King Jr., John L. (Frankenmuth, MI)
Koch, Roland G. (Frankenmuth, MI)

05/074003

05/16/1972

09/21/1970

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Houdaille Industries, Inc. (Buffalo, NY)

279/91

279/904

B23B31/113; B23B31/10; B23B31/06

279/9,91,1A,1B

Juhasz, Andrew R.

Koczo Jr., Michael

RELATED CASES

This application is a continuation-in-part application of our copending application of the same title, filed July 17, 1970, Ser. No. 55,759 which is hereby abandoned upon the filing of this application and the transfer of the drawings to the present application.

We claim as our invention

1. A tool holder assembly comprising:

2. A tool holder assembly according to claim 1, in which said locking ring has an annular groove encircling its rotational axis, opening toward said supporting member, and within which said lock spring is disposed.

3. A tool holder assembly according to claim 1, which includes a pin fixed on said supporting member and a pin fixed on said locking ring engageable with each other when said slots therein are aligned, with said locking ring being partially loosened.

4. A tool holder assembly according to claim 3, in which one end of said lock spring is secured to one of said fixed pins.

5. A tool holder assembly according to claim 4, in which said one of said pins is said pin fixed on said supporting member.

6. A tool holder assembly according to claim 1, which includes a latch spring biasing both said latch pin and said release pin to move together in said axial direction.

7. A tool holder assembly according to claim 1, which includes an abutment on said supporting member engageable by said release pin for limiting movement of said latch pin in one axial direction.

8. A tool holder assembly according to claim 1, in which the flange of said locking ring is receptive of said latch pin in a recess as said latch pin is moved axially.

9. A tool holder assembly according to claim 8, which includes a latch spring biasing both said latch pin and said release pin to move together in said axial direction, and an abutment on said supporting member engageable by said release pin for limiting the movement of said latch in said axial direction.

10. A tool holder assembly comprising:

11. A tool holder assembly according to claim 10, which includes a pin fixed on said supporting member and a pin fixed on said locking ring engageable with each other when said slots therein are aligned, with said locking ring being partially loosened.

12. A tool holder according to claim 2, in which said lock spring is a compression spring, and including a retaining member holding said spring in said annular groove, said supporting member reacting through said retaining member on said spring.

13. A tool holder according to claim 10, in which said lock spring is a compression spring disposed in a groove in said locking ring, and including a retaining member coacting with said locking ring to prevent said lock spring from buckling, said lock spring, in acting on said supporting member, acting through said retaining member.

14. A tool holder according to claim 12 including an abutment fixedly carried by said locking ring in said groove and against which said compression spring acts.

15. A tool holder according to claim 12 in which said retaining member is a ring closing the open end of said annular groove.

16. A tool holder according to claim 12 which includes a pin fixed on said supporting member and projecting into a recess on said retaining member for substantially precluding relative angular movement between said supporting member and said retaining member.

17. A tool holder according to claim 12 which includes means acting between said retaining member and said supporting member for substantially precluding relative angular movement therebetween.

18. A tool holder according to claim 17 in which said retaining member has a peripheral groove at least partially encircling the rotational axis and opening in a radially outwardly direction, and pin means carried by said locking ring and projecting into said peripheral groove.

19. A tool holder according to claim 17 including a pin and slot connection between said retaining member and said locking ring for holding said retaining member in said annular groove while enabling said locking ring to be loosened.

20. A tool holder assembly comprising:

21. A tool holder assembly according to claim 20 in which said locking ring has an annular groove encircling its rotational axis, opening towards said supporting member, and within which said lock spring is disposed.

22. A tool holder assembly according to claim 20, which includes a stop pin fixed on said supporting member and a stop pin fixed on said locking ring engageable with each other when said locking ring is in the unlocked position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a tool holder, and more specifically to a tool holder that automatically locks onto a tool adapter in response to insertion of such adapter in the holder.

2. Prior Art

A tool holder having a hollow supporting member and a locking ring threaded thereon for movement between angular limits defined by a pair of pins is shown in U. S. Pat. No. 2,719,722, which is owned by the assignee of the present invention.

A modification of the structure of U. S. Pat. No. 2,719,722 is shown in U. S. Pat. No. 3,512,793 wherein a latch mechanism has been provided by two separately movable pins respectively biased by separate springs, and respectively retained in the supporting member by separate threaded plugs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to our invention, the tool holder of U.S. Pat. No. 2,719,722 has been provided with a spring-operated nut under the control of a latch mechanism which includes a single latch spring and a pair of pins fixedly connected together, the same being movable only in a direction parallel to the rotational axis of the tool holder. In one embodiment, the spring for operating the nut is a compression spring that is retained therein by a spring retainer.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tool holder having a spring-operated nut.

A further object of the present invention is to provide in the environment set forth an extremely simple latch mechanism.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a tool holder of the type described of simplified construction.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tool holder of the type described employing a minimum amount of material, and hence mass and cost.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tool holder of the type described which is so arranged as to keep a maximum amount of foreign matter out of the mechanism by which the nut is spring-operated and retained.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying drawing in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

ON THE DRAWING:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a tool holder provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention, including a tool adapter;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the tool holder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line III--III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a modified form of tool holder provided in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the tool holder of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a side view of a spring retainer used therein.

AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWING

The principles of the present invention are particularly useful when embodied in a tool holder assembly such as illustrated in FIG. 1, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The tool holder 10 includes a hollow supporting member 11 and a locking ring 12. When the hollow supporting member 11 and the threaded locking ring 12 are assembled with each other as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, they are receptive of a tool adapter 13, the details of one such adapter being shown in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 2,719,722.

The hollow supporting member 11 is adapted at its upper illustrated end to be secured to the rotatable spindle of a machine tool (not shown) to be driven thereby. The supporting member 11 has a tapered bore 14 complemental to the tapered exterior of the adapter 13 which is received therein. The supporting member 11 has a threaded end portion 15 from which a cylindrical portion 16 projects, the supporting member 11 having at least one peripheral slot 17 of a selected width in the cylindrical portion 16, and preferably a second such slot 18.

The locking ring 12 is threaded as at 19 for engagement with the threads 15. The locking ring 12 has a radially inwardly extending flange 20 that defines a groove 21 disposed between the flange 20 and the threads 19. The flange 20 is interrupted by a slot 22 which can register with the slot 17, and preferably includes a slot 23 for registering with the slot 18. The ring 12 has an annular groove 24 (FIG. 3) which encircles the rotational axis and which opens toward the supporting member 11. The locking ring 12 has a recess 25 in the flange 20 adjacent to the slot 22, the function of which is described later herein.

The locking ring 12 has a pin 26 which typically has a press fit with the ring 12. The supporting member 11 has a fixed pin 27 which is threaded into the supporting member 11. The pins 26, 27 are so disposed that they engage one another when the slots 22, 23 are respectively aligned with the slots 17, 18. Because of this relationship, the pin 27 is inserted after the locking ring 12 has been threaded onto the supporting member 11. The alignment of the slots as described along with the above-mentioned engagement between the pins 26, 27 occurs when the locking ring 12 is partially loose so that tightening of the lock ring 12 serves to draw the adapter 13 snugly into the supporting member 11 as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,719,722.

In order to minimize dynamic unbalance, it is preferable that the adapter 13 have two lugs 28, 29, in which event both of the slots 22, 23 and both the slots 17 and 18 are required. Angular orientation is sometimes required and therefore the lug 28 has an indexing pin 30 which is received in a recess 31 in the supporting member 11.

According to the present invention, the tool holder assembly 10 is provided with a lock spring 32, comprising in this embodiment a torsion spring having a lower end portion 33 extending into a hole 34 in the locking ring 12. The other end of the lock spring 32 is formed as a loop that extends about the threaded fixed pin 27 that is secured to the supporting member 11. Thus the lock spring 32 acts between the supporting member 11 and the locking ring 12 and urges the locking ring 12 to rotate on its threads in a tightening manner so as to advance the locking ring 12 for part of a turn toward the supporting member 11. The ears 28, 29 readily pass through the slots 22, 23 and are received in the slots 17, 18, thus enabling the non-interrupted portion of the flange 20 to pass beneath such lugs or ears 28, 29 to trap the same within the slots in the end of the supporting member 11.

During operation, any vibration tends to overcome friction at the threads 15, 19, thereby enabling the lock spring 32 to tighten the locking ring 12 even further. Such locking or further tightening, even though only caused by the force from the spring 32, can cause the parts to be so well secured that it is necessary to use a wrench (not shown but which may be of the spanner type), and for that purpose, wrenching apertures 35 are provided in the locking ring.

The supporting member 11 is provided with a blind hole 36 that extends in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the tool holder assembly 10, the blind hole 36 slidably receiving a latch pin 37. Between the upper end of the latch pin 37 and the end of the blind hole 36, there is provided a latch spring 38 that thus acts directly between the supporting member 11 and the latch pin 37. As best seen in FIG. 2, the latch pin 37 is disposed at one side of the slots 17, 22, and fixedly secured to the latch pin 37 is a release pin 39 that projects horizontally as shown in FIG. 3 through a slot 40 which extends chordally in the supporting member 11 so that it lies partly in the threaded portion 15 and partly in the cylindrical portion 16, the lower end of such slot 40 comprising an abutment 41 against which the release pin 39 can engage in response to force from the spring 38 to limit the axially outward movement of the latch pin 37 and the release pin 39. The release pin 39, in projecting into the slot 17 is in a position to be engaged by the lug or ear 29 of the adapter 13 as it enters the recess 17. Such movement of the adapter 13 shifts the pins 39 and 37 in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation, against the force of the spring 38 to compress it, and when both the latch pin 37 and the lugs 28,29 have cleared the flange 20 of the locking ring 12, the lock spring 32 closes and tightens the locking ring.

When it is desired to remove the tool from the tool holder 10, the locking ring 12 is manually grasped and is rotated in a thread loosening or unwinding direction against the force of the lock spring 32 until the adapter 13 is released from the slots 16, 17. As the adapter begins its downward movement, the lower end of the latch pin 37 enters the recess 25 in the flange 20, and holds the locking ring 12 against closing.

In the foregoing operation, the release pin 39 is engaged along its length at that portion thereof that is shown in solid lines in FIG. 2. Once assembled, the latch pin 37 and the release pin 39 function as a single component or unit. By this arrangement and construction, there is only need for a single latch spring 38, and there is no need for any threaded components to make up part of the latch mechanism or threaded plugs to close any openings. The release pin 39 is received with a press fit into the latch pin 37, and because of the length of the slot or groove 40 adjacent to the release pin 39, the release pin 39 cannot rotate about the axis of the latch pin 37.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 4-6, the lock spring 32 has been replaced by a compression spring 42 and a retainer member 43 which holds the lock spring 42 in place and through which the spring 42 acts on the supporting member. Similar reference numerals have been provided on the same components where they have been previously described herein, and suffix letters have been applied to reference numerals that pertain to parts that are of corresponding function and name. This embodiment of the tool holder thus includes a hollow supporting member 11a and a locking ring 12a receptive of the tool adapter 13. The supporting member 11a has a threaded end portion 15a, and includes the tapered bore 14, the cylindrical bore 16, and the peripheral slots 17 and 18 as previously described. The locking ring 12a similarly has the threads 19, the flange 20 defining the groove 21 (FIG. 1) and the slots 22, 23 therein. The ring 12a has an annular groove 24a which encircles the rotational axis and which opens toward the supporting member 11a, and the recess 25. The pin 26 engages the fixed pin 27 when the slots 22, 23 are respectively aligned with the slots 17, 18.

As shown in FIG. 5, the annular groove 24a completely encircles the axis, and in this groove, there is disposed an abutment pin 44 against which the spring 42 is compressed. The annular groove 24a surrounds the lock spring 42 along three sides of its length as seen in FIG. 4, and the annular groove 24a is closed by the retainer member 43 which is of ring-like formation, the same being shown in FIG. 6. The retainer member 43 has a lug portion 45 that engages the other end of the lock spring 42 and that extends to the bottom of the groove for about a third of a revolution. As best seen in FIG. 4, the retainer member 43 projects out of the annular groove 24a, and the structure is provided with means for substantially precluding relative movement between the retaining member 43 and the supporting member 11a. To this end, the ring has a slot or recess 46 into which the outer end of the pin 27 projects. Thus, the retaining member 43 in coaction with the locking ring 12a provides an arcuate pocket for the lock spring 42 that prevents any buckling thereof. Further, through the lug portion 45 and the connection between the pin 27 and the retaining member 43 at its slot 46, the retaining ring 43 transmits a reactive force from the supporting member 11a to the relatively fixed end of the spring 42. With this construction, the open end of the annular groove 24a is thus closed and thus the entry of foreign matter is minimized.

To hold the retaining member 43 in the annular groove 24a, a pin and slot connection is provided between the locking ring 12a and the retaining member 43. To this end, the slot includes a peripheral groove 47 on the retaining member 43 and such peripheral groove opens in a radially outward direction. The locking ring 12a is provided with pin means 48, here comprising four pins threaded into the locking ring 12a and projecting radially inwardly into the peripheral groove 47, the pins 48 being typically arranged in quadrature. As the locking ring 12a moves axially on the threads 15a of the supporting member 11a, there is sufficient clearance in the slot 46 to enable the retaining member 43 to move axially with the locking ring 12a. Thus, the lock spring 42 acts between the supporting member 11a and the locking ring 12a to urge the locking ring 12a to advance and tighten as described for the locking ring 12.

The blind hole 36 receives the latch pin 37 which is biased by the spring 38 and is controlled by the release pin 39 disposed in the slot 40 in engagement with the abutment 41, all as previously described.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon, all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.