Work-holding chuck and cartridge-case trimmer employing same

Claim 2

A work-holding chuck for work-pieces having a centraL axis, a reference surface and a recess in said surface formed symmetrical with said central axis, said chuck comprising in combination a central member having a free end extending co-axially with said central axis and a work-positioning surface at said free end disposed transversely thereof, a spherical work-centering member supported within the free end of said central member with its center on said central axis, the diameter of said spherical member being greater than that of the recess in the work-piece, means within said central member for restricting said workcentering member for movement along said central axis and for positively limiting such movement in the direction of said free end of said central member, spring means for urging said work-centering member in the direction of said free end, a body member mounted on said central member for retaining a work-piece with the open end of its recess disposed against said work-centering member and depressing the same against said spring means, retaining means carried by said body member for engaging said work-piece in order to hold it in engagement with said workcentering member, and means for moving said body member axially relative to said central member into work-locking relation with said central member, whereby the reference surface of the work-piece is forced into rigid surface-to-surface contact with said workpositioning surface on said central member.

Claim 3

A work-holding chuck as defined in claim 1, comprising a cartridge-case holder for a device for reconditioning and reloading deprimed center-fire cartridge cases, wherein the base of the case head comprises the reference surface of said work-piece and the empty primer pocket comprises said recess, said device having a frame for supporting such cartridge case along said central axis for engagement with a tool mounted on said frame, said central-member comprising a mounting stud supported on said frame with said work-centering member disposed within said mounting stud for engagement by the outer end of the primer pocket of a cartridge case, said work-positioning surface comprising a surface for positioning a cartridge, said retaining means being adapted and arranged to engage the rim of such cartridge case such that upon movement of said body member into locking relation with said mounting stud the base of the cartridge-case is brought into such surface-to-surface contact with said cartridge-positioning surface.

Claim 4

A cartridge-case holder as defined in claim 2, wherein said mounting stud is rigidly fixed to said frame and said cartridge-positioning surface is disposed at the extreme end of said mounting stud, said cartridge-centering member comprising a ball, said means for restricting said work-centering member comprising a cylindrical passage within said mounting stud having a circular opening through said cartridge-positioning surface and an annular restriction at said opening of smaller inside diameter than the diameter of said centering ball in order to prevent said ball from passing while permitting a portion thereof to project through said opening.

Claim 5

A cartridge-case holder as defined in claim 3, wherein said cartridge-case retaining means comprises a plurality of retaining-fingers guided in radial ways in said body member for radial movement thereon and spring means for urging said retaining-fingers inward into engagement with the head of a cartridge case disposed between them.

Claim 6

A cartridge-case holder as defined in claim 4, wherein the inner ends of said retaining-fingers are provided with beveled surfaces by which said retaining-fingers are cammed outwardly by pressure exerted against said beveled surfaces by the head of a cartridge as it is inserted between said retaining-fingers and centering ball.

Claim 7

A cartridge-case holder as defined in claim 3, wherein said cartridge-case retaining means comprises a pair of retaining-fingers guided in oppositely disposed grooves in said body member for radIal movement thereon and spring means for urging said retaining-fingers inward into engagement with the head of a cartridge case disposed between them.

Claim 8

A cartridge-case holder as defined in claim 6, wherein said means for moving said body member axially with respect to said mounting stud comprises screw threads between said body member and mounting stud such that rotation of said body member on said mounting stud results in axial movement for moving said retaining-fingers toward and away from said centering ball.

Claim 9

A cartridge-case trimming device for center-fire cartridge cases having a frame, a cartridge-case holder mounted on said frame for supporting a cartridge case along a predetermined longitudinal axis, a trimming tool mounted on said frame for movement along said longitudinal axis into engagement with the open mouth of said cartridge case, said cartridge-case holder comprising a mounting stud supported on said frame and having a free end extending along said longitudinal axis toward said trimming tool, a cartridge-positioning surface on said free end of said mounting stud disposed transversely of said longitudinal axis and facing said trimming tool and a spherical, cartridge-centering member supported by said mounting stud on said longitudinal axis and having a diameter greater than the diameter of the largest primer pocket in available cartridges, said centering member being spring-loaded toward and projecting through said cartridge-positioning surface toward said trimming tool; a body-member supported on said mounting stud for retaining the head of a deprimed cartridge case against said centering member with the outer end of the empty primer pocket engaging said centering member, cartridge-case retaining means carried by said body member for engaging the rim of a cartridge case in order to hold it in such engagement with said centering member, means for moving said body member axially of said mounting stud into case-locking relation with said mounting stud whereby the base of the case head is forced into rigid surface-to-surface contact with said cartridge-positioning surface, and trimming-tool positioning means on said frame for limiting the axial movement of said trimming tool in the direction of said cartridge-case holder in order to trim a cartridge case accurately to a predetermined length.

Claim 10

A cartridge-case trimming device for center-fire cartridge cases having a frame, a cartridge-case holder mounted on said frame for supporting a cartridge case along a predetermined longitudinal axis, a trimming tool mounted on said frame for movement along said longitudinal axis into engagement with the open mouth of said cartridge case, said cartridge-case holder comprising a mounting stud supported on said frame and having a free end extending along said longitudinal axis toward said trimming tool, a cartridge-positioning surface on said free end of said mounting stud disposed transversely of said longitudinal axis and facing said trimming tool and a spherical, cartridge-centering member supported by said mounting stud on said longitudinal axis and having a diameter greater than the diameter of the largest primer pocket in available cartridges, said centering member being spring-loaded toward and projecting through said cartridge-positioning surface toward said trimming tool; a body-member supported on said mounting stud for retaining the head of a deprimed cartridge case against said centering member with the outer end of the empty primer pocket engaging said centering member, cartridge-case retaining means carried by said body member for engaging the rim of a cartridge case in order to hold it in such engagement with said centering member, means for moving said body member axially of said mounting stud into case-locking relation with said mounting stud whereby the base of the case head is forced into rigid surface-to-surface contact with said cartridge-positioning surface, and trimming-tool positioning means on said frame for limiting the axial movement of said trimming tool in the direction of said cartridge-case holder in order to trim a cartridge case accurately to a predetermined length.

Claim 11

A cartridge-case trimming device as defined in claim 8, wherein said mounting stud is rigidly fixed to said frame, said centering member comprises a ball and said trimming tool includes an elongated shaft rotatably mounted on said frame co-axially with said longitudinal axis and movable along said axis and a rotary cutter mounted at one end of said shaft adjacent said holder, said trimming-tool positioning means comprising a cutter-positioning surface on said frame adjacent said cutter shaft and stop-means adjustably mounted on said shaft for engagement with said cutter-positioning surface upon movement of said cutter shaft toward said cartridge-case holder.

Claim 12

A cartridge-case trimming device as defined in claim 9, wherein said cutter shaft is provided at its end opposite said rotary cutter with a crank for rotating said trimming-tool, said cutter-positioning surface comprising an annular surface of said frame through which said shaft extends, said stop-means comprising a first collar member slidably supported on said cutter shaft adjacent its crank end, means for rigidly fixing said first collar member on said cutter shaft, a second collar member carried by, and concentric with, said first collar member on the side adjacent said annular cutter-positioning surface for engagement therewith, said second collar member being threaded to said first collar and having means for rigidly fixing it thereto in order to prevent relative rotation between said collar members.