Torque resetable overload releasing clutch for tool holders and the like

Claim 2

In apparatus comprising complementary portions in concentric relatively rotatable assembly but which must corotate operatively: one of said portions having a cylindrical area; the other of said portions have an annular part including a pair of diametrically opposite cam areas in spaced confronting relation to said cylindrical area; one-way clutch rollers normally biased into releasable clutching interengagement with said confronting areas whereby normally to hold said portions against relative rotary movement; torque-sensitive overload release means comprising a torquereleasable connection between said portions normally operative to maintain them against relative rotation but releasable in response to predetermined torque overload to permit relative rotation; and means carried by said other of said portions between said part and said cylindrical area and operative during torque overload release relative rotation of said portions to push against and trip said rollers in opposition to their bias and into released relation relative to said cam areas.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1, said last-mentioned means comprising circumferentially spaced tripping shoulders normally located in neutral relation to the clutch rollers.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1, said torque-sensitive means including a friction clutch connecting said annular part with said other of said portions.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1, said other of said portions comprising a body member which is relatively rotatable with respect to said one portion, said annular part being a sleeve member having thereon said cam areas, and said torque sensitive means including a friction clutch coupling between said sleeve member and said body member.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said clutch rollers comprise a pair of rollers in association with each of said cam areas, and biasing spring means normally thrusting said rollers apart and into one-way respective clutching interengagement in respect to the cam areas and the cylindrical area.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5, said tripping means comprising respective circumferentially facing tripping shoulders on said other of said portions normally neutral with respect to the rollers but operative in either respective direction of relative rotary movement of said portions to release the clutching engagement of the respective rollers relative to said cam surfaces to permit free relative rotary movement of said portions.

Claim 8

In apparatus comprising complementary portions in concentric relatively rotatable assembly but which must corotate operatively: an annular radially inwardly facing area on one of said portions; a member comprising part of the other of said portions having a plurality of cam surfaces confronting said annular area; respective circumferentially spaced one-way pairs of circumferentially spaced clutch rollers interengaging with said annular area and said cam surfaces with the rollers of each pair in respective alternately oppositely operable clutching relation; and torque-sensitive overload release means including trippers operable to thrust in one circumferential direction to release on of the rollers of each pair for overload release during rotary movement in one direction and trippers operable to thrust in the opposite circumferential direction to release the other of said pair of rollers in each instance for overload release during rotary movement in the opposite direction.

Claim 9

In apparatus comprising complementary portions in concentric relatively rotatable assembly but which must corotate operatively: an annular radially inwardly facing area on one of said portions; a member comprising part of the other of said portions having a plurality of cam surfaces confronting said annular area; respective circumferentially spaced one-way pairs of circumferentially spaced clutch rollers interengaging with said annular area and said cam surfaces with the rollers of each pair in respective alternately oppositely operable clutching relation; and torque-sensitive overload release means including trippers operable to thrust in one circumferential direction to release on of the rollers of each pair for overload release during rotary movement in one direction and trippers operable to thrust in the opposite circumferential direction to release the other of said pair of rollers in each instance for overload release during rotary movement in the opposite direction.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 7, said trippers comprising releasing shoulders located at the respective opposite sides of said pairs of rollers and movable toward and into declutching engagement with the respective rollers to effect said overload release.

Claim 11

In apparatus comprising complementary portions in concentric relatively rotatable asSembly but which must corotate operatively: respective annular oppositely radially facing areas of said portions being in spaced confronting relation; said area which faces radially outwardly having diametrically opposite roller clutch cam surfaces; clutch rollers at said surfaces including means for biasing the rollers normally into one-way clutching interengagement with said surfaces and the radially inwardly facing area; and torque-sensitive means for releasing said rollers in response to torque overload including tripper means operative to push the rollers from said clutching interengagement, and including a limited lost motion connection between one of said areas and its portion of apparatus enabling relative torque resistance rotary movement therebetween to facilitate backing off of said tripper means relative to the rollers to return the rollers to the clutching interengagement.

Claim 12

In apparatus comprising complementary portions in concentric relatively rotatable asSembly but which must corotate operatively: respective annular oppositely radially facing areas of said portions being in spaced confronting relation; said area which faces radially outwardly having diametrically opposite roller clutch cam surfaces; clutch rollers at said surfaces including means for biasing the rollers normally into one-way clutching interengagement with said surfaces and the radially inwardly facing area; and torque-sensitive means for releasing said rollers in response to torque overload including tripper means operative to push the rollers from said clutching interengagement, and including a limited lost motion connection between one of said areas and its portion of apparatus enabling relative torque resistance rotary movement therebetween to facilitate backing off of said tripper means relative to the rollers to return the rollers to the clutching interengagement.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 9, said radially outwardly facing area comprising an annular coupling member, said surfaces comprising generally chordal flats on said coupling member, said rollers engaging an end of the respective flats, said tripper means being operative during torque overload declutching to move said rollers inwardly from said ends, a second annular coupling member telescopically within the first-mentioned annular coupling member, and said lost motion connection comprising a key corotatively fixed to one of said coupling members and extending into a keyway in the other of said coupling members and of greater circumferentially extending width than the portion of the key extending thereto.

Claim 14

A tool holder comprising: a generally cup-shaped member open at one end and having a wall at its opposite end with a central aperture; a tool-holding body housed within said member and having a shank extending through said aperture; torque overload release means normally corotatively connecting said body and member; means on said shank for relatively rotatably connecting it to a supporting member for supporting both the body and the cup-shaped member as an assembly therefrom; and means on said end wall for coupling said cup-shaped member with said supporting member against relative rotation.

Claim 15

A tool holder comprising: a generally cup-shaped member open at one end and having a wall at its opposite end with a central aperture; a tool-holding body housed within said member and having a shank extending through said aperture; torque overload release means normally corotatively connecting said body and member; means on said shank for relatively rotatably connecting it to a supporting member for supporting both the body and the cup-shaped member as an assembly therefrom; and means on said end wall for coupling said cup-shaped member with said supporting member against relative rotation.

Claim 16

A tool holder according to claim 11, in which said means for coupling said cup-shaped member with said supporting member comprises a coupling lug on said end wall.

Claim 17

A tool holder of the character described, comprising: a body having a bore opening from one end thereof adapted to receive a tool shank in endwise relative assembly; means within an inner end portion of said bore for free endwise reception and release of the tool shank but operative to lock the tool shank against rotation thereof relative to the body; a bushing relatively reciprocably mounted in said bore and of an inside diameter dimensioned to receive the tool shank freely therethrough; means normally biasing said bushing axially outwardly relative to said bore; clutch means comprising generally radially movable clutch balls carried in radial socket holes in said bushing; oblique cam surface areas in the body bore engageable by said clutch balls for driving them inwardly relative to the bushing for tool shank clutching in the outwardly biased condition of the bushing and permitting the balls to move radially outwardly into declutching relation upon axially inward movement of the bushing; said body having a radial assembly opening located axially inwardly relative to said cam surface areas; and a shoulder facing axially outwardly in proper position axially inwardly relative to said assembly opening and engageable by the inner end of said bushing upon pushing it in opposition to said biasing means until said inner end engages the shoulder and said socket holes are aligned with said opening to receive the balls in assembling them with the bushing.

Claim 18

A tool holder of the character described, comprising: a body having a bore opening from one end thereof adapted to receive a tool shank in endwise relative assembly; means within an inner end portion of said bore for free endwise reception and release of the tool shank but operative to lock the tool shank against rotation thereof relative to the body; a bushing relatively reciprocably mounted in said bore and of an inside diameter dimensioned to receive the tool shank freely therethrough; means normally biasing said bushing axially outwardly relative to said bore; clutch means comprising generally radially movable clutch balls carried in radial socket holes in said bushing; oblique cam surface areas in the body bore engageable by said clutch balls for driving them inwardly relative to the bushing for tool shank clutching in the outwardly biased condition of the bushing and permitting the balls to move radially outwardly into declutching relation upon axially inward movement of the bushing; said body having a radial assembly opening located axially inwardly relative to said cam surface areas; and a shoulder facing axially outwardly in proper position axially inwardly relative to said assembly opening and engageable by the inner end of said bushing upon pushing it in opposition to said biasing means until said inner end engages the shoulder and said socket holes are aligned with said opening to receive the balls in assembling them with the bushing.