1. Collet and collet chuck
There are hundreds of different designs of collet but they all work along the same principal of
compressing the collet around the shank of the tool. The collet, which is usually made of spring steel
and has three vertical slits cut into it (kerfs), sits in the tapered receiving sleeve and the
tightening nut is screwed around the outside of the assembly. The tightening nut normally screws
onto the outside of the receiving sleeve and is designed to force the collet into the sleeve as
the nut is done up. Since the receiving sleeve is tapered as the collet is forced into the sleeve
the slits cut into it close up. By this action the collet can compress around the shank of a tool
and hold it firm.
|
