Ball-lock retainers and methods for controlling ball bounce in a ball-lock retainer

• Main Authors: BELYAN, DENNIS MICHAEL, DEL GROSSO, RICHARD EVERETT II
• Format: Patent
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: 16.06.2011
• Subjects: GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HAND TOOLS; MANIPULATORS; MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVINGMATERIAL; PERCUSSIVE TOOLS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; PUNCHING METAL; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS ORPROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL

Retainers for holding tools and methods for controlling the motion of a locking member, such as a resiliently-biased locking ball (80), in a retainer (14). The locking member (80) is disposed in a passage (74) that intersects another passage (58) configured to receive the tool (16). A portion of the locking member (80) has a contacting relationship with the tool (16) in order to hold the tool (16) within its passage (74). The retainer (14) further includes a constraint member, which may be a threaded member (92) or a non-threaded member (132), that occludes the passage (74) containing the locking member (80). During a stamping operation using the tool, the constraint member (92, 132) mechanically constrains motion of the locking member (80) within its passage (74) by contact with the locking member (80).