Blade exchanging device and blade exchanging method therefor

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6732612
  • Patent Number
    6,732,612
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, December 27, 2000
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 11, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
With a blade exchanging device, a cylindrical body is engaged with a nut that is fastened to a spindle, and at the same time the nut is held by fitting nails of a chuck member with grooves that are formed on the nut. Next, a torque wrench is inserted through the cylindrical body, and a polygonal head of the torque wrench is engaged with a polygonal hole formed in the head of the spindle. In this state, the spindle is rotated with the torque wrench in a direction to unfasten the nut from the spindle. The nut is thereby detached from the spindle. When the cylindrical body is disengaged from the spindle, the nut is prevented from falling off the cylindrical body, since the nails of the chuck hold the nut.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates generally to a blade exchanging device and a blade exchanging method therefor in order to exchange a blade of a dicing machine, which dices a semiconductor wafer.




2. Description of Related Art




A dicing machine rotates a blade at a high speed and dices a semiconductor wafer, on which many chips are formed, along the chips. In the dicing machine, the blade is fastened on a spindle with a nut, and a special blade exchanging device is used for exchanging the blade.




A conventional blade exchanging device comprises a cylindrical spanner and a sticklike torque wrench. The operator engages the spanner with the nut, and then inserts the torque wrench through a hole of the spanner so that a polygonal head of the torque wrench is engaged with a polygonal hole formed in the head of the spindle. In this state, the operator securely holds the torque wrench by one hand to prevent the wrench from rotating, and rotates the spanner by the other hand to unfasten the nut. The nut is thereby detached from the spindle. After disengaging the spanner from the spindle, the old blade is dismounted from the spindle and a new blade is mounted on the spindle. Then, the operator puts the nut on the spindle with the spanner, and rotates the spindle with the torque wrench so that the nut is fastened on the spindle. An operation for exchanging the blade using the blade exchanging device is completed by the above-described process.




However, in the conventional blade exchanging device, the nut may fall off the spanner when detaching the nut from the spindle and disengaging the spanner from the spindle. Moreover, the blade exchanging device requires the operator to use both hands, and the operator must insert both hands into a narrow space when the blade is in the narrow space, which is difficult. The blade exchanging hence used to be a troublesome operation.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention has been developed in view of the above-described circumstances, and has as its object the provision of the blade exchanging device and the blade exchanging method therefor by which the nut is prevented from falling off the body of the exchanging device, and the operator can perform the exchanging operation manually with only one hand.




In order to achieve the above-described objects, the present invention is directed to a blade exchanging device with which at least one of unfastening of a blade, the blade being fastened to a spindle with a nut, from the spindle by unfastening the nut from the spindle and fastening of the blade to the spindle by fastening the nut to the spindle is performed, the blade exchanging device comprising: a cylindrical body which is engaged with the nut; a chuck which is provided inside the cylindrical body and is fitted with a fitting portion formed on the nut so as to hold the nut; and a wrench which is inserted through a hole of the chuck so as to be engaged with a hole formed in a head of the spindle, wherein one of the spindle and the nut is prevented from rotating while the other of the spindle and the nut is rotated with the wrench and the cylindrical body to perform at least one of unfastening of the nut from the spindle and fastening of the nut to the spindle.




According to the present invention, the body of the exchanging device is first engaged with the nut that is fastened to the spindle while fitting the chuck into the fitting portion that is formed on the nut so as to hold the nut. Second, the wrench is inserted through the hole of the chuck and the head of the wrench is engaged with the polygonal hole formed in the head of the spindle. In this state, one of the spindle and the nut is prevented from rotating while the other of the spindle and the nut is rotated with the wrench and the cylindrical body so as to unfasten the nut, whereby the nut is detached from the spindle. When the body of the exchanging device is detached from the spindle, the nut does not fall off the body of the exchanging device since the nut is held at the chuck. Thus, the blade exchanging device of the present invention can prevent the nut from falling off the body of the exchanging device.




Moreover, according to the present invention, the nut is held without falling off the body of the exchanging device by fitting the chuck provided to the body of the exchanging device into the fitting portion formed at the nut. Next, the nut is pressed against the body of the exchanging device while inserting the wrench through the hole of the chuck so as to engage the head of the wrench with the polygonal hole formed in the head of the spindle. Then, one of the spindle and the nut is prevented from rotating while the other of the spindle and the nut is rotated with the wrench and the cylindrical body, whereby the nut is fastened to the spindle. In this state of fastening the nut, the nut can be easily fastened since it is held by the chuck without falling off the body of the exchanging device.




Further, the blade exchanging device of the present invention is constructed in such a manner that the cylindrical body and the nut are engaged with each other by a projection and a depression provided on a circle coaxial with the spindle. Thus, the projection and the depression can be engaged with each other by only rotating either one of the body of the exchanging device or the nut with the wrench, even though in a case where the projection and the depression do not engage with each other when pressing the body of the exchanging device against the nut.




Furthermore, in the blade exchanging device of the present invention, the cylindrical body is attached to a fixed member provided nearby the blade through an arm member so as to be able to swivel, and the cylindrical body is pressed by a pressing member in a direction so that the nut is pressed against the spindle.




In such a blade exchanging device, the body of the exchanging device is first attached to the cover of the blade and at the same time is pressed against the nut with the pressing force of the pressing member. Next, the chuck is operated so as to hold the nut. Then, the wrench is inserted through the hole of the chuck and the head of the wrench is engaged with the polygonal hole of the spindle. Subsequently, the spindle is rotated by the wrench in the direction to loosen the nut, whereby the nut is detached from the spindle. Thereafter, the body of the exchanging device is retracted from the blade by swiveling the body of the exchanging device via the arm. In this state, since the nut is held by the chuck, the nut does not fall off the body of the exchanging device. Then, an old blade is detached from the spindle and a new blade is attached to the spindle. The body of the exchanging device is swiveled via the arm so as to position the body at the position facing to the spindle, and the nut held at the chuck is pressed against the spindle by the pressing force of the pressing member. After that, the spindle is rotated in the direction to fasten the nut. Thus, the nut is fastened to the spindle and the new blade is fixed to the spindle. Then, the chuck is operated so as to release the holding of the nut by the chuck. The body of the exchanging device is detached from the blade cover member. The blade exchanging operation is completed by the above-described manner, which is performed by the operator with only one hand.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The nature of this invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will be explained in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures and wherein:





FIG. 1

is an explanatory view of a dicing machine and a blade exchanging device according to an embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a section view showing the blade exchanging device being attached to a spindle of the dicing machine;





FIG. 3

is an exploded perspective view of the body of the blade exchanging device;





FIG. 4

is an explanatory view of a blade exchanging method with the blade exchanging device;





FIG. 5

is another explanatory view of a blade exchanging method with the blade exchanging device;





FIG. 6

is still another explanatory view of the blade exchanging method with the blade exchanging device;





FIG. 7

is still another explanatory view of the blade exchanging method with the blade exchanging device;





FIG. 8

is still another explanatory view of the blade exchanging method with the blade exchanging device; and





FIG. 9

is still another explanatory view of the blade exchanging method with the blade exchanging device.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Hereunder preferred embodiments of a blade exchanging device and a blade exchanging method therefor of the present invention will be described in detail according to the accompanying drawings.




A blade exchanging device


10


in

FIG. 1

is used to exchange a blade


18


, which is fastened on a spindle


14


of a dicing machine


12


with a nut


16


. As shown in

FIG. 2

, the blade


18


of the dicing machine


12


is mounted on an axis


22


of a flange


20


, which is fitted on the spindle


14


, and the blade


18


is fastened on the flange


20


with the nut


16


, which is screwed down on a male screw


24


of the flange


20


. Then, the blade


18


can be changed by detaching the nut


16


from the male screw


24


. The flange


20


is fixed to the spindle


14


with a nut


26


, which is fastened on the top end of the spindle


14


, so as to be integrated with the spindle


14


. Reference number


28


in

FIG. 1

is a flange cover (a fixed member provided nearby the blade) for covering the blade


18


, and reference numbers


30


and


32


are nozzles for supplying grinding liquid and cooling liquid to the blade


18


. The dicing machine


12


which is constructed as described above rotates the blade


18


by the spindle


14


at a high speed and dices a semiconductor wafer along chips.




The blade exchanging device


10


comprises a body


34


of the exchanging device and a torque wrench


36


. As shown in

FIG. 3

, the body


34


comprises a cylindrical body


38


and a chuck


40


, which is inserted in a hole


42


of the cylindrical body


38


with a compression spring


44


, a collar


45


and a stopper block


46


.




The chuck


40


has a pair of tabs


50


and


50


, which look like a ring divided in two by a space S at one end of a cylindrical body


48


, and has a pair of nails


52


and


52


, which project to face to each other at the other end of the cylindrical body


48


. When the nut


16


is detached from the spindle


14


in

FIG. 1

, the nails


52


and


52


are fitted into a groove (a fitting portion) that is formed on the outer periphery of a boss


17


of the nut


16


as shown in FIG.


2


. As shown in

FIG. 3

, the nails


52


and


52


are formed so as to extend from the tabs


50


and


50


. When the tabs


50


and


50


are pinched to get closer to each other, and the nails


52


and


52


are moved in a direction to be further away from each other (an opening direction), and the nails


52


and


52


thereby retract from the groove


54


of the nut


16


in

FIG. 2

, so that their fitting with the nut


16


is released.




The tabs


50


and


50


in

FIG. 3

are pressed in a direction to be away from each other by compression springs


56


and


56


, which are arranged at the space S. The pressing force of the compression springs


56


and


56


is transmitted from the tabs


50


and


50


to the nails


52


and


52


through the cylindrical body


48


, whereby the nails


52


and


52


are pressed in a direction to get closer to each other, that is, in a direction to fit into the groove


54


(refer to

FIG. 2

) of the nut


16


. A slit


58


and a hollow


60


are formed at the cylindrical body


48


of the chuck


40


as shown in

FIG. 3

so as to provide flexibility such that the nails


52


and


52


are easily moved by the pressing forces of the pinch of the tabs


50


and


50


and of the compression springs


56


and


56


.




As shown in

FIG. 2

, the compression spring


44


is arranged in a space between the cylindrical body


38


and the cylindrical body (main body)


48


. The compression spring


44


is also arranged between a step


58


formed on the inner periphery of the cylindrical body


38


and the collar


45


mounted on the cylindrical body


48


. The chuck


40


is pressed to the right in

FIG. 2

by the compression spring


44


.




A stopper block


46


is fastened to the chuck


40


with a screw


61


. A flange


62


and a pair of grooves


64


and


64


are formed on the outer periphery of the stopper block


46


as shown in FIG.


3


. The flange


62


is engaged with a groove


66


in

FIG. 2

formed at the inner periphery of the cylindrical body


38


. Thereby, the chuck


40


is pressed to the right in

FIG. 2

by the compression spring


44


while the chuck


40


is prevented from falling off the cylindrical body


38


since the flange


62


of the stopper block


46


is engaged with the groove


66


of the cylindrical body


38


. If the chuck


40


is pressed to the left in

FIG. 2

against the pressing force of the compression spring


44


, the nails


52


and


52


project from the left end surface


38


A of the cylindrical body


38


and at the same time faces


51


and


51


of the tabs


50


and


50


are in contact with the right end surface


38


B of the cylindrical body


38


, whereby the pressing amount of the chuck


40


is regulated. Arms


53


and


53


of the nails


52


and


52


of the chuck


40


are fitted in the grooves


64


and


64


of the stopper block


46


in

FIG. 3. A

hole


68


is opened at the center of the stopper block


46


, and a tapered surface


70


is formed around the hole


68


. The torque wrench


36


in

FIG. 1

is inserted through the hole


68


under guidance of the tapered surface


70


.




An arm (arm member)


72


is projected from the cylindrical body


38


, and a rod


78


, on which a knob


76


is formed, is slidably and rotatably inserted through a top end opening


74


(shown in

FIG. 2

) of the arm


72


via a sleeve bearing


80


. A compression spring (pressing member)


82


is arranged between the knob


76


and the sleeve bearing


80


. The rod


78


is inserted through the compression spring


82


and is pressed to the right direction in

FIG. 2

by the pressing force of the compression spring


82


. An E-washer


84


is fitted on the periphery of an end


79


of the rod


78


, which is inserted through the sleeve bearing


80


. The E-washer


84


is in contact with an end surface


81


of the sleeve bearing


80


so as to prevent the rod


78


from falling off the sleeve bearing


80


.




A male screw


86


is projected on the end surface


74


A of the rod


78


, and the male screw


86


is coaxial with the rod


78


. The male screw


86


is screwed into a threaded hole


88


, which is formed at the flange cover


28


in FIG.


1


. The body


34


of the exchanging device is thereby attached to the flange cover


28


as shown in

FIG. 2

, so that the cylindrical body


38


is supported to be able to swivel with respect to the flange cover


28


in which the axis of the male screw


86


is the center, that is, the axis P of the rod


78


is the center of the swiveling.




The swiveling range of the cylindrical body


38


is set between an exchangeable position where the nails


52


and


52


of the chuck


40


fit in the groove


17


of the nut


16


and a retracting position where a pin


92


provided on the body


34


of the exchanging device engages with an arched groove


90


formed on the flange cover


28


. In the retracting position, the cylindrical body


38


swivels from the exchangeable position by 180 degrees and is retracted above the blade


18


. When the cylindrical body


38


is at this retracting position, the blade


18


can be detached from the spindle


14


.




Two pins (projections)


94


and


94


are projected on the left end surface


38


A of the cylindrical body


38


in FIG.


3


. The pins


94


and


94


are engaged with two of four holes


96


(depressions), which are formed on the surface of the nut


16


in FIG.


1


. The nut


16


is thereby fixed to the cylindrical body


38


. The holes


96


are formed on a circle, which is coaxial with the nut


16


and the spindle


14


, at every 90 degrees, and the pins


94


and


94


are engaged with the two holes


96


and


96


that face to each other across the spindle


14


.




A method will be described for exchanging a blade by the blade exchanging device


10


which is constructed as described above.




First, as shown in

FIG. 4

, the male screw


86


of the body


34


of the exchanging device is screwed into the threaded hole


88


of the flange cover


28


so as to attach the body


34


to the flange cover


28


. The cylindrical body


38


is positioned at the exchangeable position where the nails


52


and


52


of the chuck


40


fit in the groove


17


of the nut


16


. At this point, the cylindrical body


38


is pressed toward the nut


16


since the pressing force of the compression spring


82


is transmitted to the cylindrical body


38


through the arm


72


. At this point also, the nut


16


is not fixed to the cylindrical body


38


since the pins


94


are not engaged with the holes


96


. In addition, if the holes


96


are already positioned at the facing positions of the pins


94


, the nut


16


is fixed to the cylindrical body


38


since the pins


94


are directly engaged with the holes


96


.




Next, the tabs


50


and


50


of the chuck


40


are pinched with fingers of the operator in the direction represented by arrows A in

FIG. 4

, and the chuck


40


is pressed into the nut


16


in the direction represented by an arrow B in this state. As the operator's fingers are released from the tabs


50


and


50


, the tabs


50


and


50


return at the original position by the pressing force of the compression springs


56


and


56


. Thereby, the nails


52


and


52


of the chuck


40


fit in the groove


54


of the nut


16


as shown in FIG.


2


.




Next, as shown in

FIGS. 5 and 6

, the torque wrench


36


is inserted through the hole of the chuck


40


and through the hole


68


of the stopper block


46


so that a polygonal head


37


of the torque wrench


36


is engaged with a polygonal hole


15


of the spindle


14


. After that, as rotating the spindle


14


with the torque wrench


36


by a predetermined amount in the direction to unfasten the nut


16


represented by an arrow A in

FIG. 5

, the nut


16


is rotated together with the spindle


14


, and the pins


94


of the nut


16


are fitted in the holes


96


of the nut


16


as shown in

FIGS. 7 and 8

; thereby the nut


16


is automatically fixed to the cylindrical body


38


so that the nut


16


is prevented from rotating with respect to the cylindrical body


38


.




Then, the spindle


14


is rotated by the torque wrench


36


in the direction to unfasten the nut


16


(the direction represented by the arrow A in FIG.


7


), whereby the nut


16


is gradually loosened and is detached from the spindle


14


.




When the nut


16


is completely detached from the spindle


14


, the cylindrical body


38


is pulled out of the spindle


14


as shown in

FIG. 9

against the pressing force of the compression spring


82


. At that time, the nut


16


is held by the nails


52


and


52


of the chuck


40


, so that the nut


16


does not fall off the cylindrical body


38


. After that, the cylindrical body


38


is swiveled via the arm


72


by 180 degrees so as to engage the pin


92


with the groove


90


, and the cylindrical body


38


is held at the position retracting from the blade


18


.




Then, the old blade


18


is dismounted from the spindle


14


, and a new one is mounted on the spindle


14


. The engaging of the pin


92


with the groove


90


is released by pulling the cylindrical body


38


so as to retract the pin


92


from the groove


90


. Subsequently the cylindrical body


38


is swiveled by 180 degrees via the arm


72


so as to position the cylindrical body


38


at the exchangeable position facing to the spindle


14


. The nut


16


, which is held by the nails


52


and


52


of the chuck


40


, is thereby pressed against the male screw


24


by the pressing force of the compression spring


82


. Then, the spindle


14


is rotated by using the torque wrench


16


in the direction to fasten the nut


16


. Thereby, the nut


16


is fastened to the male screw


24


and the new blade


18


is fixed to the spindle


14


.




Next, the tabs


50


and


50


of the chuck


40


are pinched so that the nails


52


and


52


release the nut


16


. The rod


78


is rotated to unfasten the male screw


86


from the threaded hole


88


, so that the main body


34


of the exchanging device is detached from the flange cover


28


. The blade exchanging operation is completed by the above-described process.




The blade exchanging device


10


of the present invention is provided with the chuck


40


for holding the nut


16


; thus, the nut


16


detached from the spindle


14


is prevented from falling off the cylindrical body


38


.




Moreover, the blade exchanging device


10


is constructed in which the nut


16


is fixed to the cylindrical body


38


by the pins


94


and the holes


96


, which are arranged on the circle coaxial with the nut


16


. Therefore, even though the pins


94


do not engage with the holes


96


when the cylindrical body


38


is pressed against the nut


16


, the holes


96


can be automatically engaged with the pins


94


by only rotating the spindle


14


, with which the nut


16


is rotated, with the torque wrench


36


by a predetermined amount, because the cylindrical body


38


is pressed against the nut


16


by the compression spring


82


.




Further, the operator can perform the exchanging operation of the blade


18


described above by only one hand, and thus the exchanging operation can also be easily performed in a narrow place.




If the body


34


of the exchanging device is constructed with the cylindrical body


38


only and does not have the arm


72


, the nut


16


is detached from the spindle


14


by the following procedure. First, the cylindrical body


38


is engaged with the nut


16


which is fastened to the spindle


14


while holding the nut


16


by the nails


52


and


52


of the chuck


40


. The torque wrench


36


is inserted through the hole of the chuck


40


so that the torque wrench


36


is engaged with the spindle


14


. In this state, one of the nut


16


and the spindle


14


is prevented from rotating while the other is rotated in the loosening direction, by the cylindrical body


38


and the torque wrench


36


. The nut


16


is thus detached from the spindle


14


. At that time, the nut


16


is prevented from falling off the cylindrical body


38


, since the chuck


40


holds the nut


16


.




In a case of fastening the nut


16


, first, the nut


16


is held by the nails


52


of the chuck


40


to be prevented from falling off the cylindrical body


38


. Second, the nut


16


is pressed against the spindle


14


while inserting the torque wrench


36


through the hole of the chuck


40


so that the torque wrench


36


is engaged with the spindle


14


. Then, one of the nut


16


and the spindle


14


is prevented from rotating while the other is rotated so that the nut


16


is fastened to the spindle


14


, by the cylindrical body


38


and the torque wrench


36


. Since the nut


16


is held by the chuck


40


to be prevented from falling off the cylindrical body


38


, the nut


16


can be easily fastened.




As described above, in the blade exchanging device and the exchanging method therefor of the present invention, the nut detached from the spindle does not fall off the body of the exchanging device since the chuck for holding the nut is provided.




Furthermore, the present invention is constructed in such a manner that the nut can be fixed to the body of the exchanging device by the projections and the depressions provided on the circles coaxial with the nut. Thus, even though the projections do not engage with the depressions when pressing the body of the exchanging device onto the nut, the projections and the depressions can be easily engaged with each other by only rotating the nut with the wrench by the predetermined amount.




In addition, the blade exchanging operation of the blade exchanging device of the present invention can be performed manually by the operator using only one hand.




It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternate constructions and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.



Claims
  • 1. A method for exchanging a blade, wherein the blade is mounted on a spindle and is fastened to the spindle by fastening a nut to the spindle, the method comprising the steps of:manually mounting the blade on the spindle without the nut; holding the nut in an unfastened condition by engaging portions of a chuck with a fitting portion formed on the nut, the chuck being provided to a body of an exchanging device and said portions of the chuck being shaped to hold the nut to prevent the nut from falling off the body of the exchanging device irrespective of whether the nut is on the spindle; pressing the nut, which has a plurality of depression holes in a surface which will engage the body, against the spindle with the body of the exchanging device, by engaging a plurality of projection pins on a surface of body with the depression holes of the nut; inserting a wrench through a hole of the chuck so as to engage a head of the wrench with a hole formed in a head of the spindle; and fastening the nut to the spindle by preventing one of the spindle and the nut from rotating while rotating the other of the spindle and the nut with the wrench and the cylindrical body.
  • 2. A method for exchanging a blade, wherein the blade is fastened to a spindle with a nut and is unfastened from the spindle by unfastening the nut from the spindle, the method comprising the steps of:engaging a body of an exchanging device, having a plurality of projection pins extending from a surface of the body, with the nut being fastened to the spindle in which the nut has a plurality of complementary depression holes formed in a surface of the nut by inserting each pin of the body in a complementary hole in the nut; holding the nut by engaging portions of a chuck with a fitting portion formed on the nut, the chuck being provided to the body of the exchanging device and said portions of the chuck being shaped to hold the nut to prevent the nut from falling off the body of the exchanging device irrespective of whether the nut is on the spindle; inserting a wrench through a hole of the chuck so as to engage a head of the wrench with a hole formed in a head of the spindle; unfastening the nut from the spindle by preventing one of the spindle and the nut from rotating while rotating the other of the spindle and the nut with the wrench and the cylindrical body, the nut being retained by said portions upon unfastening thereof; removing the nut without the blade; and subsequently, manually removing the blade.
  • 3. A blade exchanging device for enabling manual exchanging of a blade that is fastened to a spindle with a nut, comprising:a cylindrical body which is engaged with a nut; a chuck which is provided inside the cylindrical body and which has portions shaped to engage with a fitting portion formed on the nut to prevent the nut from falling off the cylindrical body so as to hold the nut irrespective of whether the nut is on the spindle; and a wrench which is inserted through a hole of the chuck so as to be engaged with a hole formed in a head of the spindle, wherein one of the spindle and the nut is prevented from rotating while the other of the spindle and the nut is rotated with the wrench and the cylindrical body to perform at least one of unfastening of the nut from the spindle and fastening of the nut to the spindle; and wherein means are provided for pressing the entire chuck and the nut engaged therewith in a direction away from the blade on the spindle, and wherein the cylindrical body is attached to a fixed member provided nearby the blade through an arm member so as to be able to swivel, and the cylindrical body is pressed by a pressing member in a direction so that the nut is pressed against the spindle.
  • 4. A blade exchanging device for exchanging of a blade that is fastened to a spindle with a nut, comprising:a cylindrical body which is engaged with a nut; a chuck which is provided inside the cylindrical body and which has portions shaped to engage with a fitting portion formed on the nut so as to hold the nut irrespective of whether the nut is on the spindle; and a wrench which is inserted through a hole of the chuck so as to be engaged with a hole formed in a head of the spindle, wherein one of the spindle and the nut is prevented from rotating while the other of the spindle and the nut is rotated with the wrench and the cylindrical body to perform at least one of unfastening of the nut from the spindle and fastening of the nut to the spindle; and wherein the portions of the chuck shaped to engage with the fitting portion formed on the nut are formed on tabs that are movable toward and away from each other, and wherein said fitting portion is a groove formed on the nut in which said portions of the chuck are engaged when the tabs are held in a position moved toward each other.
  • 5. A blade exchanging device for enabling manual exchanging of a blade that is fastened to a spindle with a nut, comprising:a cylindrical body having pin projections extending from a surface which is engaged with a nut which has depression holes on a surface engaged with the cylindrical body; a chuck which is provided inside the cylindrical body and which has portions shaped to engage with a fitting portion formed on the nut to prevent the nut from falling off the cylindrical body so as to hold the nut irrespective of whether the nut is on the spindle; and a wrench which is inserted through a hole of the chuck so as to be engaged with a hole formed in a head of the spindle, wherein one of the spindle and the nut is prevented from rotating while the other of the spindle and the nut is rotated with the wrench and the cylindrical body to perform at least one of unfastening of the nut from the spindle and fastening of the nut to the spindle; and wherein means are provided for pressing the entire chuck and the nut engaged therewith in a direction away from the blade on the spindle, and wherein the cylindrical body and the nut are engaged with each other via insertion of each projection pin into an complementary depression hole in the nut.
  • 6. The blade exchanging device as defined in claim 5, wherein the cylindrical body is attached to a fixed member provided nearby the blade through an arm member so as to be able to swivel, and the cylindrical body is pressed by a pressing member in a direction so that the nut is pressed against the spindle.
Priority Claims (1)
Number Date Country Kind
11-370599 Dec 1999 JP
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