Multiple segmented chuck jaw

A multiple segmented chuck jaw, operable for holding a workpiece while a work operation is being performed thereon, consisting of a first portion comprising a master and a second portion comprising an insert shaped to meet the requirements of a given application. The master and the shaped insert are each provided with cooperating dovetail means operable for detachably securing the master and the shaped insert together. The master is further provided with slot means operable to permit flexing of the master to increase the gripping force applied to the shaped insert, when the latter is secured in mounted relation to the master. Other inserts shaped to meet differing application requirements are also capable of being employed with the master without necessitating a modification in the construction of the latter. As a result of the multiple segmented construction of the chuck jaw, the master and the shaped insert are each capable of being hardened independently to increase the durability thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
(1) Field of the Invention 
My invention relates to chuck jaws usable as a holder for a workpiece, and 
more particularly to an improvement in chuck jaws which are customarily 
hardened to increase the durability thereof. 
(2) Description of the Prior Art 
It has long been known in the prior art to employ chuck jaws as the means 
by which a workpiece is held, while some form of work operation is being 
performed thereon. Any such chuck jaw must meet a multiplicity of 
requirements. For instance, the chuck jaw must include a gripping portion 
which is suitably configured so as to be compatible with the shape of the 
workpiece whereby to ensure that a secure grip is capable of being 
established between the chuck jaw and the workpiece. 
Secondly, the chuck jaw should be sufficiently durable so as to be capable 
of satisfactorily resisting the wear and tear to which the chuck jaw is 
subjected while functioning as a holder for a workpiece. Commonly, the 
chuck jaw, after machining, is hardened to increase the durability 
thereof. 
Thirdly, it is desirable that the chuck jaw be reusable, if possible. The 
term reusable as used herein refers to the chuck jaw's ability to be 
subsequently used with other workpieces of differing shapes, in addition 
to the chuck jaw's ability to be used repetitively with workpieces which 
embody substantially identical gripping surfaces. 
Heretofore, it has been found that the prior art most often has employed 
chuck jaws which are of one piece construction. Moreover, such chuck jaws 
are commonly made of soft steel. This enables the chuck jaw to be cut and 
shaped, i.e., machined, to fit the requirements of the particular 
application in which it is desired to utilize the chuck jaw. Often, chuck 
jaws of one piece construction are not hardened. Consequently, one finds 
that the life of the chuck jaw is relatively short. The reason for this is 
that once hardened the chuck jaw is virtually unmachinable. 
Insofar as concerns reusability of the chuck jaw, the prior art practice 
has been to recut and reshape the chuck jaw to meet other applications as 
the need therefor arises. At some point however, the chuck jaw is no 
longer susceptible to being recut and reshaped. Therefore, the chuck jaw 
must be discarded. Because of this need to recut and reshape the chuck 
jaw, the latter is not hardened, i.e., the chuck jaw can not be hardened, 
if it is desired to be able to subsequently recut and reshape the chuck 
jaw. 
It can thus be seen that prior art chuck jaws have commonly suffered from 
one or the other of two major disadvantages. Namely, in those instances 
wherein the chuck jaw has been hardened following shaping to improve the 
durability thereof, the potential for reusability of the chuck jaw has 
been significantly restricted. On the other hand, in those instances 
wherein the chuck jaw has not been hardened in order to increase its 
potential for reuse, the life of the chuck jaw has been significantly 
shortened by virtue of the fact that the chuck jaw has not been hardened 
in an effort to increase the durability thereof. 
There has thus existed a need to provide a chuck jaw which does not suffer 
from either of the two significant disadvantages. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefor an object of the present invention to provide a novel and 
improved chuck jaw which is capable of functioning as a holder for a 
workpiece. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a chuck jaw 
which embodies a gripping portion having a configuration which is 
complementary to the shape of the gripping surface of the workpiece. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a chuck jaw 
which is susceptible to being reused to hold workpieces of differing 
shapes. 
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a chuck 
jaw which is characterized by its durability. 
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a chuck jaw 
which is further characterized by its improved gripping action. 
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide such a 
chuck jaw which is relatively simple in construction, easy to employ, and 
relatively inexpensive to provide. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with the preferred form of the invention there is provided a 
novel and improved chuck jaw which is operable for holding a workpiece 
while a work operation is being performed thereon. The chuck jaw consists 
of multiple segments including a first portion comprising a master and a 
second portion comprising an insert. The latter insert is shaped to meet 
the geometrical requirements of a given application. The master has a 
dovetail groove formed therein extending the entire length of one face 
thereof. The insert has formed therein a tenon of complementary shape to 
the dovetail slot in the master so as to be receivable therein. By means 
of this dovetail construction, the master and the insert are capable of 
being detachably secured together. The master is additionally provided 
with a slot formed therein so as to extend perpendicular to the major axis 
of the dovetail groove with which the master is also provided. The slot is 
operative to permit flexing of the master thereby to increase the gripping 
force which the master is capable of applying to the shaped insert, when 
the latter is positioned in mounted engagement with the master. The master 
and the insert are each capable of being independently hardened so as to 
improve the durability thereof. For applications requiring gripping 
portions of differing geometrical configurations, the shaped insert may be 
discarded, and a new insert shaped to the needs of the new application 
substituted therefor. Namely, the new insert may replace the original 
insert in mounted relation on the master, without necessitating the 
effecting of any modification in the construction of the master. Thus, it 
can be seen that the master is retainable while the shaped insert which 
constitutes only a small portion of the total chuck jaw and which is 
relatively inexpensive to provide is the only portion of the chuck jaw 
which may need to be discarded. The master is also preferably provided 
with stop means operable to ensure repeatability of positioning of the 
shaped insert in the dovetail groove provided in the master.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawing, there is illustrated therein the 
master, generally designated by reference numeral 10, of a multiple 
segmented chuck jaw constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
As depicted therein, the master 10 is generally rectangular in 
configuration. One face 12 of the master 10 has a dovetail groove 14 
machined therein for a purpose yet to be described. Preferably, the 
dovetail groove 14 as shown in FIG. 1 extends the entire length of the 
face 12 of the master 10. Although not all of the other faces of the 
master 10 are visible in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, it is to be 
understood that all of the other faces of the master 10 are substantially 
planar in configuration, except for the bottom face 16 as viewed with 
reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, which has a boss 18 extending therefrom. The 
boss 18, which is preferably formed as an integral part of the bottom face 
16 of the master 10, is intended to cooperate, in a manner well known to 
those skilled in the art, with a chuck (not shown) to which the chuck jaw 
of the present invention is designed to be fastened. 
Continuing with a description of the master 10, it is further provided with 
a slot 20 which is machined in the face 12. More specifically, the slot 20 
extends from the base 14a of the dovetail groove 14 into the interior of 
the master 10. As best understood with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the 
drawing, the slot 20 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the 
invention extends the entire width of the master 10 and approximately 
two-thirds of the length thereof. In a manner which will be described more 
fully hereinafter, the slot 20 is operative to permit the master 10 to 
flex to increase the amount of gripping force which the master 10 is 
capable of applying. In this regard, it is noted that the major axis of 
the slot 20 is perpendicular to the major axis of the dovetail groove 14. 
For purposes of mounting the chuck jaw of the present invention to a chuck 
(not shown), the master 10 is preferably provided with a pair of mounting 
holes 22 and 24. Although a pair of mounting holes 22 and 24 have been 
depicted in the drawing, it is to be understood that a greater or a lesser 
number of mounting holes may be provided for this purpose in the master 10 
without departing from the essence of the invention. In accordance with 
the embodiment of the invention depicted in the drawing, the mounting 
holes 22 and 24 are located in the top face 26, as viewed with reference 
to FIGS. 1 and 2, of the master 10. As illustrated in the drawing, each of 
the mounting holes 22 and 24 extends through the entire body of the master 
10, i.e., from the top face 26 through to the bottom face 16 of the master 
10. Moreover, each of the mounting holes 22 and 24 preferably includes a 
counterbore 22a and 24a, respectively, to enable the head of a mounting 
fastener (not shown) to be received therein, and therefore avoid the 
undesirable feature of having the heads of the mounting fasteners (not 
shown) protrude outwardly beyond the planar surface of the top face 26. 
Completing the description of the physical structure of the master 10, the 
latter in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention is 
also provided with stop, i.e., fastener means 28. The latter fastener 
means 28 is operative to ensure repeatability of positioning relative to 
the dovetail groove 14. For this purpose a threaded hole 30 is machined 
through the master 10 adjacent to the base 14a of the dovetail groove 14. 
As illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, the fastener means 28 preferably 
takes the form of a flat headed screw, which can be adjustably threaded 
into the threaded hole 30 to the extent desired whereby the head of the 
screw 28 is operative as a stop. One or more screws 28 each having an 
enlarged head portion 28a may be employed. To this end, the threaded hole 
30, as noted above previously, extends the entire width of the master 10. 
Consequently, either end of the threaded hole 30 is capable of receiving a 
screw 28 in threaded engagement therewith. 
Referring now to FIG. 3 of the drawing, there is illustrated therein an 
insert 32, which constitutes the second portion of the multiple segmented 
chuck jaw of the present invention. The insert 32 as shown in FIG. 3 
comprises a substantially rectangular member having a vertically flat 
front face 34. The rear face 36, as viewed with reference to FIG. 3, of 
the insert 32 is provided with a tenon 38. The latter tenon 38 is suitably 
dimensioned so as to be receivable with a sliding fit within the dovetail 
groove 14 of the master 10, in a manner to which further reference will be 
had subsequently. Although not all of the faces of the insert 32 are 
visible in FIG. 3 of the drawing, it is to be understood that the other 
faces of the insert 32 which are not shown are substantially planar in 
construction similar to the front face 34 of the insert 32, which is 
visible in FIG. 3. Once the front face 34 of the insert 32 has been 
suitably shaped for the specific application in which it is intended to 
employ the chuck jaw, the insert 32 may be hardened so as to improve the 
durability thereof. 
With reference next to FIG. 4 of the drawing, there is illustrated therein 
another embodiment of insert, generally designated by reference numeral 
40, which is capable of being employed with the master 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 
of the drawing. The insert 40 commonly would be employed as a replacement 
for the insert 32 for those applications in which the former is more 
suitable as a holder than is the insert 32. The insert 40 differs from the 
insert 32 only in the shape of the front face 42 thereof. As seen with 
reference to FIG. 4 of the drawing, the front face 42 of the insert 40 has 
a triangularly shaped configuration in contract to the front face 34 of 
the insert 32 which is substantially planar. The rear face 44, as viewed 
with reference to FIG. 4 of the drawing, in a manner similar to the rear 
face 36 of the insert 32 is also provided with a tenon 46, which is 
suitably dimensioned so as to be receivable with a sliding fit in the 
dovetail groove 14 of the master 10. Although two forms of inserts; 
namely, the insert 32 and the insert 40 have been illustrated in the 
drawing, it is to be understood that the inserts 32 and 40 merely 
exemplify two of the many different geometrical shapes which the shaped 
insert of the chuck jaw of the present invention may take. Consequently, 
it is to be understood that inserts having shapes different from that of 
either the insert 32 or the insert 40 may be employed with the master 10 
without departing from the essence of the present invention. As in the 
case of the insert 32, once the insert 40 has been suitably shaped so as 
to meet the geometrical requirements of the application in which it is to 
be used, the insert 40 may be hardened for purposes of improving the 
durability thereof. 
Turning now to a description of the method of assembly of the chuck jaw of 
the present invention, it will be assumed for purposes of this description 
that the insert 32 is to be employed with the master 10. However, it is to 
be understood that the insert 40 and the master 10 would be assembled in 
the same manner as that described in connection with the assembly of the 
master 10 and the insert 32. Similarly, any other insert sought to be 
joined to the master 10 would be assembled in the same fashion as that to 
be described. It is to be understood that preparatory to the assembly of 
the insert 32 and the master 10, both the insert 32 and the master 10 have 
been suitably hardened so as to improve the durability thereof. For 
purposes of mounting the insert 32 to the master 10, it is only necessary 
to guide the tenon 38 of the insert 32 into sliding engagement with the 
side walls which serve to define the dovetail groove 14 of the master 10. 
With the tenon 38 so positioned in the dovetail groove 14, a flat headed 
screw 28 may be threaded into the threaded hole 30 until the head 28a of 
the screw 28 is suitably located so as to function as a stop for the 
insert 32. With the insert 32 so joined to the master 10 so as to form a 
chuck jaw in accordance with the present invention, the master 10 and the 
insert 32, i.e., the chuck jaw, is suitably secured to a chuck (not shown) 
through the use of mounting fasteners, i.e., screws (not shown) inserted 
in the mounting holes 22 and 24 of the master 10. As the mounting screws 
are being threaded into the chuck the upper portion, as viewed with 
reference to FIG. 1, of the master 10 flexes or moves slightly by virtue 
of the slot 20 which has been provided therein. The result of this flexing 
is to increase the gripping force being applied to the tenon 38 of the 
insert 32, thereby to effect a secure gripping action between the master 
10 and the insert 32. To replace the insert 32 with the insert 40, it is 
simply necessary to loosen the mounting screws (not shown) positioned in 
the mounting holes 22 and 24, slide the tenon 38 of the insert 32 out of 
the dovetail groove 14, and then slide the tenon 46 of the insert 40 into 
the dovetail groove 14. It may be necessary to change the position of the 
screw 28, which is easily accomplished simply by changing the extent to 
which the screw 28 is threaded into the threaded hole 30. From the above 
description it can be seen that the master 10 and the insert 32 or the 
insert 40 are characterized by the fact that they feature quick set-up. 
Namely, it is a relatively simple task to join the insert 32 or the insert 
40 to the master 10 to form the chuck jaw of the present invention. 
Moreover, the chuck jaw of the present invention is characterized by its 
versatility. That is, the master 10 is capable of receiving in secured 
relation therein a variety of inserts differing in length and/or shape. 
Thus, in accordance with the present invention there has been provided a 
novel and improved chuck jaw which is capable of functioning as a holder 
for a workpiece. The subject chuck jaw of the present invention embodies a 
gripping portion having a configuration which is complementary to the 
shape of the gripping surface of the workpiece. In accord with the present 
invention, the chuck jaw is susceptible to being reused to hold workpieces 
of differing shapes. Moreover, a chuck jaw has been provided which is 
characterized by its durability. The chuck jaw of the present invention is 
further characterized by its improved gripping action. Finally, in accord 
with the present invention a chuck jaw has been provided which is 
relatively simple in construction, easy to employ, and relatively 
inexpensive to provide. 
While only one embodiment of my invention has been shown, it will be 
appreciated that modifications thereof, some of which have been noted in 
the preceding description, may readily be made by those skilled in the 
art. I therefore intend by the appended claims to cover the modifications 
specifically referred to herein as well as all other modifications which 
fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.