Importance

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Abstract

An air pressurized chuck has a spindle journalled in a housing for rotation about a longitudinal axis. One means is mounted in a penultimate portion of the spindle and rotatable therewith for longitudinally reciprocating along the axis in one direction in response to the bias of a coil spring disposed concentrically about the axis between the spindle and the reciprocating means and in an opposite direction in response to a pneumatic force selectively applied to the reciprocating means in excess of the bias. Another means is mounted in an ultimate portion of the spindle and rotatable therewith for concentrically reciprocating gripping portions thereof in relation to the longitudinal axis in an outward direction in response to movement of the longitudinal reciprocating means in the one direction and in an inward direction in response to movement of the longitudinal reciprocating means in the opposite direction. A third means fixed to the spindle and rotatable therewith establishes a reference plane transverse to the longitudinal axis. The spring has a diameter smaller than a smallest outer diameter of the spindle. The small diameter spring minimizes wobble in the rotating spindle. Maintaining the reference plane independent of the concentric reciprocating means assures consistent positioning of a workpiece to be gripped longitudinally in relation to the chuck.

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First Claim