Gear cutting – milling – or planing – Milling – Randomly manipulated – work supported – or work following device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-25
2001-05-01
Wellington, A. L. (Department: 3722)
Gear cutting, milling, or planing
Milling
Randomly manipulated, work supported, or work following device
C144S136950, C144S154500, C279S050000, C279S134000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224305
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rotary power tool, particularly a router, having a chuck device for holding a tool bit to a drive spindle wherein the chuck device is remotely actuated.
There are a number of well known types of power tools, including routers, wherein a chuck is mounted on the end of a rotatable drive spindle for holding a tool bit to the drive spindle. In many applications of these tools, it is necessary to manually manipulate or engage the chuck in order to change out the tool bit. A number of chuck devices utilize an axially movable outer sleeve member to actuate the chuck. For example, many such chuck devices have an axially movable outer sleeve that moves between a gripping position wherein the chuck grips upon a tool shank inserted into the chuck, and a release position wherein the chuck releases the tool shank inserted therein. Such chuck devices are commonly referred to as “quick-change” chucks. For example, one such chuck is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,366. Additional examples of such chucks are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,692,073; 2,807,473 and 3,521,895. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/067,569 describes another type of sleeve actuated chuck.
In certain operating environments, particularly with high speed routers, there is limited space in the critical area of the chuck device and tool bit to actuate the chuck for removal or insertion of the tool bit and the operation of changing out the tool bits can be potentially dangerous. With many conventional tools, the chucks are actuated by an external mechanism, such as a wrench or other tool. There is, however, a trend in the industry to incorporate quick-change chucks with such tools, particularly routers, to eliminate the necessity of external tools for operating the chucks and to take advantage of the obvious benefits of the quick-change chucks. However, the operation of actuating these quick-change chucks may also be cumbersome and potentially dangerous, especially where the operator must insert his hands next to the cutting edges of the tool bit.
The present invention provides an apparatus for remotely actuating a quick-change chuck device on rotary power tools, particularly routers, in a safe and quick manner.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, a principle object of the present invention to provide a power rotary tool incorporating a mechanism for remotely actuating the chuck device.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for safely changing out tool bits in rotary power tools wherein the operator's hands are totally removed from the cutting area of the tool bits.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for remotely actuating chucks on rotary power tools, particularly fixed base routers, so that actuation of the chuck is no longer limited by manual hand strength.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In accordance with the object and purposes of the invention, a rotary power tool is provided having a remotely actuated chuck device mounted on the end of a rotatable drive spindle. The power tool includes a casing housing the drive spindle with an end of the spindle extending through the casing and coupled with the chuck device. A chuck actuating device is engaged with the chuck device.
The chuck device is movable between a gripping position when the chuck clamps upon a tool bit held within the chuck device and a release position when the chuck device releases a tool bit. The present invention is not limited to any particular type of chuck device and, in this regard, the internal working mechanism of the chuck device is not particularly important to the invention or necessary for an understanding of the invention. Similarly, the remote actuating device is not limited to any particular electrical arrangement. It is intended that the present invention be utilized with any chuck device which causes the chuck device to grip and release a tool.
The rotary power tool, according to the invention, contains a chuck device comprising an outer sleeve member which is axially movable between a gripping position and a release position where the chuck device releases a tool held therein. It also includes a sleeve actuating device having a first member that is engaged to the outer sleeve member of the chuck and which extends generally radially outward from the chuck. The first member is movable or pivotable in a direction so as to move the outer sleeve member of the chuck between the gripping position and the release positions. The sleeve actuating device includes an actuator member configured or coupled with the first member to move the first member upon an external force being applied to the actuator member. The external force is an electrical or magnetic force. In this manner, upon the external force being applied to the actuator member, the first member causes the chuck to move between the gripping and release positions. Thus, the operator can remotely actuate the chuck while being completely removed from the working area of the tool bit held by the chuck.
In a preferred embodiment, the actuating member is a solenoid device or other electric motive device. The solenoid is operably configured or coupled with the first member so that when activated, the solenoid device moves the chuck device from a first position to a second position, gripping or releasing the tool bit. A biasing mechanism may be incorporated to return the first member to the first position when the solenoid device is disengaged. In another embodiment, a second solenoid device returns the first member to a first position.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the solenoid device includes a solenoid that is connected to the first member through a solenoid armature, which is generally perpendicular to the first member and is movable in a plane of movement which is generally parallel to the drive spindle. Upon activation of the solenoid, the solenoid armature moves, operating the first member so that the chuck device clamps or releases the bit. When the solenoid is deactivated, a biasing mechanism would cause the solenoid armature, and thus the first member and chuck device, to return to the first position.
In another embodiment, a first solenoid would move the chuck device into a locking position. A second solenoid, upon de-energizing of the first solenoid and energizing the second solenoid, would move the chuck device into a release position. By placing the solenoids in operative positions so that selective engagement of one of the solenoids would actuate the chuck device, while engagement of the other would release the chuck device, the biasing mechanism could be removed.
It should be appreciated that the rotary power tool according to the invention can comprise any make or configuration of power tool, for example, drills, lathes, tapping machines, sanders, grinders etc. In a preferred and particularly useful embodiment of the invention, a power rotary tool comprises a router whereas the chuck device is specifically configured to hold a routing bit to the drive spindle of the router.
The remote actuating mechanism may be incorporated as a component of the power tool casing, or may be an after market retrofit item that can be easily installed on existing rotary power tools. In this embodiment, the mechanism may include a base member that is easily attachable to any manner of conventional rotary power tool.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed in detail with reference to the following figures.
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patent: 4080716 (1978-03-01), vom Dorp
patent: 4729701 (1988-03-01), Chaur-Sheng
patent: 4819320 (1989-04-01), Cairns et al.
patent: 5921730 (1999-07-01), Young et al.
patent: 5970599 (1999-10-01), Garnett et al.
patent: 599
Ergenbright Erica D.
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough
Power Tool Holders Incorporated
Wellington A. L.
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