Claims
- 1. Apparatus for holding an armature having an armature shaft, said apparatus comprising:
- a collet-receiving shaft having a longitudinal bore;
- a collet having a first end for gripping said armature shaft and a second end positioned in said longitudinal bore;
- a collet tube positioned around said collet for selectively causing said collet to grip said armature shaft;
- means coupled to said collet-receiving shaft for coupling said second end of said collet to said collet-receiving shaft by engaging the exterior of said second end of said collet within said longitudinal bore; and
- means coupled to said coupling means for selectively actuating said coupling means to release said collet from said collet-receiving shaft.
- 2. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising a housing in which at least said collet-receiving shaft and said actuating means are positioned.
- 3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein:
- said actuating means is coupled to said collet-receiving shaft and is positioned partially inside said collet-receiving shaft and partially outside said collet-receiving shaft; and
- said collet-receiving shaft has a second bore through which said actuating means moves to actuate said coupling means to release said collet from said collet-receiving shaft and through which said actuating means extends to the outside of said collet-receiving shaft.
- 4. The apparatus defined in claim 3 wherein said second bore is transverse to said longitudinal bore in said collet-receiving shaft.
- 5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further including means for locking said coupling means in said collet-receiving shaft when said collet is removed from said longitudinal bore.
- 6. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said actuating means includes means for displacing said coupling means such that said coupling means remains coupled to said collet-receiving shaft when said collet is removed.
- 7. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said actuating means further comprises:
- means positioned inside said collet-receiving shaft for contacting said coupling means; and
- means positioned at least partially outside said collet-receiving shaft for extending inside said collet-receiving shaft to contact and thereby cause said means positioned inside said collet-receiving shaft to actuate said coupling means to release said collet from said collet-receiving shaft.
- 8. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said coupling means comprises a ball connection comprising a ball engaging a corresponding groove, said groove located within one of said collet-receiving shaft and said second end of said collet.
- 9. The apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein:
- said ball is positioned in a bore in said collet-receiving shaft transverse to said longitudinal bore;
- said second end of said collet is substantially solid; and
- said groove is in the exterior of said second end of said collet.
- 10. The apparatus defined in claim 9 wherein:
- said bore transverse to said longitudinal bore is synclinal toward said longitudinal bore; and
- the portion of said transverse bore adjacent said longitudinal bore is narrower than the diameter of said ball such that said ball cannot move from said transverse bore into said longitudinal bore.
- 11. The apparatus defined in claim 9 further comprising a cup extending annularly around said collet-receiving shaft and biasing means for biasing said cup so that a portion of said cup forces said ball into said groove to couple said second end of said collet to said collet-receiving shaft.
- 12. The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said actuating means includes means for moving said cup to catch said ball so that said ball moves out of said groove and releases said collet from said collet-receiving shaft.
- 13. The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein said means for moving said cup is positioned inside said longitudinal bore.
- 14. The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein said means for moving said cup includes a cylinder and a pin in said cylinder transverse to the longitudinal axis of said collet-receiving shaft for contacting said cup.
- 15. The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein said actuating means further includes a pin at least partially outside said collet-receiving shaft movable to actuate said means for moving said cup.
- 16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 further including a collet tube positioned around said collet for selectively causing said collet to grip said armature shaft.
- 17. The apparatus defined in claim 16 further including means positioned around said collet-receiving shaft for longitudinally moving said collet tube.
- 18. The apparatus defined in claim 17 wherein:
- said means for moving said cup is positioned inside said collet-receiving shaft;
- said actuating means is transverse to said collet-receiving shaft;
- said collet-receiving shaft has a second transverse bore for accessing said means for moving said cup;
- said means for moving said collet tube has a bore parallel to said second transverse bore;
- said means for moving said collet tube is movable to align said second transverse bore in said collet-receiving shaft with said bore in said means for moving said collet tube such that said pin may access said means for moving said cup.
- 19. The apparatus defined in claim 1 further including means positioned around said collet-receiving shaft for longitudinally moving said collet tube.
- 20. The apparatus defined in claim 19 wherein:
- said actuating means is transverse to said collet-receiving shaft;
- said collet-receiving shaft has a transverse bore;
- said means for moving said collet tube has a bore parallel to said transverse bore; and
- said means for moving said collet tube is movable to align said transverse bore and said bore in said means for moving said collet tube such that said actuating means may extend from outside said collet-receiving shaft into said collet-receiving shaft to actuate said coupling means to release said collet from said collet-receiving shaft.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/531,843, filed May 31, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,594.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
217664 |
Apr 1987 |
EPX |
318307 |
May 1989 |
EPX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
531843 |
May 1990 |
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