Powered turntable with universal, self-adjusting chuck for holding auto wheels and the like for polishing

A turntable apparatus with universal self-adjusting chuck for holding an auto wheel, or the like, comprising:

• (a) a turntable having at least three radially-disposed slots therein, with said slots being substantially equidistant from one another;
• (b) a hollow drive shaft, one end of which is centrally secured to the turntable for rotating the turntable, wherein the drive shaft has a shaft conduit comprising an internal hollow portion of the drive shaft that extends along the axis of the drive shalt and can serve as a conduit for a fluid to flow between a first part of the drive shaft and a second part of the drive shaft;
• (c) at least three jaws arranged relative to one another and adapted for retention of a wheel by an outside edge of the wheel upon application of force by each of the jaws directed toward the wheel, each of the at least three jaws being movably positionable along at least one of the radially-disposed slots;
• (d) a bearing assembly having an inner race and an outer race with bearings housed therebetween, the inner race being connected to the drive shaft;
• (e) a plate having a centrally located receptacle therein and having a plate aperture centrally located within the receptacle and passing through the plate, wherein the receptacle is adapted to receive the outer race therein, wherein the plate aperture is adapted for at least a portion of the drive shaft to pass through the plate to the place where the drive shaft is secured to the turntable, and wherein the drive shaft and turntable are rotatably movable relative to the plate;
• (f) at least one control arm for adjustably positioning each of the at least three jaws along at least one of the slots, each control arm having a pair of oppositely disposed control-arm portions with one control-arm portion rotatably connected to the plate and the other control-arm portion rotatably connected to at least one jaw;
• (g) at least one stop means for restricting movement of the bearing assembly in at least one direction along the axis of the drive shaft;
• (h) at least one locking arm means for locking the plate in position relative to the turntable, the locking arm means having a first locking-arm portion and a second locking-arm portion, the first locking-arm portion being fixedly connected to the plate with the locking arm means extending outwardly in a direction that is generally away from the axis of the drive shaft, such that the second locking-arm portion is located farther from the axis of the drive shalt than is the first locking-arm portion;
• (i) an actuator having a housing and a movable shaft, with the movable shaft comprising a housed portion and an extended portion, the housed portion being disposed within the housing and the extended portion extending outwardly from the housing, wherein the movable shaft is movable inwardly and outwardly relative to the housing and the relative proportions of the movable shaft that constitute the housed portion and the extended portion vary accordingly;
• (k) wherein the housing is rotatably connected to the turntable and the movable shalt is rotatably connected to the second locking-arm portion;
• wherein the movable shaft is adapted for controllable movement in response to one or more forces that result from delivery of fluid pressure to the housing and for thereby moving the second locking-arm portion relative to the turntable;
• wherein the locking arm means is adapted for rotating the plate relative to the turntable in response to movement of the second locking-arm portion relative to the table;
• and, wherein each of the control arms is adapted for movement of at least one of the jaws along at least one slot in response to the plate rotating relative to the turntable;
• and wherein at least part of the one or more forces is transmitted from the actuator means to each of the jaws via a set of connected parts comprising at least one of the control arms, the plate, the locking arm means, and the movable shaft;
• and,
• (j) transmitting means for delivering the fluid pressure through the drive shaft to the actuator, said transmitting means comprising the shaft conduit, a supply conduit connected at one end to a point of supply for the fluid pressure and at the other end to the first part of the shaft conduit, and an actuator conduit connected at one end to the second part of the shaft conduit and at the other end to the actuator, and, wherein the connection between the supply conduit and the first part of the shaft conduit is via a rotatable connector.