CHUCK JAW

Abstract

There is disclosed a chuck jaw (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) for securing a workpiece (12) to a lathe chuck. The chuck jaw (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) includes a jaw body (16) adapted for operative mounting to the lathe chuck. The chuck jaw (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) further includes at least one holding element (18) operatively associated with the jaw body (16) and adapted to engage the workpiece (12). The at least one holding element (18) is moveable between (i) a release condition in which the holding element (18) is released from the workpiece (12), and (ii) an engaged position in which the holding element (18) engages a surface of the workpiece. The chuck jaw (10.1, 10.2, 10.3) further includes a clamping assembly (20) operatively adapted to secure the at least one holding element (18) in the engaged position.

Claims

1. A chuck jaw for securing a workpiece to a lathe chuck, the chuck jaw including: a jaw body adapted for operative mounting to the lathe chuck; at least one holding element operatively associated with the jaw body and adapted to engage the workpiece, the at least one holding element being moveable between (i) a release condition in which the holding element is released from the workpiece, and (ii) an engaged position in which the holding element engages a surface of the workpiece; and a clamping assembly operatively adapted to secure the at least one holding element in the engaged position.

2. A chuck jaw according to claim 1, wherein the at least one holding element is a first holding element and the chuck jaw includes a plurality of holding elements each operatively adapted to engage the workpiece.

3. A chuck jaw according to claim 2, wherein each respective holding element is moveable between (i) a release condition in which the respective holding element is released from the workpiece, and (ii) an engaged position in which the respective holding element engages a surface of the workpiece.

4. A chuck jaw according to claim 3, wherein each holding element includes a holding element body and two holding element legs outwardly extending for the holding element body.

5. A chuck jaw according to claim 4, wherein the two holding element legs define a holding slot between them.

6. A chuck jaw according to claim 5, wherein the jaw body includes at least one jaw body bore for receiving a fastener to secure the jaw body to the lathe chuck.

7. A chuck jaw according to claim 6, wherein the one jaw body bore is a first jaw body bore and the jaw body includes a second jaw body bore to receive a second fastener to secure the jaw body to the lathe chuck.

8. A chuck jaw according to claim 7, wherein the clamping assembly includes a jaw body clamping member outwardly extending from the jaw body and a clamping element operatively associated with the jaw body clamping member, in use the at least one holding element being clamped between the jaw body clamping member and the clamping element.

9. A chuck jaw according to claim 8, wherein the jaw body clamping member includes a clamping member hole operatively adapted to be located in register with a corresponding clamping element hole of the clamping element.

10. A chuck jaw according to claim 9, wherein the holding slot of the at least one holding element is adapted to permit a clamp fastener to pass through the clamping member hole, through the holding slot and through the corresponding clamping element hole.

11. A chuck jaw according to claim 10, wherein the jaw body clamping member includes a plurality of clamping member holes operatively adapted to be located in register with corresponding clamping element holes of the clamping element.

12. A chuck jaw according to claim 11, wherein the holding slot of each of the plurality of holding elements is adapted to permit a clamp fastener to pass through the clamping member hole, through the holding slot and through the corresponding clamping element.

13. A chuck jaw according to claim 12, wherein the jaw body defines a jaw body guide formation which is operatively adapted to couple with a complemental clamping element guide formation of the clamping element.

14. A chuck jaw according to claim 13, wherein the jaw body guide formation is a jaw body slot and the clamping element guide formation is clamping element adapted to be received and held within the jaw body slot.

15. A chuck jaw according to claim 14, wherein the jaw body defines a jaw body recess operatively adapted to receive a chuck fastener secured to a master jaw of the chuck.

16. A chuck jaw according to claim 15, wherein the jaw body recess is adapted to receive a T-shaped nut coupled to the master jaw.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompany drawings, wherein:

[0027] FIG. 1 is front view of a lathe chuck having three embodiment chuck jaws mounted thereto;

[0028] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the lathe chuck of FIG. 1 showing a partial exploded view of one of the embodiment chuck jaws;

[0029] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a jaw body of the chuck jaw shown partially exploded in FIG. 2;

[0030] FIG. 4 is a top view of the jaw body of FIG. 3;

[0031] FIG. 5 is an end view of the jaw body of FIG. 3;

[0032] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a holding element of the chuck jaw shown partially exploded in FIG. 2;

[0033] FIG. 7 is a side view of the holding element of FIG. 6; and

[0034] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a clamping element of the chuck jaw shown partially exploded in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0035] FIG. 1 shows three embodiment chuck jaws, generally indicated with the reference numerals 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, employed to secure a workpiece 12 to a lathe chuck 14. It is pointed out that the workpiece 12 has irregular contours and that the chuck jaws 10.1, 10.2, 10.3 are adapted to secure the workpiece 12 to the lathe chuck 14 as will become apparent from the below description.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a partially exploded view of the chuck jaw 10.1. Although the description below will focus on the chuck jaw 10.1, the chuck jaws 10.2 and 10.3 are identical to the chuck jaw 10.1 and accordingly include the same components and operate in a manner corresponding to the chuck jaw 10.1.

[0037] The chuck jaw 10.1 first includes a jaw body 16 which is adapted for operative mounting to the lathe chuck 14. The chuck jaw 10.1 further includes a plurality of holding elements 18 operatively associated with the jaw body 16 and adapted to engage the workpiece 12. Each holding element 18 is moveable between (i) a release condition in which the respective holding element 18 is released from the workpiece 12, and (ii) an engaged position in which the respective holding element 18 engages a surface of the workpiece 12. In effect the holding elements 18 can be adjusted longitudinally relative to each other and the jaw body 16 so as to engage the outer contours of the irregular circumference of the workpiece 12. A skilled person will accordingly appreciate that the embodiment chuck jaws 10.1, 10.2, 10.3 can be employed to secure a range of differently configured workpieces by adjusting the holding elements 18 between release and engaged positions to accommodate a particular workpiece.

[0038] The embodiment chuck jaw 10.1 includes a clamping assembly, generally indicated with the reference numeral 20, operatively adapted to secure the holding elements 18 in their respective engaged positions. With the holding elements 18 secured in the engaged positions the workpiece 12 is secured to the lathe chuck 14 in order to undergo a machining process.

[0039] The embodiment clamping assembly 20 includes an oblong jaw body clamping member 22, shown in Figurers 2 and 3, outwardly extending from the jaw body 16. The clamping assembly 20 further includes an oblong clamping element 24, shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, operatively associated with the jaw body clamping member 22. In use the holding elements 18 are clamped between the jaw body clamping member 22 and the clamping element 24.

[0040] The jaw body clamping member 22 includes a plurality of clamping member holes 26 operatively adapted to be located in register with corresponding clamping element holes 28 of the clamping element 24.

[0041] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, each holding element 18 includes a holding element body 30 and two holding element legs 32 outwardly extending for the holding element body 30. The two holding element legs 32 define a holding slot 34 between them. The holding slot 34 of each holding element 18 is adapted to permit clamp fasteners 36 to pass through clamping member holes 26, through the holding slot 34 and through corresponding clamping element holes 28. In this embodiment the clamp fasteners 36 are bolts which are secured in position with mating nuts 38.

[0042] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 8, the jaw body 16 defines a jaw body guide formation 39 operatively adapted to couple with a complemental clamping element guide formation 40 of the clamping element 24. In this embodiment the jaw body guide formation 39 is a T-shaped jaw body slot and the clamping element guide formation 40 is a T-shaped clamping element adapted to be received and held within the jaw body slot 39.

[0043] The jaw body 16 includes two countersunk jaw body bores 42 adapted to receive non-illustrated chuck fasteners to secure the jaw body 10.1 to the lathe chuck 14. In this embodiment the non-illustrated chuck fasteners are operatively adapted to secure the jaw body 16 to a corresponding non-illustrated master jaw of the lathe chuck 14. In this regard it is pointed out that the jaw body 16 defines a jaw body recess 44, shown in FIG. 5, which is operatively adapted to receive a non-illustrated chuck fastener secured to a master jaw of the lathe chuck 14. In this embodiment the jaw body recess 44 is adapted to receive a non-illustrated T-shaped nut coupled to the master jaw.

[0044] Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

KEY TO REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0045] 10.1 Chuck jaw [0046] 10.2 Chuck jaw [0047] 10.3 Chuck jaw [0048] 12 Workpiece [0049] 14 Lathe chuck [0050] 16 Jaw body [0051] 18 Holding element [0052] 20 Clamping assembly [0053] 22 Jaw body clamping member [0054] 24 Clamping element [0055] 26 Clamping member holes [0056] 28 Clamping element holes [0057] 30 Holding element body [0058] 32 Holding element legs [0059] 34 Holding slot [0060] 36 Clamp fastener [0061] 38 Nuts [0062] 39 Jaw body guide formation [0063] 40 Clamping element guide formation [0064] 42 Jaw body bore [0065] 44 Jaw body recess