Chucks or sockets – Expanding – Fluid-pressure actuator
Patent
1998-09-23
1999-12-07
Pitts, Andrea L.
Chucks or sockets
Expanding
Fluid-pressure actuator
279 212, 279 223, 279 401, B23B 522
Patent
active
059970111
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a holder with clamps on its housing that move radially upon an axial movement of a pressure element, whereby the pressure element in located the housing can be acted axially upon by a first and second pressure medium, where the second pressure medium acts on the pressure element in the opposite direction as the first pressure medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
The document EP A 0255 042 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,588), describes a holder in the form of a machine tool, e.g. a chuck attachable to an electrical discharge forming machine that can hold a work piece or tool. A tie bolt that couples with the workpiece fits in an opening of the chuck in which the tie bolt is held by a ball lock under the effect of pressure springs and can be released by compressed air acting against the pressure springs.
With the holder described in EP A 0614725 (correspond to U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,384), a pin projects from the workpiece to be held that can be held by a ball lock in a housing of the holder. The ball lock grips the pin under the effect of pressure springs acting on a pressure element. To release the workpiece, the pressure element is acted on by compressed air that acts against the pressure springs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the problem of substantially simplifying the initially-cited holder. According to the invention, there are two axially sequential chambers in the housing separated by a membrane anchored to the housing. The pressure element is connected to the membrane, and at least one of the chambers connects to a medium pressure source. The holder can be designed substantially flatter which makes it very cheap to manufacture. In addition, the response time of the pressure element to the first or second pressure means is very short so that a workpiece is clamped and released by the holder according to the invention very quickly and forcefully.
The membrane suitably consists of a disk or ring of flexible artificial material, e.g. rubber. In addition, it is recommendable to run the pressure element axially in the housing, suitably in a tube inserted in the housing. The pressure piece can consist of a cylindrical piston. Cones are on the free end that abut the clamps. It is advantageous for their to be a plate at the foot of the piston that nearly fills up the chambers radially. The membrane clamped to the housing is affixed to the edge of the plate. Between the floor of the chamber and the bottom of the plate, a cup spring can be clamped as a pressure medium.
In one particularly favorable development of the invention, the release pressure can be substantially increased using an auxiliary piston or an additional plunger. Although the workpiece can be held at a high pressure using the holder according to the invention, the increased release pressure quickly and easily releases the workpiece without jamming, etc. The invention enables the stroke of the pressure element to be only 1-3 mm between holding and releasing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described in detail in the following with reference to the exemplary embodiments described in the drawing. Shown are:
FIG. 1 depicts a schematic axial section of a chuck that can be attached to an electrical discharge forming machine to hold a palette.
FIG. 2 depicts a schematic axial section of another embodiment of the chuck.
FIG. 3 depicts a schematic axial section of a third embodiment of the chuck.
FIG. 4 depicts a schematic axial section of a fourth embodiment of the chuck.
FIG. 5 depicts a schematic axial section of another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The chuck identified as a whole with 1 in FIG. 1 has a housing 2 e.g. made of tool steel whose midaxis is identified with 5. On the top 3 of the cylindrical or rectangular housing block 2 are reference elements identified with 4 as a whole in the form of grooves or pins (not shown) that interact with counter-reference
REFERENCES:
patent: 4652203 (1987-03-01), Nakashima et al.
patent: 4855558 (1989-08-01), Ramsbro
patent: 4881745 (1989-11-01), Peters
patent: 4958839 (1990-09-01), Guzik et al.
patent: 5415384 (1995-05-01), Obrist et al.
Pitts Andrea L.
Smith Monica
System 3R International AB
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