Abstract:
A lathe or other rotating machine includes a chuck for holding a work piece or tool. The chuck is operated between grasping and releasing positions. A chuck guard is mounted on a housing of the rotating machine. The chuck guard has a transparent window and is mounted for pivoting movement between a position covering the chuck and a position exposing the chuck. A chuck guard extension with a window is attached at a front lower end of the chuck guard.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of the filing date of provisional application 62/088,835, filed Dec. 8, 2014 titled “CHUCK GUARD AND NON-SLIP MAT FOR LATHE”, inventors Gardner et al. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    The present invention relates generally to a lathe or other rotating machine, and more particularly to a chuck guard for a lathe or other rotating machine. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    A lathe holds a work piece from one or both ends as the work piece is rotated at relatively high speed. Tools such as cutting and shaping tools are moved into contact with the rotating work piece to shape the work piece. A lathe is commonly used to form spindles, table legs, chair legs, crank shafts, and other rotationally formed portions, which are held from both ends. A lathe may also be used to form bowls or the like by mounting the work piece so that it is held at a single end. 
         [0006]    Lathes may be used to shape wood, metal, or other materials. The work piece materials are supported by a chuck that is connected to a motor which operates to rotate the chuck and the work piece, typically at high speed. The work piece is engaged in the chuck by adjusting the chuck to engage the work piece so that the work piece may be shaped, and the work piece is released from the chuck by adjusting the chuck so that the shaped work piece may be removed from the lathe. The chuck typically includes grasping elements that move toward and away from one another symmetrically about the rotational center of the chuck. The grasping elements may be moved using a tool referred to as a chuck key. The chuck key is inserted into a key receiving opening on the chuck and is rotated to operate gear mechanisms within the chuck that move the grasping elements. 
         [0007]    In addition to lathes, drills, drill presses, routers, cutting, sanding and shaping tools, powered screw drivers and wrenches and other tools may have chucks. In drills, drill presses, and the like, the chuck is operable to hold a tool, such as a drill bit. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a guard mounted on a housing of the lathe or other rotating machine. The guard extends over and partially surrounds the chuck of the lathe. The guard of certain embodiments extends from the housing as far as the chuck or at least nearly so. The guard of certain embodiments extends about three sides of the chuck. A chuck guard extension with a window is attached at a front lower end of the chuck guard. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a lathe of a type that may include a chuck guard, although other lathes may include a chuck guard as well; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a lathe similar to the lathe shown in  FIG. 1  and including a chuck guard with a chuck guard lower viewing window; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the chuck of the lathe provided with the chuck guard but with a chuck guard extension containing a lower viewing window folded back, slid up, or removed; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing only the chuck guard with the lower extension; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a front view of the chuck guard shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the chuck guard shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the chuck guard shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a side view of a viewing window and support bar only removed from the chuck guard of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the chuck guard extension removed from the chuck guard in  FIG. 4  and also having the viewing window removed therefrom; 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the chuck guard extension removed from the chuck guard; 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view from the front and the right of the chuck of the lathe provided with the chuck guard; 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is another perspective view primarily from the front of the chuck of the lathe provided with the chuck guard; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  is a front view of the chuck of the lathe provided with the chuck guard. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    In  FIG. 1 , a lathe  10  includes a housing  12  within which is mounted a motor (not shown) that drives a chuck or headstock  14  that holds a work piece. The lathe  10  includes a bed  16  on which is mounted a carriage  18  and at the end of which is mounted a tailstock  20 . Controls such as  22 A,  22 B,  22 C for the operation of the lathe  10  are provided on the housing  12 . 
         [0023]    Turning to  FIG. 2 , the lathe  10  includes a chuck guard  28  extending over and partially around the chuck  14  and having a top viewing window  32  and a lower front viewing window  40 . Any material ejected from the chuck is blocked by the chuck guard  28 . The chuck guard  28  is preferably shaped to block ejected material from the user and may include top transparent window  32  with window segments  32 A,  32 B,  32 C as shown in  FIG. 3  and with a removable lower front viewing window  40  also shown in  FIG. 4  and described hereafter. 
         [0024]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , the chuck guard  28  includes a frame  30  mounted to the housing  12  by use of a pivot mount assembly  36  extending from the housing and is shaped to a generally C-shaped configuration. The illustrated chuck guard  28  includes five generally planar portions joined together to form the C-shape. The guard  28  extends over the top of the chuck  14  and partially over the front and back of the chuck  14 . Certain embodiments of the chuck guard  28  extend from the housing  12  a greater distance than the chuck  14 . The frame  30  includes a downwardly directed edge  38 A. 
         [0025]    In certain embodiments, the chuck guard  28  includes the transparent top window  30  with segments  32 A,  32 B,  32 C through with the user may view the chuck  14  as it is a benefit to the user to have visibility to the chuck and workpiece while the guard  28  is in its lowered position. The window  32  of the illustrated embodiment extends along one of the five planes as segment  32 A and partially along two further planes as segments  32 B and  32 C. The transparent window  32  may be of glass, shatterproof glass, plastic or other material. The window  32  of certain embodiments is scratchproof. Any known material may be provided as the top window  32  or lower front window  40 . 
         [0026]    In the illustrated embodiment, the chuck guard  28  has a handle  34  mounted extending from the front thereof. The chuck guard  28  may be mounted to pivot to a position out of the way of the chuck  14 , such as by grasping the handle  34  and lifting. For example, the pivot mount assembly  36  which may be a shaft with a coaxial tube surrounding the shaft may be provided at the back of the chuck guard  28  where it attaches to the housing  12 . The chuck guard  28  may be pivoted to access the chuck  14  and pivoted back into the position shown prior to use of the lathe  10 . The chuck guard  28  may have a stop  38  on the housing  12  to hold the chuck guard  28  in the illustrated position. 
         [0027]    The chuck guard may be formed of metal or may be provided with the transparent window  32  in the frame  30  of metal, or may be of any material. Other shapes and configurations are of course possible. 
         [0028]    In the perspective view of  FIG. 4 , an alternate embodiment of the chuck guard  28  is illustrated separate from the lathe. The chuck guard  28  in  FIG. 4  differs somewhat from the chuck guard  28  shown in  FIG. 3  since the top window  32  has only two segments  32 A and  32 B without the third segment  32 C shown in  FIG. 3 . As may be further observed in  FIG. 4 , a support bar  42  is illustrated with the window  32  wrapping around from segment  32 A into the segment  32 B at the support bar  42 . 
         [0029]    Also in  FIG. 4  is shown in greater detail the frame  30  has a removable top frame section  62  overlying a top of a frame section  30 A of the frame  30  such that the transparent window  32  is sandwiched between the two frame sections. The top frame section  62  is held in place by four screws  45 A,  45 B,  45 C, and  45 D. Alternatively the window  32  may be bolted directly to the top of the frame section  30 A. 
         [0030]    In  FIG. 4  and in  FIG. 5  one may also observe the foldable chuck guard extension  41  with lower front window  40  as a lower frame attached to the frame  30  by pivot points  43 B and  43 C which may be pivot pins. Thus the lower frame as the extension  41  having the additional transparent lower front window  40  is foldable. It may also be removable or could be slidable on a track and held in position by a locking mechanism  43 A which could be a thumb screw, a spring loaded lock pin, or other selectably locked locking mechanism to prevent free movement of extension  41 . 
         [0031]    One may further observe that in the embodiment of  FIG. 4  the additional window segment  32 C shown in  FIG. 3  is not provided. 
         [0032]      FIGS. 5, 6, and 7  show front, side, and top views of the chuck guard  28  of  FIG. 4 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 8  shows the top window  32  with the segments  32 A and  32 B integrally connected and which wrap around the support rod  42  in a side view removed from the frame  30 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 9  shows a perspective view of the frame  30  but with the handle  34 , lower extension  41  with lower window  40 , and top window  32  removed along with the top frame section  42 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 10  shows in perspective the chuck guard extension  41  lower frame without the window  40  and also removed from the frame  30 . By comparing  FIG. 10  with  FIG. 4  one may observe that the lower frame of the extension  41  has an outer frame section  44  held to an outer surface of the lower frame of extension  41  by respective screws  46 A,  46 B,  46 C, and  46 D (see also  FIG. 13 ) with the window  40  sandwiched therebetween. This outer frame section  44  is removed in the  FIG. 10  view. Alternatively the window  40  may be directly secured to the lower frame of the extension  41  with bolts. 
         [0036]      FIGS. 11, 12, and 13  are respectively a perspective view from the front and right, a perspective view from primarily the front, and an end view of the chuck guard  28  with the extension  41  with the respective window  40  attached and deployed. Also in  FIGS. 11 and 12  one may observe the pivot mount  36  in greater detail discussed previously. 
         [0037]    As previously described, instead of removing the lower frame functioning as the extension  41  for protective viewing through the respective transparent window  40 , this lower frame as an extension may be folded up against the back of a vertical front portion of the frame  30 . This folded up position may be desirable with the carriage and tool rest moved all the way toward the head stock where there would be interference if the extension was not folded up and thus rotated up out of the way. 
         [0038]    For such folding of the extension  41  the pivot points  43 B and  43 C are provided for the folding. As previously described the extension  41  may also be slid up behind the front portion of the guard. 
         [0039]    Thus with the preferred embodiment the vertical front facing part of the chuck guard may be foldable. When the lower frame extension is folded up, it allows the carriage assembly to slide all the way to the chuck to machine the workpiece close to the chuck without interfering with the guard and also without removing the guard. 
         [0040]    As previously mentioned, the windows may be safety glass. 
         [0041]    In an alternate embodiment instead of folding the extension as described above it is also possible to provide a track at inner sides of folded over edges  51  of frame  41  at front portion  52  as shown in  FIG. 11 . With this construction the extension  41  can be slid up and down vertically parallel to the back side of the front portion  52  of the frame  30 . Then a thumb screw such as  43 A can be tightened down to lock the slid up or slid down extension in place. 
         [0042]    With respect to the previously described pivot mechanism  36 , this may have various constructions. In one preferred construction an outer cylinder  364  as shown in  FIG. 11  may be attached such as by welding to a back portion  53  of the guard  28 . A shaft attached to the frame is then received within the cylinder  36 A so that the outer cylinder pivots around the shaft, thus allowing pivoting of the overall chuck guard as previously described. 
         [0043]    Furthermore, since access to the chuck  14  at peripheral locations is sometimes necessary the folding up of the chuck guard is particularly convenient to allow access to the peripheral portions of the chuck for tightening or securing a workpiece followed by a subsequent lowering again of the chuck guard. 
         [0044]    The primary drawbacks of current chuck guards is that they limit the users visibility to the chuck and the location of the workpiece being secured by the chuck. Additionally, they are limited in ability to provide coverage as they must reserve room for carriage to travel up to the face of the chuck. The exemplary embodiment provides greater protection by providing increased coverage during normal operation. 
         [0045]    Thus there is shown and described a chuck guard partially around a chuck of a metal lathe, wood lathe, drill press, drill, router, or other machine. The chuck guard may be pivotable away from the chuck or back to a position at the chuck. 
         [0046]    Although other modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventors to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of their contribution to the art.