Clamping device

Claim 1

A CLAMPING MECHANISM COMPRISING A COLET MEMBER TO RECEIVE THEREIN A MEMBER TO BE CLAMPED, SAID COLLET MEMBER DEFINING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONICAL OUTER PERIPHERAL SURFACE; A PISTON MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED RELATIVE TO SAID COLLET MEMBER BY FLUID PRESSURE AND HAVING AT LEAST IN PART A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL OUTER PERIPHERAL SURFACE AND AT LEAST IN PART A SUBSTANTIALLY CONICAL INNER PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF A CONTOUR WHICH SUBSTANTIALLY COINCIDES WITH THE CONICAL OUTER PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAI COLLER MEMBER; AND AN OUTER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THEREIN SAID PISTON MEMBER AND TO ENGAGE AT ITS INNER PERIPHERY IN INTERFERENCE FIT AT LEAST PART OF THE CYLINDRICAL OUTER SURFACE OF THE PISTON MEMBER; FLUID MEANS TO PRODUCE RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE CONICAL SURFACE AND THEREBY VARY THE CROSS SECTIONAL SPACE WITHIN THE COLLET MEMBER, AND MEANS TO INTRODUCE FLUID AT THE INTERFACE OF THE INTERFERENCE FIT TO UNCOUPLE SAID OUTER CYLINDRICAL MEMBER FROM SAID PISTON MEMBER.