Router collet
First Claim
1. A router collet assembly for removably attaching a cutting tool to an elongated router drive shaft rotatable about a central axis, the router collet assembly comprising:
- a body having an end driven by the drive shaft, a generally circular cylindrical cavity formed therein aligned with the drive shaft central axis, an end face opposite the driven end surrounding the cylindrical cavity, and a threaded outer peripheral surface;
a split collet having a cylindrical bore sized to receive a cylindrical shank of a cutting tool, a first end portion sized to slip it into the body circular cavity, a second end portion provided with a tapered frusto-conical outer surface, and an annular shoulder intermediate the first and second end portions for abuttingly cooperating with the body end face;
a nut having an axial bore extending therethrough with an internal threaded region for cooperating with the body threaded surface and an internal frusto-conical surface for cooperating with the collet frusto-conical outer surface, wherein the rotation of the nut relative to the body in a tightening direction causes the nut to engage the collet and constrict the collet bore to grip a shank of the cutting tool, and the rotation of the nut in an opposite loosening direction enables the collet to release the shank of the cutting tool; and
a retainer for retaining the collet and body together while permitting free rotation about the central axis and limited axial movement, wherein the collet can initially move rotationally and axially a limited distance with the nut as the nut is loosened before the retainer limits further axial movement causing the nut and collet to separate and the collet'"'"'s grip on the cutting tool shank to be released.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A router collet for removably attaching a rotary cutting tool to a router drive shaft is provided having a body, a split collet, a nut and a retainer for retaining the collet and nut together to permit free rotation while limiting axial movement therebetween. This construction enables the nut when loosened to initially rotate with the split collet and cutting tool for limited axial distance whereupon further axial movement of the collet is constrained causing the split collet and nut to separate and the split collet to loosen its grip upon the cutting tool shank.
25 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A router collet assembly for removably attaching a cutting tool to an elongated router drive shaft rotatable about a central axis, the router collet assembly comprising:
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a body having an end driven by the drive shaft, a generally circular cylindrical cavity formed therein aligned with the drive shaft central axis, an end face opposite the driven end surrounding the cylindrical cavity, and a threaded outer peripheral surface; a split collet having a cylindrical bore sized to receive a cylindrical shank of a cutting tool, a first end portion sized to slip it into the body circular cavity, a second end portion provided with a tapered frusto-conical outer surface, and an annular shoulder intermediate the first and second end portions for abuttingly cooperating with the body end face; a nut having an axial bore extending therethrough with an internal threaded region for cooperating with the body threaded surface and an internal frusto-conical surface for cooperating with the collet frusto-conical outer surface, wherein the rotation of the nut relative to the body in a tightening direction causes the nut to engage the collet and constrict the collet bore to grip a shank of the cutting tool, and the rotation of the nut in an opposite loosening direction enables the collet to release the shank of the cutting tool; and a retainer for retaining the collet and body together while permitting free rotation about the central axis and limited axial movement, wherein the collet can initially move rotationally and axially a limited distance with the nut as the nut is loosened before the retainer limits further axial movement causing the nut and collet to separate and the collet'"'"'s grip on the cutting tool shank to be released. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A router collet assembly for removably attaching a cutting tool to an elongated router drive shaft rotatable about a central axis, the router collet assembly comprising:
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a body having an end driven by the drive shaft, a generally circular cylindrical cavity formed therein aligned with the drive shaft central axis, an end face opposite the drive end surrounding the cylindrical cavity, an internally threaded bore located along the central axis and oriented within the center of the generally circular cylindrical cavity, and a threaded outer peripheral surface; a split collet having a cylindrical bore sized to receive a cylindrical shank of a cutting tool, a first end portion sized to slip it into the body circular cavity, a bottom plate with a central aperture located adjacent an axial end of the collet, a second end portion provided with a tapered frusto-conical outer surface, and an annular shoulder intermediate the first and second end portions for abuttingly cooperating with the body end face; a nut having an axial bore extending therethrough with an internal threaded region for cooperating with the body threaded surface and an internal frusto-conical surface for cooperating with the split collet frusto-conical outer surface, wherein the rotation of the nut relative to the body in a tightening direction causes the nut to engage the split collet and constrict the split collet bore to grip a shank of the cutting tool, and the rotation of the nut in an opposite loosening direction enables the collet to release the shank of the cutting tool; and a threaded fastener having an enlarged head for cooperating with the split collet bottom plate and a threaded portion for attachment to the body threaded aperture, thereby retaining the collet and body together while permitting free rotation about the central axis and limited axial movement, so that the split collet can initially move rotationally and axially a limited distance with the nut as the nut is loosened before the threaded fastener limits further axial movement of the split collet causing the nut and collet to separate and the collet'"'"'s grip on the cutting tool shank to be released. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A router collet assembly for removably attaching a cutting tool to an elongated router drive shaft rotatable about a central axis, the router collet assembly comprising:
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a body having an end driven by the drive shaft, a generally circular cylindrical cavity formed therein aligned with the drive shaft central axis, an annular groove formed in the cylindrical cavity, an end face opposite the driver end surrounding the cylindrical cavity, and a threaded outer peripheral surface; a split collet of generally C-shape when viewed axially, having a longitudinally extending slot between two circumferential collet ends, the split collet being sufficiently elastic to enable the circumferential collet ends to be elastically biased toward each other enabling the split collet to constrict in size, the split collet having a cylindrical bore sized to receive a cylindrical shank of a cutting tool, a first end portion having an annular flange sized to slip it into the body circular cylindrical cavity when the split collet circumferential collet ends are elastically biased together and to expand into the annular groove formed within the cylindrical cavity, a second end portion provided with a tapered frusto-conical outer surface, and an annular shoulder intermediate the first and second end portions for abuttingly cooperating with the body end face; a nut having an axial bore extending therethrough with an internal threaded region for cooperating with the body threaded surface and an internal frusto-conical surface for cooperating with the collet frusto-conical outer surface, wherein the rotation of the nut relative to the body in a tightening direction causes the nut to engage the split collet and constrict the split collet bore to grip a shank of the cutting tool, and the rotation of the nut in an opposite loosening direction enables the split collet to release the shank of the cutting tool; and wherein the split collet annular flange and the body annular groove cooperate with one another to enable the split collet to rotate relative to the body and to move axially a limited amount so that the split collet can initially move rotationally and axially with the nut as the nut is loosened before the engagement of the split collet annular flange and the body angular groove limit further axial movement causing the split collet and nut to separate and the split collet'"'"'s grip and the cutting tool shank released. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification