Patent ID: 7556461

Claim:
A thermal expansion knife adapter comprising: a body having a first side and a second side and a tubular sleeve mount formed on and extending from the second side of the body, the sleeve mount terminating at an end face at an end opposite to the body; a conical shaft connecting sleeve formed on and extending from the first side of the body and having a shaft holding hole defined in the shaft connecting sleeve at an end opposite to the body; and a conical knife connecting sleeve formed on and extending from the second side of the body and having a knife holding hole defined in the knife connecting sleeve at an end opposite to the body and communicating with the shaft holding hole in the shaft connecting sleeve, wherein the knife connecting sleeve is a separate element securely and integrally combined with the body such that the end face of the sleeve mount is in abutment with a terminal end face of the knife connecting sleeve; and a material for forming the body and the shaft connecting sleeve is different from that for forming the knife connecting sleeve.