Patent ID: 7637510

Claim:
A chuck for use with a manual or powered driver having a rotatable drive shaft, the chuck comprising: a. a body having a forward section and a rearward section adapted to mate with the drive shaft of the driver and the forward section having an axial bore with a plurality of angularly disposed passageways that intersect the axial bore; b. a plurality of jaws positioned in the passageways, with each jaw having a tool engaging face formed on one side and threads formed on an opposite side; c. a nut rotatably mounted about the body and having threads on an inner circumferential surface to engage the threads on the jaws; d. an outer sleeve in driving rotational engagement with the nut so that when the sleeve is rotated with respect to the body the jaws will move; e. a stopping mechanism that at least partially surrounds the body and rotates with the nut; and, f. at least one elastic pawl associated with the stopping mechanism wherein upon the jaws reaching a predetermined position within the passageways further rotation of the nut in an opening direction is prevented by contact between the pawl and a lateral surface of the jaws, the lateral surface extending in a direction from one end of the jaws toward an opposite rear end of the jaws.