Chucks or sockets – Expanding – Collet type
Reissue Patent
1999-03-25
2001-10-02
Bishop, Steven C. (Department: 3722)
Chucks or sockets
Expanding
Collet type
C279S002220, C279S002120, C279S004090, C279S046900, C279S057000, C279S046500
Reissue Patent
active
RE037397
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The field of art to which this invention pertains may be generally located in the class of devices relating to workpiece holding collets. Class 279 Chucks or Sockets, United States Patent Office Classification, appears to be the applicable general area of art to which the subject matter similar to this invention has been classified in the past.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This invention relates to collet mechanisms used in the machining, inspection and grinding industry, where high accuracy workpiece holding devices are required. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,434,730 and 4,432,559 are illustrative of the prior art collet mechanisms which employ a plurality of flexible fingers mounted on a support sleeve, and which flexible fingers are adapted to be laterally spaced apart and around the outer periphery of a cylindrical workpiece. The prior art collet fingers are adapted to be cammed or compressed radially inward, into gripping engagement with the peripheral surface of a workpiece. A disadvantage of the prior art collet mechanisms employing flexible gripping fingers is that they do not provide a complete 360 degree gripping engagement with the circumference of a cylindrical workpiece. The lack of a 360 degree gripping engagement ability of the prior art collet mechanisms limits the use thereof for gripping a thin walled tubular workpiece close to an end thereof, without causing deflection of the workpiece. Other disadvantages of the prior art collet mechanisms that employ finger members, that are radially expanded and contracted, is that they are inefficient relative to concentricity and repeatability functions for gripping a workpiece, they are true at only one size, and the collet fingers have very minimal travel radially inward, as for example, seven or eight thousandths of an inch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the aforedescribed problems of the prior art collet mechanisms by providing a circular collet structure that incorporates a 360 degree gripping engagement with a workpiece with no collet finger gripping action. The circular collet structure allows the holding of a thin wall workpiece with no distortion of the workpiece. The circular collet is constructed and arranged to hold workpieces with as little as 0.050 inch gripping surface with no deflection, which function is not achievable with the prior art collet mechanisms that employ finger action. The circular collet of the present invention provides efficient contraction and expansion during a workpiece gripping operation, with optimum concentricity and repeatability for all sizes of workpieces.
The collet of the present invention comprises a circular collet which is constructed and arranged for operation with a workpiece chuck. The circular collet is operable for contraction and expansion movements into a 360 degree gripping engagement with a cylindrical workpiece surface. The circular collet may be constructed for internal gripping of a workpiece, or for an external gripping of a workpiece. The expansion and contraction of the flexible circular collet is carried out by an actuator means incorporated in a workpiece chuck. The circular collet may be used for single, or plural workpiece gripping actions. The circular collet may be constructed and arranged for gripping engagement with an internal periphery or an external of a workpiece. The flexible circular collet may be provided for internal workpiece gripping actions with an outer periphery shaped in accordance with the internal workpiece surface which is to be gripped, and with an inner sloping cam surface for engagement by an actuator means to expand the collet into an internal workpiece gripping operation. Alternatively, the collet may be provided for external workpiece gripping actions with an inner periphery shaped in accordance with the external workpiece surface which is to be gripped, and with an external sloping cam surface for engagement by an actuator means to contract the collet into an external workpiece gripping operation. The collet of the present invention is contracted or expanded in a rotary movement that effects a peripheral sliding engagement with a workpiece as compared to the flexible fingers of prior art collet mechanisms which are contracted in straight radial line movements.
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Product Brochure: “Ringfeder Shaft-Hub Locking Devices W-200-3”; Ringfeder Corporation; date unknown.
Barnes & Thornburg
Bishop Steven C.
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