Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
249 words
A magnetic device, especially a chuck for magnetic retention of workpieces, comprising: a stack of alternately magnetic and nonmagnetic plates defining an exposed upper surface and at least two exposed lateral surfaces adjoining said upper surface of a body, said stack extending longitudinally and said plates being perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of said stack, said plates each having at least one opening and said openings being aligned along said stack to form at least one longitudinally extending hollow, a first magnetic assembly received in said hollow and comprising at least one stack of alternating permanent magnets and pole pieces with the pole pieces of said first assembly alternating in magnetic polarity; a second magnetic assembly mounted in said body and comprising at least one stack of permanent magnets for creating magnetic polarities alternating along said second assembly, said pole pieces corresponding in thickness measured along the longitudinal dimension generally to the thicknesses of said plates, the magnetic pitch of said first assembly being equal to the distance between corresponding portions of successive pole pieces; and means mounted on said body engaging one of said assemblies for displacing same longitudinally through a distance at least equal to said magnetic pitch thereby shifting selectively between an ON position in which a magnetic field appears at each of said surfaces to affix a workpiece thereto and an OFF position in which the magnetic field at said surfaces is substantially canceled, the other of said assemblies being fixed relative to said body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
249 words
A magnetic device, especially a chuck for magnetic retention of workpieces, comprising: a stack of alternately magnetic and nonmagnetic plates defining an exposed upper surface and at least two exposed lateral surfaces adjoining said upper surface of a body, said stack extending longitudinally and said plates being perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of said stack, said plates each having at least one opening and said openings being aligned along said stack to form at least one longitudinally extending hollow, a first magnetic assembly received in said hollow and comprising at least one stack of alternating permanent magnets and pole pieces with the pole pieces of said first assembly alternating in magnetic polarity; a second magnetic assembly mounted in said body and comprising at least one stack of permanent magnets for creating magnetic polarities alternating along said second assembly, said pole pieces corresponding in thickness measured along the longitudinal dimension generally to the thicknesses of said plates, the magnetic pitch of said first assembly being equal to the distance between corresponding portions of successive pole pieces; and means mounted on said body engaging one of said assemblies for displacing same longitudinally through a distance at least equal to said magnetic pitch thereby shifting selectively between an ON position in which a magnetic field appears at each of said surfaces to affix a workpiece thereto and an OFF position in which the magnetic field at said surfaces is substantially canceled, the other of said assemblies being fixed relative to said body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
96 words
The device defined in claim 1 wherein said magnetic plates form pole pieces of a pair of lateral stacks of permanent magnets forming said second assembly, said nonmagnetic plates being provided with respective openings aligned in the longitudinal dimension and receiving the permanent magnets of the stacks of said second assembly, said hollow being disposed centrally between the aligned openings of the permanent magnets of said second assembly, said first assembly being movable in said hollow and being displaceable by said distance at least equal to the magnetic pitch to shift between ON and OFF positions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
49 words
The device defined in claim 2, further comprising a sole plate underlying said body and in magnetic contact with magnetic plates of one polarity, the magnetic plates of opposite polarity being magnetically spaced from said sole plate, said sole plate being composed of a material of high magnetic permeability.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The device defined in claim 2 wherein said plates form directly a lower surface of said body magnetically attracted to a worktable in said ON position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
60 words
The device defined in claim 3 or claim 4 wherein said permanent magnets and said pole pieces of said first assembly are annular and are axially fixed on the common support for displacement in said hollow, said permanent magnets of said second assembly each being a semiannulus cut from an annular permanent magnet identical to those of said first assembly.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
The device defined in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said one of said assemblies is displaceable relative to the other of said assemblies through a distance greater than said magnetic pitch whereby a body at one of said surfaces is demagnetized.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
72 words
The device defined in claim 5 wherein said body is rectangular parallelepipedal and is flanked by a pair of end plates, said stack of said first assembly being formed on a tube, said displacing means including a rod extending through said tube and anchored to one end thereof, an eccentric mounted in one of said end plates remote from said end of said tube, and means connecting said eccentric to said rod.