LATCHING MECHANISM USING DEPLOYABLE ARMS

Abstract

A latching mechanism for a tool spindle or mandrel that latches by pivotally extending a plurality of tensioned arms from a tensioned seated state to a tensioned locked state through rotation of a lock ring pivotally deploying the arms from their nested seated state into a blade engaging position of a larger radius than the radius of the lock ring with the arms in their nested position.

Claims

1. A latching mechanism for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel, comprising: a substantially cylindrical housing having a flange as a housing base with said housing having fastener mounting means for attaching said housing to a spindle; a tool lock having bore mounting means for attaching said tool lock onto said housing with said tool lock having a plurality of deployable tensioned pivotal arms provided as latching means for holding a tool attachment between said flange and said deployable tensioned pivotal arms of said tool lock; and a pivotal arm tensioning member holding said deployable tensioned pivotal arms in a tool lock subjacent position and returning said deployable tensioned pivotal arms from a deployed position to said subjacent position.

2. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 1, wherein said fastener mounting means is a threaded bore.

3. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 1, further comprising a housing exterior surface extending in length from said flange to a predetermined point, then diametrically decreasing for a predetermined length to a distal end of said flange of said housing.

4. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 3, wherein said housing exterior surface includes a plurality of helical channels extending longitudinally substantially between a distal end of said housing to said flange of said housing for serving as guide path for said tool lock rotatively moving between a locked position and an unlocked position.

5. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 4, wherein said helical channels vertically extend through an arc greater than 90 and less than 180.

6. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 5, wherein said tensioned pivotal arms further include tabs extending into the bore serving as stop when said tensioned pivotal arms are in their unlocked and seated position.

7. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 4, wherein said tool lock has a plurality of tabs extending into its bore positioned for said plurality of lock tabs to travel along a respective helical channel.

8. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 1, wherein moving said tool lock toward said flange of said housing moves the pivotal arm flanges into engagement with an increasing housing diameter causing radial deployment of the pivotal arms into locked engagement with the tool.

9. A latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel, comprising: a spindle mount member having threaded bore, spindle mount flange and cylindrical body having a cavity receiving a fastener; a substantially cylindrical housing having a flange as housing base with said housing having a bore for mounting onto said spindle mount member and an exterior wall fastener extendable into the spindle mount cavity; a tool lock having bore mounting means for attachment onto said housing with said tool lock having a plurality of deployable pivotal arms provided as latching means for holding a tool between said flange of said housing and said deployable pivotal arms of said tool lock; and, a pivotal arm tensioning member holding said deployable pivotal arms in a tool lock subjacent position and returning said deployable pivotal arms from a deployed position to said subjacent position.

10. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 9, further comprising a housing exterior surface extending in length from said flange to a predetermined point, then diametrically decreasing for a predeteiiiiined length to a distal end of said flange of said housing.

11. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 10, further comprising a housing exterior surface with a plurality of helical channels extending longitudinally substantially between a distal end of said housing to said flange of said housing as a guide path for said tool lock rotatively moving between locked and unlocked positions.

12. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 11, wherein said helical channels vertical extend through an arc greater than 90 and less than 180.

13. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 11, wherein said tool lock has a plurality of tabs extending into its bore positioned for said plurality of lock tabs to travel along a respective helical channel.

14. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 13, wherein said tensioned pivotal arms further include tabs extending into the bore serving as stop when said tensioned pivotal arms are in their unlocked position.

15. The latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle or mandrel according to claim 9, wherein moving said tool lock toward said flange of said housing moves the pivotal arm flanges into engagement with an increasing housing diameter causing radial deployment of said pivotal arms into locked engagement with the tool.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCED NUMERALS AND LETTERS APPEARING IN THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0027] Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the latching system for mounting tools onto a spindle of the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures:

[0028] 10 latching system for mounting tools onto spindle or mandrel

[0029] 12 spindle mount

[0030] 14 spindle mount flange

[0031] 16 spindle mount bore

[0032] 18 threads of 16

[0033] 20 fastener cavity of 12

[0034] 30 cylindrical housing

[0035] 32 housing bore

[0036] 34 housing wall

[0037] 36 flanged distal end of 34

[0038] 38 sloped portion of 34

[0039] 40 cylindrical portion of 34

[0040] 42 housing flange of 30

[0041] 44 helical channel of 34

[0042] 46 threads of 32

[0043] 48 polygonal blade bore frame

[0044] 50 fastener aperture

[0045] 52 fastener of 20, 50

[0046] 60 tool lock

[0047] 62 tool lock housing

[0048] 64 tool lock housing bore

[0049] 66 tab/rail of housing bore wall

[0050] 68 subjacent tensioned pivotal arm

[0051] 70 tensioning member receptacle

[0052] 72 tensioning member of 68

[0053] 74 fastener of 68

[0054] 76 tab of 68

[0055] 78 spindle

[0056] 80 fastener cavity of 40

[0057] 82 bore tabs of 68

[0058] T tool

[0059] B tool attachment

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0060] The following discussion describes in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention, and several variations of that embodiment. This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular preferred embodiments and practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For definition of the complete scope of the invention, the reader is directed to appended claims;

[0061] Turning, in detail, to the drawing figures, FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an enablement of the latching mechanism for attaching a tool attachment to a spindle. The present invention provides a latching mechanism 10 having a spindle mounting member comprising cylindrical housing 30 with housing bore 32 having threads 46 for mounting the housing 30 onto spindle 76 and tool lock 60 having bore 64 mountable onto housing 30. Also shown is pivotal arm tensioning member 70 and tool attachment B mounted onto housing 30 where then tool lock 60 is rotated deploying the tensioned pivotal arms into engagement with tool attachment B securely latched therein.

[0062] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of another enablement of the latching mechanism for attaching a tool attachment to a spindle. The present invention provides a latching mechanism 10 having a spindle mount 12 having spindle mount flange 14 and bore 16 with threads 18 serving as spindle mount and seat for securing housing 30 to mount 12 using a set screw or similar anchor fastener positioned in co-aligned apertures 20, 78 cylindrical housing 30 having housing bore 32 for mounting the housing 30 onto spindle mount 12 and tool lock 60 having bore 64 mountable onto housing 30. Also shown is pivotal arm tensioning member 70 mountable to tool lock 60 providing tensioned pivotal arms movable from a seated seat to a deployed state through tool lock 60 rotation.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 3, shown is a side view of the latching mechanism cylindrical housing. The cylindrical housing 30 provides flange 42 having a polygonal blade bore frame 48 for mounting tool attachments B having a polygonal bore mount. Housing 30 extends through a cylindrical portion 40 then tapers inward by a sloped portion 38 terminating in flanged distal end 36 with a plurality of helical channels 44 substantially extending the length of the housing.

[0064] With respect to FIG. 4, shown is an exploded bottom view of the tool lock. Tool lock 60 provides housing 62 having a tensioning member receptacle 70 spacer tab 76 and bore tab 82 with arm 68 fastened to housing 62 via fastener 72. Housing 68 further provides bore 64 having a plurality of bore wall tab/rails 66 positioned to co-align with the helical channels of the housing wall.

[0065] FIG. 5 presents a top plan view of the tool lock. Tool lock 60 provides housing 62 having tab/rail of housing bore wall 66 and subjacent arms having bore tab 82 with opposing side bore wall tabs having a smaller diameter than bore tab 82.

[0066] FIG. 6 shows the tool lock mounted on the cylindrical housing moving from a seated state to locked state with tensioned arms deployed to tool attachment engagement. Tool lock 60 provides housing 62 having bore 64 with bore wall tab/rail 66 mating with housing 30 helical rail 44 for rotatively moving tool lock 60 along housing 30 exterior wall 34 helical rail 44 by virtue of tool lock 60 bore tabs 68 following contour of wall 34, the tensioned pivotal arms are extended to a tool attachment engaging position.

[0067] Finally, with reference to FIGS. 7 through 11, shown are stepwise views of the tool latching mechanism in use. FIG. 7 depicts tool T having spindle 78 and latching mechanism 10 ready to be threadedly mounted to spindle 87. FIG. 8 depicted the latching mechanism installed onto a tool spindle. FIG. 9 depicted tool attachment B ready to be mounted onto latching mechanism 10, while FIG. 10 depicts tool attachment B mounted on latching mechanism 10 and FIG. 11 shows rotation of the tool lock 10 deploying the tensioned pivotal arms to engagement with tool attachment B.

[0068] While only several embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.