Patent ID: 7980793

Claim:
A drilling assembly, comprising: a spindle assembly configured to perform a drilling operation at a drilling location on a workpiece; and a clamping assembly having an actuator concentrically disposed about the spindle assembly, and a nosepiece coupled to the actuator and configured to apply a clamping force concentrically about the drilling location on the workpiece, the clamping assembly configured to move together with the spindle assembly, wherein the actuator includes: an inner housing disposed about the spindle assembly and having an outwardly extending flange; and an outer housing disposed about the flange of the inner housing, wherein the inner housing and the outer housing cooperatively form a first chamber on a first side of the flange, and a second chamber on the other side of the flange, and wherein pressurization of the first chamber moves the inner housing forwardly and applies the clamping force of the nosepiece against the workpiece, and pressurization of the second chamber moves the inner housing aftwardly and retracts the nosepiece away from the workpiece.