Patent ID: 7128503

Claim:
A chuck for use with a manual or powered driver having a housing and a rotatable drive shaft extending therefrom, said chuck comprising: a. a generally cylindrical body having a nose section and a tail section configured to rotate with said drive shaft, said nose section having an axial bore formed therein and a plurality of angularly disposed passageways formed therethrough and intersecting said axial bore; b. a plurality of jaws slidably received in respective said angularly disposed passageways, each of said jaws having a jaw face formed on one side thereof and threads formed on the opposite side thereof; c. a nut rotatably mounted on said body in engagement with said threads on said jaws so that relative rotation between said nut and said body moves said jaws axially within said passageways; d. a first sleeve disposed about said body, wherein said sleeve is rotationally held to said housing; e. a clutch disposed operatively between said nut and said sleeve and axially movable between a first and a second position, and f. a spring in operative engagement with said clutch, wherein said spring continuously biases said clutch toward said first position, wherein in said first position said clutch rotationally fixes said nut to said sleeve, and wherein in said second position said nut is rotationally independent of said sleeve.