Hydraulic chuck

Claim 2

An expanding hydraulic type holder for an operated part comprising, a body having a central passage, a generally tubular shell having curved portions interfitting said passage, means for securing the shell to the body, said shell having a passage of irregular sectional contour, adapted to releasably receive and rotatably drive a noncircular contoured spindle of an operated part, said shell having annularly spaced thick wall portions alternating with annularly spaced thinner wall portions which are deformable by fluid pressure to grip the spindle of an operated part, and means for applying fluid pressure between the shell and the body to deform said shell.

Claim 3

An expanding hydraulic type holder as set forth in claim 1 having stop means for limiting the axial extent of insertion of a spingle.

Claim 4

An expanding hydraulic type holder as set forth in claim 1 in which the passage of the shell is of lobed form with roundish lobe ends.

Claim 5

An expanding hydraulic type holder as set forth in claim 1 in which the outer portions of the shell is formed to provide three annularly spaced pressure chambers between the shell and the holder body, with the thinnest portions of the shell at the locations of the pressure chambers.

Claim 6

An expanding hydraulic holder as set forth in claim 1 in which the bore of the body is a cylindrical bore interfitting cylindrical portions on the shell along the length of the shell, and in which the passage through the shell is a three-lobed passage with roundish lobed ends spaced 120* apart with respect to one another and in which the shell is longitudinally chambered at three gripping zones spaced apart at 120* with respect to one another but with the gripping zone annularly displaced with respect to the lobes so that pressure is applied to the spindle by a thicker portion of the shEll against the roundish lobe ends of the spindle thereby.

Claim 7

An expanding holder for an operated part comprising, a hollow body having a cylindrical bore, a generally tubular shell having curved portions interfitting in said bore and having an end flange at an end of the holder, means fixing said flange to the end of the holder, said shell having a straight central passage of three-lobed configuration with roundish lobe ends adapted to releasably receive and rotatably drive a correspondingly contoured spindle of an operated part, stop means for limiting axial extent of insertion of a spindle into the shell, said shell having three annularly spaced thick wall portions receiving the three roundish lobe ends of the operated part, said thick wall portions alternating with annularly spaced thinner wall portions which are deformable to grip and center the spindle of the operated part, and means for expanding the thinner wall portions to grip and center the operated part.

Claim 8

An expanding holder for an operated part comprising, a hollow body having a cylindrical bore, a generally tubular shell having curved portions interfitting in said bore and having an end flange at an end of the holder, means fixing said flange to the end of the holder, said shell having a straight central passage of three-lobed configuration with roundish lobe ends adapted to releasably receive and rotatably drive a correspondingly contoured spindle of an operated part, stop means for limiting axial extent of insertion of a spindle into the shell, said shell having three annularly spaced thick wall portions receiving the three roundish lobe ends of the operated part, said thick wall portions alternating with annularly spaced thinner wall portions which are deformable to grip and center the spindle of the operated part, and means for expanding the thinner wall portions to grip and center the operated part.

Claim 9

A releasable holder for gripping a member comprising: a sleeve member having a noncircular passage formed therein to receive said member and contoured to create a rotational connection therebetween; fluid pressure means for applying fluid pressure to said sleeve to cause at least a portion of said passage to move to grip said member, whereby said member is retained by said fluid pressure means while being positively driven through said passage contours.

Claim 10

A releasable holder for gripping a member comprising: a sleeve member having a noncircular passage formed therein to receive said member and contoured to create a rotational connection therebetween; fluid pressure means for applying fluid pressure to said sleeve to cause at least a portion of said passage to move to grip said member, whereby said member is retained by said fluid pressure means while being positively driven through said passage contours.

Claim 11

The holder of claim 7 wherein said fluid pressure means includes means causing a plurality of spaced passage portions symmetrically arranged about said passage to move to grip said member.

Claim 12

The holder of claim 7 wherein said fluid pressure means includes a body drivingly connected to said sleeve and further includes means forming at least one fluid pressure chamber defined by said body and a portion of said sleeve member exterior to said passage, and wherein said fluid pressure means also includes means for supplying fluid pressure to said chamber sufficient to cause said portion of said passage to deform into engagement with said member.

Claim 13

The holder of claim 9 wherein said means forming said at least one fluid pressure chamber forms a plurality of spaced fluid pressure chambers symmetrically arranged about said passage.

Claim 14

The holder of claim 7 wherein said passage and a portion of said member are contoured substantially as corresponding polygons.

Claim 15

The holder of claim 10 wherein said passage and a portion of said member are contoured substantially as corresponding polygons and wherein said fluid pressure chambers are substantially aligned with said polygon sides, and wherein said sleeve member has portions engaging said body substantially aligned with said polygon corners, whereby rotative drive between said sleeve and said member will be through said passage portions engaging said body.