Patent ID: 7086813

Claim:
A chuck assembly rotatable about an axis and including an axially-extending body having a coaxially-extending hex-shaped bore therein for receiving a hex-shaped tool with a circumferential recess formed therein removably insertable into the bore, an elongated retraction collar being substantially cylindrical and surrounding at least a portion of the body and being axially slidable thereon, a coil spring surrounding said portion of the body and being disposed within the retraction collar, the coil spring being restrained axially at its rearward end and normally biasing the retraction collar toward an axially forward end of the body, the body including a slot formed therein providing communication between an outer surface of the body and a portion of the bore on a first side of the axis, the chuck assembly further including a clip having a base and two spaced-apart legs extending from ends of said base, said clip having its base disposed within said slot in the body for slidable movement therein and its legs extending circumferentially along opposite sides of the outer surface of the body, said clip being biased axially forwardly by said coil spring so that its base is biased axially forwardly and radially inwardly within said slot, said base being biased toward a retaining engagement with the circumferential recess in the tool when the tool is inserted into the bore in the body, said clip being urged axially rearwardly and radially outwardly by the retraction collar against said bias of said coil spring when the retraction collar is slid axially rearwardly along the body in order to release the tool for removal from the bore in the body, both of said legs of said clip being disposed about the body and extending to a second side of the axis generally opposite said first side of the axis in order to retain said clip thereon, said coil spring directly abutting said legs of said clip on both said first and second opposite sides of the axis with a resultant reactive rearwardly-directed force exerted by said clip on said coil spring being generally centrally directed generally along the axis in order to substantially maintain said coil spring in a generally coaxially-aligned relationship with the body and substantially minimize off-axis cocking of said coil spring on the body during axial movement of the retraction collar on the body.