Patent ID: 6588316
Filing Date: 2003-07-08
Classification: F15B,Y10T

Abstract:
A pneumatic collet control system for allowing a user to safely and conveniently control an automatic screw machine collet comprising, in combination;a mounting bracket fabricated of a rigid material and having a generally L-shaped configuration with a mounting leg having two bolt holes and a 90 degree second leg with recipient sides and terminating in a transverse mounting pin; a pneumatic cylinder subassembly coupled to the recipient sides of the second leg through the mounting pin and fabricated of rigid material and having a mounting bracket portion and a central cylinder portion and an end cap and an internal shuttle subassembly, with the mounting bracket portion having two protruding legs forming a clevis with holes for rotatably receiving the pin and the central cylinder portion having an internal surface forming a round internal cylindrically-shaped hole through its length with a retaining clip groove on the end cap end of the cylinder and having an external surface with a wall there between, the external surface having a plurality of reinforcing bosses running lengthwise the length of the cylinder portion with the external cylinder having a plurality of passageway holes on opposite ends of the cylinder communicating with the internal surface and a plurality of threaded bolt recesses into the wall of the cylinder with the end cap having a round flat cylindrical shape with a central hole and the cap sized to fit securely within the internal diameter of the cylinder and the internal shuttle subassembly having a ram and a piston with the ram having an internal end and an external end with the internal end coupling with the piston and the external end having a threaded recess; a fastener to hold the end cap within the internal diameter of the cylinder; a collet arm coupler having a flat outer portion and a round threaded inner portion with the outer portion having a central oval slot and a round shaft sized to be received within the central slot and with the threaded inner portion being threadedly received into the threaded recess of the external end of the ram; a valve body subassembly fabricated of rigid material with a valve housing having a generally rectilinear configuration with the subassembly having pair of valves and a pair of passageways for the valves for allowing and controlling the flow of actuating fluid into the cylinder with oil springs urging the valves upwardly when pressure is relieved and with the passageways aligning with and coupling to the passageway holes of the cylinder and a central actuating fluid passageway connecting with the two valves and a rotatable flow direction arm with a pivotable operator controlled handle for controlling the flow of actuating fluid into the cylinder, with rocker arms to sequentially move the valves in response to the shifting of the handle and rotation of the flow directing arm and with the valve housing having a plurality of holes with bolts for threadedly mounting the valve subassembly onto the external wall of the cylinder; and a coupler for securely coupling the central actuating passageway to a source of actuating fluid.