Abstract:
A mechanism for engaging a chuck to a chuck body includes a bore within the chuck body having first and second opposed channels in communication therewith. A shaft extending from the chuck is configured for seating in the bore and includes two opposed vanes for seating in the channels. The vanes are depressible allowing for initial bore penetration and seating of the chuck shaft into the bore. Upon seating the vanes are biased into the channels locking the chuck shaft in the bore. A tool provides for depression of the vanes allowing for removal of the seated chuck shaft from the bore. Alternative mechanisms for locking a chuck, chuck body and a driven shaft are disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to rotary tools and, more particularly, to mechanisms for quickly engaging and/or releasing a tool chuck with a chuck body. 
     Various chucks have been proposed which releasably retain a bit or other tool. More particularly, power tools drive various types of chucks which engage variously sized drill bits and/or other tools therein. In connection therewith I provide various chuck/chuck body mechanisms which enable a chuck to be positively engaged and/or released relative to a drive shaft within the power tool. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     My invention is herein disclosed in the form of four now preferred embodiments which generally utilize a separate or integral chuck body attached to the driven shaft of a power tool, e.g., a drill. In one embodiment I provide a chuck having a shaft adapted for penetration into a chuck body, the shaft having spring-loaded vanes which depress upon penetration into the chuck body and then engage complementary channels within the chuck body. A tool provides for release of the seated vanes for withdrawal of the chuck from the chuck body. In another form of my invention I provide a spring biased slide lock(s) which positions an attached and/or separate locking plate atop the chuck body so as to maintain the seated chuck within the chuck body. In another form of my invention I provide a chuck body/chuck combination having a retaining plate which slidably seats within a slot so as to firmly retain a seated drive shaft. The various forms of my invention allow for an easy engagement and/or release of the chuck relative to the driven shaft of the power tool. 
     It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a chuck which is easily engageable with and releasable from a drive shaft of a power tool or the like. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a chuck, as aforesaid, having locking vanes on the chuck which nest within complementary channels in the chuck body. 
     Still another object of this invention is to provide a chuck, as aforesaid, having depressible vanes which seat within complementary channels found within the chuck body. 
     A still further object of this invention is to provide a chuck, as aforesaid, including a user-manipulated tool to depress the aforesaid vanes from the channels to release the chuck from the chuck body. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a retaining plate which clamps a chuck to a chuck body. 
     Still another object of this invention is to provide clamp assemblies for maintaining the retaining plate in a functional position atop the chuck body for maintaining a seated chuck in a chuck body. 
     Still a more particular object of this invention is to provide a spring bias in said clamping assemblies which biases the retaining plate away from the chuck body. 
     Another particular object of this invention is to provide a locking mechanism which utilizes a retaining plate slidable within the chuck body and about a seated chuck shaft. 
     Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a chuck body with the dotted lines therein respectively showing the seats for the driven shaft and the chuck shaft; 
     FIG. 2 is a side view showing the chuck prior to penetration into the seat of the chuck body; 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of a tool used to release the chuck from the FIG. 1 chuck body; 
     FIG. 4 is an end view of the chuck body; 
     FIG. 5 is an end view of the chuck shaft; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing one depressible vane of the chuck shaft in its raised/locking position; 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the chuck shaft taken along line  7 — 7  in FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the chuck shaft illustrating the upper and lower vanes; 
     FIG. 9 illustrates a second embodiment of a chuck body of my invention with a portion broken away to show the mechanism for the clamping assembly/retainer plate combination; 
     FIG. 9 a  is an end view, on a reduced scale, of the retaining plate; 
     FIG. 10 illustrates a chuck seated in the chuck body of FIG. 11 with a portion of the housing broken away to show the clamping mechanism in a diagrammatic locking mode; 
     FIG. 11 diagrammatically illustrates the latch at the end of the arm of the FIG. 10 clamp assembly; 
     FIG. 12 shows a third embodiment of my invention showing a chuck body with two slidable clamping assemblies and a separate retainer plate; 
     FIG. 13 is a side view of one form a chuck for insertion into the chuck body of FIG. 12; 
     FIG. 14 is a top view of a retaining plate for the device of FIG. 11; 
     FIG. 15 illustrates a fourth embodiment of my invention showing a combined chuck/chuck body with the retaining plate partially displaced from a seated position and the driven shaft displaced from the shaft seat; 
     FIG. 16 illustrates a retaining plate for the FIG. 15 embodiment; and 
     FIG. 17 illustrates the FIG. 15 chuck engaged with a driven shaft and the retaining plate in a locked position. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning more particularly to the drawings, FIGS. 1-8 show a first embodiment  100  of my invention as comprising a chuck body  102  adapted to be attached to a driven shaft  1000  in any suitable manner. As shown, a bore  107  is provided which presents a seat for the driven shaft  1000 . The body  102  comprises a housing  104  having a seat  106  therein in the form of a square-shaped bore  106  with upper and lower vane-shaped channels  108 ,  110  in communication with bore  106 . Bore  106  presents a square-shaped opening  112  at the front face  118  of the chuck body  102  complementary to the shape of chuck shaft  152 . The front face  118  closes the access to the channels  108 ,  110  from outside the chuck body  102 . 
     The chuck assembly  150  generally comprises a chuck housing  154  having a shaft  152  complementary to the shape of bore  106 . The chuck shaft  152  has lower and upper springbiased vanes  158 ,  160  having a configuration adapted to seat within the respective complementary shaped channels  108 ,  110 . The opposed end  180  of chuck  150  receives and maintains the tool/bits therein in a conventional manner. 
     Shaft  152  includes lower and upper bores  158   a ,  160   a  for depression of each respective vane  158 ,  160  therein upon exertion of pressure on each respective vane  158 ,  160 . One vane  160 /bore  160   a  configuration is as shown in FIG. 6 with both vanes  158 ,  160  being shown in FIG.  8 . Seated within each bore  158   a ,  160   a  are springs  164 ,  166  which bear on the lower edge of each vane so as to urge each vane  158 ,  160  to a normal position exterior of shaft  152 . Each vane  158 ,  160  is pivotally mounted at an end  159  and is guided in up and down movement by slots  169  and retaining blocks  168 . Upon pressure on the top edges of vanes  158 ,  160 , the vanes are pivoted towards the respective bores of shaft  152 . The springs  164 ,  166  are thus compressed so as to urge the depressed vanes  158 ,  160  to positions outside the shaft  152 . 
     To connect chuck  150  to chuck body  102  shaft  152  is urged through the opening  112  for seating in the bore  106  of the chuck body  102 . During this shaft  152  penetration, the edges of the opening  112  bear upon the vanes  158 ,  160  causing their above-described depression within the confines of the shaft  152 . Upon full seating of the shaft  152  within bore  106  the interior vane channels  108 ,  110  the spring bias  164 ,  166  urges the vanes  158 ,  160  therein. At this position chuck  150  is secured within chuck body  102  as vanes  158 ,  160  are within the respective wing channels  108 ,  110 . 
     To release the chuck  150  from body  102  tool  190  (FIG. 3) is utilized. Tool  190  includes two flexible arms  192 ,  192 ′ having flanges  196 ,  196 ′ therein. Flanges  196 ,  196 ′ are adapted to fit in the bores  166 ,  166 ′ of the chuck body  102 . Each respective bore  166 ,  166 ′ communicates with a respective vane channel  108 ,  110 . The user-manipulated flanges  196 ,  196 ′ are inserted into the bores  166 ,  166 ′ to exert pressure against each vane  158 ,  160  and depress the vanes towards the confines of shaft  152 . At this depressed position the vanes  158 ,  160  unseat from the respective channels  108 ,  110  which allows for withdrawal of shaft  152  from bore  106 . This action releases chuck  150  from the chuck body  102 . Upon removal of shaft  152  from bore  106  the biased vanes  158 ,  160  return to their normal FIG. 8 position exterior of the shaft  152 . 
     My second embodiment  200  is as shown in FIGS. 9-10. Embodiment  200  presents a chuck body  202  having a threaded aperture  204  adapted to fit about the end of a driven shaft. At the opposed end of the body  202  is a bore  206  configured to receive a complementary configured shaft  252  of the chuck body  202  (FIG.  10 ). 
     A clamping assembly includes a retaining plate  230  for overlying the bore  206  opening  235  in the housing. Plate  230  is movable by a slidable arm  232 . At one end  234  of arm is attached a spring-biased stem assembly which includes arm  236  extending into a slot  238  on the exterior of the housing. Arm  236  is positioned within a sleeve  237  with ends of a spring  245  respectively connected thereto. Thus, spring  242  urges arm  236  to the left as viewed in FIG.  11 . Within the slot  238  are first and second spaced-apart rails  239 . One rail, which is shown for purposes of illustration, is located within the body. The arm  236  includes a flared end  240  which slides along the edges of the spaced-apart rails  239 . The flared end  240  prevents lateral withdrawal of the arm  236  from between the rails. The free end  243  of arm  236  is connected to a spring  246  within the housing  202  such that downward movement of arm  232  compresses spring  242 . 
     Within the retaining plate  230  is a slot  280  (FIG. 9 a ) which slidably receives the reduced position  254  of shaft  252  relative to the collar  253 . The plate  230  includes at least one pin  284  which seats in an aperture  284   a  within the face of chuck body  202 . The configuration of slot  280  precludes the enlarged collar  253  of shaft  252  from passing through the slot  232  in plate  230 . 
     During downward slidable movement, the flared end  240  travels beyond the lower ends of the spaced-apart rails  239 . At this point spring  245  urges the flared end  240  of arm  236  underneath the rails  239 ,  239   a  which precludes movement of the flared end  240  as biased by the compressed spring  242 . Plate  230  is thus maintained in a FIG. 10 locking position atop the face of the chuck body to retain the seated shaft  252  within bore  206 . 
     To release the plate  230  the exterior end of arm  236  is pressed at  247  which moves the flared end  240  from its position underneath the rails  239  and into the FIG. 9 slidable position along the rails  239 . The compressed spring  242  expands which moves the flared end  240 , arm  232  and retaining plate  230  to an upward/released FIG. 9 position. Thus, removal of the seated chuck shaft  252  from bore  206  is possible. 
     My third embodiment  300  is as shown in FIGS. 12-14. This embodiment  300  utilizes a pair of clamping assemblies as above described. However, the retaining plate  340  is not connected to the slidable arms  302 ,  302 ′. Each clamping assembly  310  works in a manner similar to the assembly described in FIG.  9 . After the seating of the chuck shaft (FIG. 13) in bore  306  the retaining plate  340  is initially aligned atop the front face of chuck body  300  by means of registering a plurality of pins  346  on plate  340  with apertures  344  in the face  308  of the chuck body. 
     The chuck body includes a bore  306  designed to receive a similar configured shaft portion  356  extending from the chuck  350 . Shaft  352  is configured to have an enlarged portion  356  and reduced portion  354 . The portion  356  is configured for extension through orifice  357  in plate  340  only upon a proper orientation of shaft  352  relative to orifice  342 . Upon alignment of plate  340  atop the chuck body by the above-described pin  346  registration the relative orientation of the plate  340  aperture  347  with the seated shaft portion  356  precludes passage of the shaft portion  356  through the plate  340  orifice. In this portion the slidable arms  302 ,  302 ′ are pressed to cause flanges  304 ,  304 ′ of arm  302 ,  302 ′ to clamp plate  340  atop the chuck face. The arms  302 ,  302 ′ are retained in the locked position and released therefrom as above described in embodiment  200 . The compressed springs  342 ,  342 ′ expand which slides the respective arms  302  and flanges  304  away from plate  340  allowing for its removal from the chuck body face. 
     A fourth embodiment of my invention is as shown in FIGS. 15-17 which combines the chuck body  402  and chuck  400 . Therein the gear  1020  drive shaft  1000  seats in a bore  406  at one end of the chuck body  402 . A retaining plate  460  is slidable into a slot  462 ′ which traverses the bore  406 . The plate  460  has a slot  464  therein which receives the reduced portion  1010  of shaft  1000  therein. The shoulder  1020 ′ of shaft  1000  is larger than slot  464  which precludes withdrawal of shaft from bore  406  when plate  460  is in slot  462 ′ as the relatively greater collar  1020 ′ of the seated shaft  1000  cannot pass through slot  464 . 
     Plate  460  is held in place by a spring  424  biased slidable latch  422  which urges latch towards its FIG. 17 position so as to overlie the end  461  of seated plate  460 . To remove the plate  460  the user overcomes the spring bias by manually sliding the latch  422  to the FIG. 15 position allowing for removal of plate  460  from slot  462 . 
     It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto, except in so far as such limitations are included in the following claims.