Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Coil holder or support – Radially expansible or contractile
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-10
2002-07-16
Rivera, William A. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Coil holder or support
Radially expansible or contractile
Reexamination Certificate
active
06419183
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an air chuck, more particularly to an air chuck that can better withstand wear and that can buffer and compensate instantaneous expansion of an air bladder.
2. Description of the Related Art
An air chuck is rotatably mounted on a mandrel of a machine, and is expandable by use of pressurized air so as to hold a roll of web material, such as paper, rubber, plastic, metal, fabric, wire, or the like, thereon.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional air chuck
1
includes two end caps
11
,
12
, and a generally cylindrical air bladder
13
mounted between the end caps
11
,
12
and formed from a rubber material. The air bladder
13
confines an air chamber
131
and has an axial through hole
132
communicated with cap holes
111
,
121
in the end caps
11
,
12
. The end cap
11
is further provided with an air passage
112
communicated with the air chamber
131
, and an inflating valve
14
is connected to the air passage
112
for inflating or deflating the air chamber
131
. When the inflating valve
14
is connected to a pressurized air source, pressurized air is supplied to the air chamber
131
to inflate the air chamber
131
so as to expand the air bladder
13
in radial outward directions, thereby holding tightly a roll
15
of web material on the air chuck
1
and a mandrel
16
extending through the axial through hole
132
. As such, rotation of the mandrel
16
will bring the air chuck
1
and the roll
15
to rotate therewith so as to feed or wind the web material on the roll
15
.
However, as a considerably high pressure is required to inflate the air bladder
13
to thereby retain the roll
15
on the air chuck
1
, instantaneous expansion of the air bladder
13
may result in breaking or explosion of the air bladder
13
, which is dangerous. Moreover, replacement of the air bladder
13
is inconvenient and costly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide an air chuck that can better withstand wear and that can buffer and compensate instantaneous expansion of an air bladder. Accordingly, an air chuck of the present invention includes a tubular core member, a resilient deformable air bladder, an air passage, a pair of end caps, a plurality of angularly spaced apart connecting rods, a plurality of angularly spaced apart biasing members, and a plurality of hollow leaf members. The core member has opposite first and second core end portions and a core axis. The air bladder is sleeved on the core member, and has opposite first and second bladder end segments retained respectively on the core member, and an intermediate bladder segment disposed between the first and second bladder end segments. The bladder forms an inflatable air chamber that extends around the core member. The air passage is in fluid communication with the air chamber for inflating and deflating the air chamber. The end caps are mounted respectively on the first and second core end portions. The connecting rods are disposed circumferentially around the air bladder. Each of the connecting rods has a rod axis parallel to the core axis, and opposite rod ends mounted respectively on the end caps. The biasing members are disposed circumferentially around the air bladder. Each of the biasing members has a coil spring section with a spring axis parallel to the core axis, and a pair of coupling end sections that extend in opposite directions from the coil spring section and that are mounted respectively on the end caps. Each of the biasing members is disposed between an adjacent pair of the connecting rods. The leaf members are disposed circumferentially around the air bladder. Each of the leaf members includes a curved inner wall segment, a curved outer wall segment disposed radially, spacedly and outwardly from the inner wall segment, and a pair of lateral wall segments that interconnect the inner and outer wall segments. Each of the leaf members confines a set of the connecting rods and a set of the biasing members therein. Inflation of the air chamber enables the air bladder to urge the leaf members in radial outward directions relative to the core axis such that the inner wall segments abut against the coil spring sections of the biasing members and such that radial outward movements of the leaf members are limited by the connecting rods.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3863857 (1975-02-01), Smith
patent: 4854520 (1989-08-01), Gavin et al.
patent: 5690300 (1997-11-01), Iannucci
patent: 5951023 (1999-09-01), Ryan
patent: 6059218 (2000-05-01), Berube
patent: 6065715 (2000-05-01), Andersson
patent: 2-70642 (1990-02-01), None
Rivera William A.
Sheridan Ross PC
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