Patent ID: 6824141
Filing Date: 2004-11-30
Classification: B23B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A keyless chuck, comprising:a generally cylindrical body defining an axis and having a forward portion and a rearward portion with respect to the axis, the forward portion including a radially outward projecting portion of the body, the body further including a plurality of guides extending obliquely to the axis and converging toward the forward portion, and a groove extending around the body; a plurality of jaws corresponding to the plurality of guides, each jaw being slidably disposed within the respective guide and including a thread section along an outer surface thereof; a jaw-engaging mechanism configured to operably engage the groove and to be rotatable around the body, the jaw-engaging mechanism including a thread section configured to complementarily engage the thread sections of the jaws; a toothed member configured to extend around the body; an inner sleeve extending over the jaw-engaging mechanism and the toothed member and configured to be capable of rotating the jaw-engaging mechanism so as to cause the jaws to move in the guides toward the forward portion; a pair of spring members operably engaged with the inner sleeve so as to be disposed adjacent to the toothed member, one of the spring members being adapted to form a ratchet with the toothed member; an outer sleeve extending over the inner sleeve; and an intermediate sleeve comprised of a metal and disposed between the inner and outer sleeves so as to be capable of engaging the pair of springs, the intermediate sleeve being configured to be rotatable with respect to the inner sleeve upon application of a first torque therebetween, the intermediate sleeve, upon application of the first torque, further being configured to urge the one of the spring members into ratcheting engagement with the toothed member, and to cooperate with the other of the spring members so as to prevent rotation between the intermediate sleeve and the inner sleeve, upon application therebetween of a second torque greater than the first torque, such that the ratcheting engagement is maintained and the jaws are prevented from retracting along the guides away from the forward portion of the body.