Patent ID: 7845651

Claim:
A chuck for use with a manual or powered driver having a rotatable drive shaft, the chuck comprising: (a) a generally cylindrical body having a central longitudinal axis, a nose section, and a tail section, the tail section being configured to rotate with the drive shaft and the nose section having an axial bore formed therein, (b) a plurality of jaws movably disposed with respect to the body in communication with the axial bore; (c) a nut rotatably mounted about the body and in driving engagement with the jaws so that rotation of the nut in a closing direction moves the jaws toward the central longitudinal axis and rotation of the nut in an opening direction moves the jaws away from the central longitudinal axis; (d) a bearing having a first race adjacent to the body and defining a ratchet ring, a second race adjacent to the nut and defining at least one pawl biased toward the ratchet ring, and at least one bearing element disposed between the first race and the second race, wherein the ratchet ring and the at least one pawl are configured so that when the at least one pawl engages the ratchet ring, the ratchet ring and the at least one pawl prevent the second race from rotating in the opening direction with respect to the first race; and (e) a sleeve rotatably mounted about the body and in driving engagement with the nut, wherein the sleeve is rotatable with respect to the pawl between a first rotational position and a second rotational position, wherein the sleeve comprises a front sleeve and a rear sleeve, and wherein the rear sleeve is slidable between a first axial position and a second axial position with respect to the front sleeve.