejector within said ejector housing;
- an elongate drawplug adapted to be inserted parallel to the central axis into the cavity of said moveable arbor and secured into said arbor base, one end of said drawplug having motion-translating surfaces;
- an expanding collet having two sets of motion-translating collet surfaces, a first set of motion-translating collet surfaces being constructed and adapted to engage the motion-translating surfaces of said moveable arbor and a second set of motion-translating collet surfaces being adapted to engage the motion-translating surfaces of said drawplug so as to place the expanding collet in grippingly-driven relation with respect to said moveable arbor such that said expanding collet is (1) expanded when said moveable arbor is in the axially forward position and (2) contracted when said moveable arbor is in the base-adjacent position.
7 more elements
A turning machine comprising a main spindle and a pick-off spindle, the turning machine having installed therein an inner diameter gripping collet assembly, comprising:
- an arbor base, a first end of said arbor base providing a connecting portion adapted for connection to a pick-off spindle, a second end of said arbor base including resiliently moveable connecting structure, said arbor base defining a cavity in at least a portion thereof;
- a moveable arbor adapted to receive the resiliently moveable connecting structure of said arbor base so as to be connected to said arbor base for resilient movement between base-adjacent and axially forward positions along a central axis, said moveable arbor defining an interior cavity therethrough, said interior cavity being oriented parallel to the central axis, said moveable arbor having:
- outer surfaces constructed and arranged to slidingly engage corresponding inner surfaces of a pick-off spindle nose so as to be in driven, motion-transmitting relation therewith;
- motion-translating surfaces;
- and
- ejector housing connecting structure on a portion thereof;
- an ejector housing adapted to be connected to said moveable arbor by said ejector housing connecting structure, said ejector housing having retaining structure on an interior surface thereof;
- an ejector adapted to be disposed within and retained by said ejector housing for resilient, sliding movement between workpiece-engaged and workpiece-ejected positions, said ejector having surfaces adapted to contact and eject a workpiece and retaining structure adapted to cooperate with the retaining structure of said ejector housing so as to retain said ejector within said ejector housing;
- an elongate drawplug adapted to be inserted parallel to the central axis into the cavity of said moveable arbor and secured into said arbor base, one end of said drawplug having motion-translating surfaces;
- an expanding collet having two sets of motion-translating collet surfaces, a first set of motion-translating collet surfaces being constructed and adapted to engage the motion-translating surfaces of said moveable arbor and a second set of motion-translating collet surfaces being adapted to engage the motion-translating surfaces of said drawplug so as to place the expanding collet in grippingly-driven relation with respect to said moveable arbor such that said expanding collet is (1) expanded when said moveable arbor is in the axially forward position and (2) contracted when said moveable arbor is in the base-adjacent position.
7 more elements
A turning machine, comprising:
- a main spindle adapted to accept a workpiece integrally formed with a piece of bar stock;
- a pick-off spindle having a pick-off spindle nose;
- and
- an expanding collet assembly, comprising:
- a moveable arbor having
- first surfaces constructed and arranged to slidingly engage the pick-off spindle nose so as to place said moveable arbor in driven relation with the pick-off spindle nose, and
- second motion-translating surfaces constructed and arranged to slidingly engage an expanding collet to drive said expanding collet between expanded workpiece-gripping positions and contracted positions thereof;
- an expanding collet having one or more sets of collet motion-translating surfaces, at least one of said one or more sets of collet motion-translating surfaces corresponding to the second motion-translating surfaces of said moveable arbor and being constructed and adapted to engage the second motion-translating surfaces of said moveable arbor, said collet and second motion-translating surfaces being contoured so as to drive said expanding collet into said expanded workpiece-gripping position in response to an axially forward motion of said moveable arbor;
- and
- an ejector assembly coupled to a forward portion of the moveable arbor;
- wherein said expanding collet is adapted to grip an inner circumferential surface of a workpiece.
8 more elements
A gripping assembly for a pick-off spindle, comprising:
- engaging means for engaging the pick-off spindle;
- workpiece gripping means for gripping an inner circumferential surface of a workpiece;
- and
- actuating means coupled to said engaging means and said workpiece gripping means for actuating said workpiece gripping means between gripping and releasing positions thereof;
- and
- ejecting means coupled to said workpiece gripping means and said engaging means for ejecting said workpiece from said workpiece gripping means when said workpiece gripping means is in the releasing position thereof;
- wherein said actuating means actuates said workpiece gripping means forwardly into a gripping position and rearwardly into a releasing position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.