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US 8,667,660 B2Granted
Quick change clamping device
AssigneeKennametal Inc.
InventorsKaren Anne Craig, Kenneth George Deroche
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clamping assembly for a toolholder includes a toolholder body having an access hole. A locking sleeve is slidably disposed within the access hole and a center collet is disposed within the locking sleeve and is fixedly connected to the toolholder body. The center collet receives a retaining tip of a tool. A spring assembly and a release device cause the locking sleeve to move within the access hole between a load position, where the locking sleeve is disengaged from the center collet such that the center collet is open and a lock position, where the locking sleeve engages the center collet such that the center collet is closed and locks the retaining tip of the tool within the access hole.
Claims20
A clamping assembly for a toolholder, comprising:
- a toolholder body having an access hole defined therein, the access hole extending into the toolholder body from a toolholder face of the toolholder body to a base surface;
- a locking sleeve slidably disposed within the access hole, the locking sleeve extending between a sleeve face and a base surface and having an interior surface defining a hollow cavity, the interior surface including an engaging portion extending into the hollow cavity;
- a center collet disposed within the hollow cavity of the locking sleeve and fixedly connected to the toolholder body, the center collet including a gripping portion having an interior surface defining a recess and an exterior surface, the gripping portion being adapted to receive a retaining tip of a tool therein;
- a spring assembly disposed within the hollow cavity of the locking sleeve and engaging the center collet and the locking sleeve to bias the locking sleeve toward the base surface of the access hole;
- and
- a release device engaging the locking sleeve,
- wherein the spring assembly and the release device are configured to cause the locking sleeve to move within the access hole between a load position where the engaging portion of the locking sleeve is disengaged from the exterior surface of the gripping portion of the center collet such that the center collet is open and the recess is able to receive the retaining tip of the tool and a lock position where the engaging portion of the locking sleeve engages the exterior surface of the gripping portion of the center collet such that the center collet is closed and locks the retaining tip of the tool within the access hole.
4 more elements
A tool and toolholder assembly, comprising:
- a tool having a tool seating face and a retaining tip extending from the tool seating face;
- a toolholder body having an access hole defined therein, the access hole extending into the toolholder body from a toolholder face of the toolholder body to a base surface;
- a locking sleeve slidably disposed within the access hole, the locking sleeve extending between a sleeve face and a base surface and having an interior surface defining a hollow cavity, the interior surface including an engaging portion extending into the hollow cavity;
- a center collet disposed within the hollow cavity of the locking sleeve and fixedly connected to the toolholder body, the center collet including a gripping portion having an interior surface defining a recess and an exterior surface, the gripping portion being adapted to receive the retaining tip of the tool therein;
- a spring assembly disposed within the hollow cavity of the locking sleeve and engaging the center collet and the locking sleeve to bias the locking sleeve toward the base surface of the access hole;
- and
- a release device engaging the locking sleeve,
- wherein the spring assembly and the release device are configured to cause the locking sleeve to move within the access hole between a load position where the engaging portion of the locking sleeve is disengaged from the exterior surface of the gripping portion of the center collet such that the center collet is open and the recess is able to receive the retaining tip of the tool and a lock position where the engaging portion of the locking sleeve engages the exterior surface of the gripping portion of the center collet such that the center collet is closed and locks the retaining tip of the tool within the access hole.
5 more elements
A method of connecting a tool to a toolholder, comprising the steps of:
- providing a tool having a tool seating face and a retaining tip extending from the tool seating face;
- providing toolholder having a clamping assembly, the clamping assembly including:
- a toolholder body having an access hole defined therein, the access hole extending into the toolholder body from a toolholder face of the toolholder body to a base surface;
- a locking sleeve slidably disposed within the access hole, the locking sleeve extending between a sleeve face and a base surface and having an interior surface defining a hollow cavity, the interior surface including an engaging portion extending into the hollow cavity;
- a center collet disposed within the hollow cavity of the locking sleeve and fixedly connected to the toolholder body, the center collet including a gripping portion having an interior surface defining a recess and an exterior surface, the gripping portion being adapted to receive the retaining tip of the tool therein;
- a spring assembly disposed within the hollow cavity of the locking sleeve and engaging the center collet and the locking sleeve to bias the locking sleeve toward the base surface of the access hole;
- and
- a release device engaging the locking sleeve;
- actuating the release device to engage the locking sleeve to move the locking sleeve within the access hole to a load position where the engaging portion of the locking sleeve is disengaged from the exterior surface of the gripping portion of the center collet such that the center collet is open;
- inserting the retaining tip of the tool into the recess of the gripping portion;
- and
- actuating the release device to engage the locking sleeve such that the spring assembly moves the locking sleeve within the access hole to a locked position where the engaging portion of the locking sleeve engages the exterior surface of the gripping portion of the center collet such that the center collet is closed and locks the retaining tip of the tool within the access hole.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.