Patent ID: 6179301
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: B23B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A chuck for use with a manual or powered driver having a housing and a rotatable drive shaft extending therefrom, said chuck comprising:a generally cylindrical body having a nose section and a tail section, said tail section configured to mate with said drive shaft so that said body rotates with said drive shaft and said nose section having an axial bore formed therein and a plurality of angularly disposed passageways formed therethrough and intersecting said axial bore;a nose piece fixed on said nose section of said body;a plurality of jaws slidably positioned in each of said angularly disposed passageways, each of said jaws having a jaw face formed on one side thereof and threads formed on the opposite side thereof;a nut rotatably mounted on said body in engagement with said threads on said jaws so that rotation of said nut moves said jaws axially within said passageways;an annular ring rotatably mounted on said body, wherein said annular ring and said nut include respective engaging surfaces disposed so that said annular ring and said nut are rotationally held to each other when engaged by a rotational force applied at said engaging surfaces by at least one of said annular ring and said nut and so that said annular ring is urged axially away from said nut upon application of said rotational force;a first spring disposed between said nose piece and said annular ring so that said first spring biases said annular ring toward said nut; anda sleeve whichin a first axial position is rotatable with respect to said driver housing, andin a second axial position is rotationally held to said housing and said annular ring,wherein said sleeve is axially reciprocal between said first axial position and said second axial position, and wherein said sleeve is axially movable with respect to said annular ring in said second axial position.