Hydra-Lock Corporation

Other

William M Andre

Bruce W Irwin, Sr

Robert Laube

A workholder to hold a workpiece, including a main body partially defining a fluid chamber, and a bladder carried by the main body with an interference fit, further defining the fluid chamber, and composed of an 80 to 100 durometer Shore A scale hardness polymer of a 12:1 to 18:1 diameter-to-wall-thickness ratio. Annular seals may further define the fluid chamber, and are disposed radially between the bladder and main body and axially adjacent the fluid chamber, and are composed of a 60 to 80 durometer Shore A scale hardness polymer. A collet is carried and driven by the bladder for gripping engagement with the workpiece.

Fluid-actuated workholder with a collet driven by a soft and thin bladder

A workholding apparatus includes a body, and a workholding sleeve composed of metal and carried by the body. A fluid chamber receives a fluid between the body and the workholding sleeve. Under fluid pressure, the sleeve is radially displaceable and recoverable to a high degree. For example, when displaced under fluid pressure, the sleeve experiences substantially complete and repeatable strain recovery of at least about 2% of its overall cross-sectional area. Preferably, the sleeve is composed of Nitinol.

Hydrostatically actuated workholding apparatus with high expansion and recovery sleeve

A workholding apparatus includes a body, and a workholding sleeve composed of metal and carried by the body. A fluid chamber receives a fluid between the body and the workholding sleeve. Under fluid pressure, the sleeve is radially displaceable and recoverable to a high degree. For example, the sleeve is radially displaceable to at least one percent in diameter with runout within about 0.03% of its diameter, and after release of fluid pressure repeatably recovers to within about 0.01% of its original relaxed diameter. In another example, when displaced under fluid pressure, the sleeve experiences substantially complete and repeatable strain recovery of at least about 2% of its overall cross-sectional area. Preferably, the sleeve is composed of Nitinol.

A mechanically actuated workpiece holding apparatus comprising a collet at least partially composed of a plastic material. The collet may include cantilevered leaves and may be a plastic coating over a metal substrate.

Mechanically actuated workpiece holder including a plastic collet

A workholding apparatus including a body and a drive member carried by the body, so that the drive member and body partially define a fluid chamber therebetween for containing a fluid. The drive member includes an annular flange that axially abuts and that attaches to the body to resist torsional twisting of the drive member relative to the body. A driven member is also carried by the body and includes multiple displacement reliefs therein. Interengagement features are provided between the driven member and other components of the workholding apparatus, such as the drive member, to resist torsional twisting of the driven member.

Workpiece holder

A workpiece holding apparatus comprises a body, a bladder carried by the body, and a sleeve that is carried by the bladder. A fluid chamber is at least partially defined by the body and the bladder for containing a fluid therein. The bladder comprises at least one first polymer-containing section composed of a first polymer-containing material and is adapted to radially deflect the sleeve into engagement with the workpiece. The bladder further comprises at least one second polymer-containing section disposed adjacent to the first polymer-containing section(s) and is composed of a second polymer-containing material that is less flexible than the first polymer-containing material and where at least a portion of the second polymer-containing section(s) are constructed to engage elastomeric seals of the body of the workpiece holding apparatus to thereby seal pressurized fluid within the fluid chamber.

Workpiece holder with a multi-piece bladder

A workpiece holding apparatus comprises a body, a cartridge assembly carried by the body and a sleeve. The cartridge assembly comprises at least one sealing member and a bladder supported by a retainer and at least partially defining a fluid chamber that houses a pressurized fluid. At least one annular seal is axially provided between the bladder and the sealing member(s). The annular seal(s) correspond with a sealing member, which engages the annular seal(s) upon adjustment of the sealing member. A seal is formed between the sealing member and the bladder that prevents fluid from escaping the fluid chamber. The annular, cylindrical sleeve engages a workpiece when the fluid chamber houses a pressurized fluid, which exerts a radial force against the bladder to the sleeve and into engagement with the workpiece.

Hydrostatic workpiece holder with a removable cartridge assembly

A hydrostatic tool holder having a displaceable metal sleeve formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced and longitudinally extending slots and a flexible, polymeric ring defining at least in part a fluid chamber to separate the fluid in the chamber from the sleeve to prevent the fluid from escaping through the slots in the sleeve. The slots in the metal sleeve enable a large displacement of the sleeve through the polymeric ring so that the hydrostatic tool holder may be used with workpieces having rough finishes, such as cast metal workplieces like cylinder liners for internal combustion engines, which as cast have relatively rough surfaces and relatively low dimensional accuracy.

Large displacement hydrostatic workpiece holder

A hydrostatic holding device has a first actuator constructed to increase the pressure of a hydraulic fluid within a pressure chamber to urge a metal sleeve into firm engagement with a workpiece received in a hydrostatic sleeve and a second actuator constructed to relieve the high pressure within the system to permit the workpiece to be removed from the sleeve when desired. Preferably, the first and second actuators are separate cylinders each having pistons displaceable by separate actuating rods to conveniently achieve the increased pressure needed to firmly hold the workpiece and the bleeding or relieving of the pressure so that the workpiece can be removed from a holder. A check valve downstream of the first actuator prevents reverse flow of the hydraulic fluid from downstream of the check valve back into the first actuator and thereby permits the increased pressure to be maintained independently of the first actuator. A second valve adjacent the second actuator prevents the flow of hydraulic fluid from the pressure chamber to the second actuator until it is opened by the second actuator to permit such flow and thereby relieve the pressure in the pressure chamber and refill and recharge the first actuator.

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Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

William M Andre