Chuck assembly with centrifugal collet

Claim 2

A chuck assembly comprising: a chuck adapted to be rotated and to impart such rotation to a shaft extending into said chuck, said chuck having a substantially radially extending chamber therein, and a wedge mounted in said chamber for motion therein substantially radially of said chuck in response to centrifugal forces exerted on the wedge by chuck rotation, said wedge having an outer massive portion offset from the axis of rotation of said chuck in a direction substantially along the radial extent of said chamber, and an inner camming portion on one side of said wedge having a shaft engaging surface arranged to contact said shaft at an area thereof laterally offset from said axis of rotation whereby rotational reactive forces of said shaft and centriFugal forces of chuck rotation are exerted upon said wedge during rotation of said chuck to urge said wedge outwardly along the extent of said chamber, and whereby said shaft engaging surface is cammed against said shaft to urge the shaft laterally in a direction across the extent of said chamber.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1 including a second wedge mounted in said chuck for slidable motion substantially radially thereof in response to centrifugal forces of chuck rotation exerted on the wedge during chuck rotation, said second wedge having an outer massive portion radially offset from said axis of rotation in a second direction different than said first-mentioned direction of radial offset of said massive portion of said first-mentioned wedge, and an inner camming portion on one side thereof having a shaft engaging surface arranged to contact said shaft at an area thereof laterally offset from said axis or rotation, whereby said camming portions of said wedges cooperate to clamp said shaft therebetween.

Claim 4

The assembly of claim 2 wherein both of said wedges are mounted in said chamber, and wherein said second direction is substantially opposite to said first-mentioned direction, whereby centrifugal forces exerted during rotation of said chuck urge said wedges radially outwardly in mutually opposite directions and said shaft engaging surfaces of said two wedges are cammed against said shaft in opposition to each other.

Claim 5

The assembly of claim 2 including a second substantially radially extending chamber in said chuck, said second wedge being slidably mounted in said second chamber.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 4 wherein said chambers are substantially parallel with each other and said shaft has a portion extending into both said chambers.

Claim 7

The assembly of claim 4 wherein said chambers are coaxial, extend through diametrically opposite portions of said chuck, and have a common section at the axis of rotation of said chuck.

Claim 8

The assembly of claim 4 including a third substantially radially extending chamber in said chuck, and a third wedge substantially similar to said first-mentioned and second wedges, slidably mounted in said third chamber, said chambers being substantially symmetrically disposed about the axis of rotation of said chuck and being angularly oriented with respect to each other, whereby the camming portions of all of said wedges are cammed against said shaft during chuck rotation to collectively clamp said shaft therebetween.

Claim 9

A chuck assembly comprising: a chuck adapted to be rotated and to impart such rotation to a member extending into said chuck, and a centrifugally driven wedge mounted in said chuck for exerting a transverse holding force upon said member, said wedge comprising an outer massive portion displaced from the axis of rotation of said chuck so as to be urged outwardly upon chuck rotation, and a holding portion connected to said massive portion and having a camming surface on one side thereof inclined to the direction of outward urging of said massive portion to exert said holding force by wedging action in a direction that is angularly oriented with respect to said direction of outward urging of said massive portion.

Claim 10

A chuck assembly comprising: a chuck adapted to be rotated and to impart such rotation to a member extending into said chuck, and a centrifugally driven wedge mounted in said chuck for exerting a transverse holding force upon said member, said wedge comprising an outer massive portion displaced from the axis of rotation of said chuck so as to be urged outwardly upon chuck rotation, and a holding portion connected to said massive portion and having a camming surface on one side thereof inclined to the direction of outward urging of said massive portion to exert said holding force by wedging action in a direction that is angularly oriented with respect to said direction of outward urging of said massive portion.

Claim 11

The assembly of claim 8 wherein the mounting of said wedge in said chuck comprises a substantially radially extending chamber formed in said chuck, said wedge being slidably mounted in said chamber so as to be urged radially of said chuck upon chuck rotation.

Claim 12

The assembly of claim 9 including a second centrifugally driven wedge substantially identical to said first-mentioned wedge, said second wedge being oppositely disposed relative to said first wedge and slidably mounted in said chamber so as to be urged outwardly in a direction opposite the outward urging of said first-mentioned wedge, whereby said wedges exert mutually opposed transverse holding forces upon opposite sides of said member.

Claim 13

The assembly of claim 10 wherein said camming surface of each of said wedges comprises an arcuate surface having a radius of curvature greater than the radius of that portion of the member extending into said chuck.

Claim 14

The assembly of claim 8 wherein said camming surface inclines outwardly in the direction of said urging of said massive portion, whereby both torsion of said member as it rotates in contact with a workpiece and acceleration of said chuck to rotational speed tend to draw said holding portion into increasingly tightened contact with said member to thereby supplement holding action due to centrifugal forces.

Claim 15

A chuck assembly comprising: a chuck body having an axial bore therein, a transverse bore extending through said chuck body and intersecting said axial bore, a pair of mutually opposed centrifugally driven holding wedges slidably mounted within said transverse bore, each of said centrifugally driven wedges comprising an enlarged outer portion substantially filling said transverse bore at one end thereof, and an inner camming portion extending axially of said transverse bore from said enlarged outer portion to a point in said bore beyond the axis of rotation of said chuck and closely adjacent the inner edge of the enlarged outer portion of the other of said wedges, said inner portion having a width not substantially greater than one-half the width of said transverse bore and being formed with an inwardly facing inclined cam surface on one side thereof positioned to be engaged by a member within said axial bore at a point laterally offset from the axial extent of said transverse bore.

Claim 16

A chuck assembly comprising: a chuck body having an axial bore therein, a transverse bore extending through said chuck body and intersecting said axial bore, a pair of mutually opposed centrifugally driven holding wedges slidably mounted within said transverse bore, each of said centrifugally driven wedges comprising an enlarged outer portion substantially filling said transverse bore at one end thereof, and an inner camming portion extending axially of said transverse bore from said enlarged outer portion to a point in said bore beyond the axis of rotation of said chuck and closely adjacent the inner edge of the enlarged outer portion of the other of said wedges, said inner portion having a width not substantially greater than one-half the width of said transverse bore and being formed with an inwardly facing inclined cam surface on one side thereof positioned to be engaged by a member within said axial bore at a point laterally offset from the axial extent of said transverse bore.

Claim 17

The chuck assembly of claim 13 including means for resiliently retaining said centrifugally driven wedges within said transverse bore and for urging said centrifugally driven wedges away from each other in a direction along the axial extent of said transverse bore.

Claim 18

The assembly of claim 14 wherein said means for urging said wedges comprises a pair of O-rings between said wedges, each said O-ring having a portion thereof positioned between an end of the inner portion of one wedge and the inner edge of the enlarged outer portion of the other wedge.

Claim 19

The chuck assembly of claim 13 wherein said inclined surface of each of said wedges comprises a portion of a circular arc having a radius of curvature greater than the radius of curvature of that portion of a member received in said axial bore.

Claim 20

A chuck assembly comprising a chuck adapted to be rotated in a predetermined direction and to impart such rotation to a driven shaft extending into said chuck, whereby said shaft exerts a reactive torque in opposition to chuck rotation, and a centrifugally driven wedge mounted in said chuck for exerting a holding force upon said shaft, said wedge comprising a wedge camming portion movably mounted in said chuck for motion transverse to said shaft in response to centrifugal forces exerted by said chuck rotation, said wedge camming portion having a shaft engaging surface on one side thereof inclined to the direction of said transverse motion and arranged to contact said shaft to exert a gripping force upon said shaft, said predetermined direction of chuck rotation being oriented to impart a velocity component to portions of the chuck on the same side of the shaft as said wedge camming portion, said velocity component being directed opposite to the direction of said transverse motion of said wedge camming portion in response to centrifugal forces, whereby said reactive torque causes said shaft to tend to slide along said shaft engaging surface relative thereto substantially in the direction of said transverse motion of said wedge camming portion to thereby supplement the shaft gripping force exerted in response to centrifugal forces.

Claim 21

A chuck assembly comprising a chuck adapted to be rotated in a predetermined direction and to impart such rotation to a driven shaft extending into said chuck, whereby said shaft exerts a reactive torque in opposition to chuck rotation, and a centrifugally driven wedge mounted in said chuck for exerting a holding force upon said shaft, said wedge comprising a wedge camming portion movably mounted in said chuck for motion transverse to said shaft in response to centrifugal forces exerted by said chuck rotation, said wedge camming portion having a shaft engaging surface on one side thereof inclined to the direction of said transverse motion and arranged to contact said shaft to exert a gripping force upon said shaft, said predetermined direction of chuck rotation being oriented to impart a velocity component to portions of the chuck on the same side of the shaft as said wedge camming portion, said velocity component being directed opposite to the direction of said transverse motion of said wedge camming portion in response to centrifugal forces, whereby said reactive torque causes said shaft to tend to slide along said shaft engaging surface relative thereto substantially in the direction of said transverse motion of said wedge camming portion to thereby supplement the shaft gripping force exerted in response to centrifugal forces.

Claim 22

The assembly of claim 17 wherein the mounting of said wedge in said chuck comprises a chamber formed in said chuck and extending transversely of The axis of rotation of said chuck, said chamber having an axis displaced from said axis of rotation, said wedge being slidably mounted in said chamber so as to be urged outwardly in a direction transverse to said shaft upon chuck rotation.

Claim 23

The assembly of claim 18 including a second centrifugally driven wedge substantially identical to said first-mentioned wedge, said second wedge being oppositely disposed relative to said first wedge and slidably mounted in said chamber so as to be urged outwardly in a direction opposite the outward urging of said first-mentioned wedge, whereby said wedges exert mutually opposed transverse holding forces upon opposite sides of said shaft.

Claim 24

The assembly of claim 2 wherein both said wedges lie in a common plane that is normal to the axis of rotation of said chuck.

Claim 25

The assembly of claim 2 wherein the camming portions of respective wedges lie on opposite sides of a plane containing the axis of rotation of said chuck and extending substantially parallel to said direction of outward urging of said massive portions.

Claim 26

The assembly of claim 21 wherein both said wedges lie in a common plane that is normal to the axis of rotation of said chuck.

Claim 27

The assembly of claim 10 wherein the holding portions of respective wedges lie on opposite sides of a plane containing the axis of rotation of said chuck and extending substantially parallel to said direction of outward urging of said massive portions.

Claim 28

The assembly of claim 19 wherein both said wedges lie in a common plane that is normal to the axis of rotation of said chuck.

Claim 29

A chuck assembly comprising a body adapted to be rotated about an axis and to impart such rotation to a member extending axially into said body, said body having a substantially transversely extending chamber therein, and a pair of wedges mounted in said chamber for motion therein in mutually opposite directions outwardly of said body in response to centrifugal forces exerted on the wedges by rotation of said body, each said wedge having an outer massive portion offset from the axis of rotation of said body in a direction substantially along the extent of said chamber, and an inner camming portion having a camming surface, said camming portions of respective ones of said wedges being positioned on respectively opposite sides of a plane containing said axis of rotation and extending substantially parallel to said directions of outward urging of said wedges.

Claim 30

A chuck assembly comprising a body adapted to be rotated about an axis and to impart such rotation to a member extending axially into said body, said body having a substantially transversely extending chamber therein, and a pair of wedges mounted in said chamber for motion therein in mutually opposite directions outwardly of said body in response to centrifugal forces exerted on the wedges by rotation of said body, each said wedge having an outer massive portion offset from the axis of rotation of said body in a direction substantially along the extent of said chamber, and an inner camming portion having a camming surface, said camming portions of respective ones of said wedges being positioned on respectively opposite sides of a plane containing said axis of rotation and extending substantially parallel to said directions of outward urging of said wedges.

Claim 31

The chuck assembly of claim 25 wherein said camming surfaces are each centered in a common plane that extends normal to the axis of rotation of said chuck whereby transverse force exerted by one of said wedges is reacted against a corresponding force exerted by the other of said wedges.