Patent ID: 7513899

Claim:
A tool holder for releasably coupling a tool having a plurality of mounting elements to a drive shaft extending along an axis, the holder comprising: a head portion coupled to an end of a drive shaft, said head portion having a body with at least one outwardly open groove extending thereacross for receiving the mounting elements on the tool and a plurality of bores extending through said body in a direction transverse to a drive shaft axis in communication with said groove; a biased lock pin slidably mounted in each of said bores of said head portion, each of said lock pins having a recess thereon for receiving the mounting elements, elastic elements biasing said lock pins into a first open position wherein said lock pin recess is aligned with the groove in said head portion for receiving the mounting elements, each lock pin having a surface thereon engagable with said mounting element for moving said lock pin against said elastic element into a second locking position wherein at least a part of said recess is not aligned with said groove to lock said mounting elements within said recesses, said lock pin having a first and second stop surface; an elastically-biased lock collar slidably mounted on said head for movement in the direction of the drive shaft axis, said lock collar having a stop surface thereon for engaging said first and second stop surfaces on each of said lock pins, said lock collar biased into a position wherein said stop surface thereon engages said stop surfaces on said lock pins and wherein said stop surface of the lock collar disengages from said first stop surface on the lock pins and engages the second stop surface thereon when said lock pins move to said second position.