The present disclosure provides a gripper module, including a base, an adapter holder, a collet holder, and an actuator. The base is adapted for an adapter to be detachably disposed thereon. The adapter holder is able to engage and to buckle the adapter. The collet holder is able to engage and to buckle a collet which is installed in the adapter. The actuator is connected to the collet holder. The actuator can pull the collet holder and the collet to move, causing pressing and retraction of the collet by the conical surface between the collet and the adapter. Therefore, sizes of collets may apply to the gripper module with the adapter. By sheathing the adapter, replacement and size alternation of the collets are made easier, and precisions of allocations of the collet and the gripped workpiece are improved.

The invention relates to an interface between a collet holder and a tool adapter, said interface being simple in construction and in which the insertion of a tool adapter is possible in a simple manner even in confined spaces.

A clamping device includes a first clamping segment which has a first mounting flange and a tubular member extending axially away therefrom. A first bore extends through the first mounting flange and the tubular member. The first mounting flange is configured for attachment to a rotatable spindle of a machine tool. The clamping device includes a draw bar assembly which has an axially extending elongate shaft. The elongate shaft extends through the first bore of the first clamping segment. A biasing unit is mounted on or in the tubular member. A locking member is removably secured to the elongate shaft such that the biasing unit is compressed between the locking member and a portion of the first clamping segment. The biasing member remains compressed when the first clamping segment is separated from the spindle of the machine tool.

A lathe capable of shortening a spindle with respect to a spindle axis direction. A spindle provided with a chuck at the front end thereof is rotatably supported on a support by bearings. A chuck operating apparatus includes a tilt claw and a shifter. A built-in motor is disposed between the bearings to rotate the spindle. The claw is provide outside the spindle and between the bearings. The claw has a movable end whose distance from the spindle axis varies between a first posture to bring the chuck into the opened state and a second posture to bring the chuck into the closed state. The shifter is provided outside the claw and movable in the spindle axis direction to be brought in a first position to bring the claw into the first posture and in a second position to bring the claw into the second posture.

A chuck operating apparatus includes a claw, a shifter, and a shifter drive unit. The rotatable claw has a first posture to bring the chuck into the opened state and a second posture to bring the chuck into the closed state. The rotatable shifter is brought in a first position to bring the claw into the first posture and in a second position to bring the claw into the second posture. The shifter drive unit has a shifter lever having an insertion part provided with a shifter bearing capable of being brought into contact with a side surface of an outward groove of the shifter. A roller is provided on one of the claw and the shifter in a contact position with the other to roll in a spindle axis direction and a groove is formed on the other to receive the roller when the chuck is in the opened state.

A lathe capable of facilitating maintenance of a chucking mechanism. A chuck operating apparatus includes a claw and a shifter to open and close a chuck provided on a spindle. The tilt claw provided outside the spindle has a first posture to bring the chuck into the opened state and a second posture to bring the chuck into the closed state. The shifter provided outside the spindle and movable in a spindle axis direction is brought in a first position to bring the claw into the first posture and in a second position to bring the claw into the second posture. A roller is mounted on the shifter in a contact position with the claw to roll in the spindle axis direction.

A clamping device has a main body with a bore that extends from a back to a front end thereof. The bore has a fastening area proximate the back end, a front-end axial abutment surface and a central axial abutment surface. A centering sleeve is disposed in the bore and extends axially between a centering sleeve first and second axial end. A guide sleeve is disposed in the bore and partially in the centering sleeve. The guide sleeve extends axially between a guide sleeve first and second axial end. A locking member is removably disposed in the fastening area, has a tapered abutment surface and faces the front end. The centering sleeve is axially retained by and between the tapered abutment surface and the central axial abutment surface. The guide sleeve is axially retained by the tapered abutment surface and the central axial abutment surface.

A collet assembly of improved stability has a collet, an axial limiting assembly, a cutter, a pin, and multiple damping elements. The collet has a containing space, a pin-receiving groove, a connecting groove, and multiple receiving grooves. The containing space is formed through the collet. The pin-receiving groove is formed through the collet. The connecting groove is recessed on the collet. The multiple receiving grooves are recessed in the collet. The axial limiting assembly is mounted to the collet. The cutter has a limiting groove and a mounting end. The limiting groove is recessed on the cutter. The mounting end abuts against the limiting assembly. The pin extends into the pin-receiving groove and abuts against the limiting groove of the cutter. Each one of the multiple damping elements is received in a respective one of the multiple receiving grooves of the collet. A collet of improved stability is also provided.

A spindle apparatus for use at a machine tool, in particular a lathe, has: a spindle assembly including a workpiece spindle to receive an elongated workpiece and a spindle motor for driving spindle rotation; and a rotary guide-bush assembly axially arranged with the workpiece spindle, the rotary guide-bush assembly including a rotary guide-bush to receive the elongated workpiece and supported at the rotary guide-bush assembly to rotate with the elongated workpiece received in the workpiece spindle about the axis while enabling a movement of the elongated workpiece in the axial direction. The spindle and rotary guide-bush assemblies connect to each other by a torque transferring connection, between the spindle and rotary guide-bush assemblies along the axis to transfer driving torque during acceleration or deceleration of the spindle rotation driven by the spindle motor to the rotary guide-bush of the rotary guide-bush assembly.

A tool holder with a main part, a deformable receiving portion for clamping a tool, and at least one blocking element which is designed to engage into a corresponding counter element on the tool in order to prevent the tool from moving axially out of the tool holder. The at least one blocking element is integrally formed with the receiving portion. A clamping system having such a tool holder and a method for producing a receiving portion for such a tool holder are also described.