Pancake 5C pneumatic collet closer
Need help identifying a round, pneumatic 6" collet closer. The only legible markings I can read indicate Hartford, Ct. I am not familiar enough to know what companies make tooling and accessories in Hartford.
It is a unit in very nice condition and I would like to find a manual for it. It has 6 holes on the flat base to allow mounting on a faceplate with 6 T-Slot nuts. The immediate problem I have is that there is not enough clearance between the base and the upper structure to allow the bolts to be inserted. There is a half circle cut into the upper part and it appears obvious that is it placed so that you can rotate it and have room to insert the bolts through the base.
I am unable to rotate the and there appears to be no locking mechanism that is holding it. The unit used a spring return to release the collet. I have to make a spanner wrench 3 1/2 " in order to fit the holes in the top plate. Without a manual, I am hesitant to start unscrewing the top plate for fear of the sping tension launching the top piece through the roof (or my arn).
Is anyone familiar with this unit and/or have a manual on it? It is not a Mead, as I have another unit that is a Mead and it is not the same design.
Doug
Re: Pancake 5C pneumatic collet closer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
calmissile
Need help identifying a round, pneumatic 6" collet closer. The only legible markings I can read indicate Hartford, Ct. I am not familiar enough to know what companies make tooling and accessories in Hartford.
It is a unit in very nice condition and I would like to find a manual for it. It has 6 holes on the flat base to allow mounting on a faceplate with 6 T-Slot nuts. The immediate problem I have is that there is not enough clearance between the base and the upper structure to allow the bolts to be inserted. There is a half circle cut into the upper part and it appears obvious that is it placed so that you can rotate it and have room to insert the bolts through the base.
I am unable to rotate the and there appears to be no locking mechanism that is holding it. The unit used a spring return to release the collet. I have to make a spanner wrench 3 1/2 " in order to fit the holes in the top plate. Without a manual, I am hesitant to start unscrewing the top plate for fear of the sping tension launching the top piece through the roof (or my arn).
Is anyone familiar with this unit and/or have a manual on it? It is not a Mead, as I have another unit that is a Mead and it is not the same design.
Doug
A photo would be good sound like it was used as a milling fixture, which are still made by many different companies
3 Attachment(s)
Re: Pancake 5C pneumatic collet closer
I will try to upload photos. I have never done it.
Attachment 395460Attachment 395462
Re: Pancake 5C pneumatic collet closer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
calmissile
Looks to be in good shape no need to take it apart, they normally mount to a sub plate that then mounts straight to the mill table, I think the black ring can move around, so where someone has made the cutout, you line this up with each bolt hole to put the SHCS in, they are still made just the same by other manufactures
Re: Pancake 5C pneumatic collet closer
Finally, success! I had purchased a 3.5 " spanner wrench on E-Bay but the pins were too large for the 1/4" holes in the top plate. I machined some adapters and they fit like a glove. Finally got the top plate to move, but it felt like it was turning against the 'return' spring pressure. I was brave enough to get about a 1/8 inch gap between the top plate and the main body. Discovered a set of internal threads about 5/16 from the edge.. With air pressure applied to close the collet you cannot turn the plate at all.
With the 1/8 inch gap I was still unable to turn the outer housing to line up the mounting holes with the cut out on the edge of the closer. Thanks to AeroKroil and about an hour of waiting I was finally able to get some rotational movement of the outer shell. Some more Kroil and patience, I was able to get the outer ring to fully rotate around the closer. This brought out a discovery that I had not considered earlier. I thought I was going to have the air fitting rotating 360 deg as the rotary table rotates on the mill. Since the outer sleeve now rotates completely, I will be able to have the rotary table go to any position and the air fitting can stay in one place.
After rotating the top plate back down to it's stop, the outside shell is still free to rotate.It works like a champ. I am so happy.
If someone knows which company in Hartford, Connecticut made machine tools 10-25 years ago, please advise. I would still like to find a manual on the closer in case I need to ever take it apart to change O-Rings, etc.
Doug
Re: Pancake 5C pneumatic collet closer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
calmissile
Finally, success! I had purchased a 3.5 " spanner wrench on E-Bay but the pins were too large for the 1/4" holes in the top plate. I machined some adapters and they fit like a glove. Finally got the top plate to move, but it felt like it was turning against the 'return' spring pressure. I was brave enough to get about a 1/8 inch gap between the top plate and the main body. Discovered a set of internal threads about 5/16 from the edge.. With air pressure applied to close the collet you cannot turn the plate at all.
With the 1/8 inch gap I was still unable to turn the outer housing to line up the mounting holes with the cut out on the edge of the closer. Thanks to AeroKroil and about an hour of waiting I was finally able to get some rotational movement of the outer shell. Some more Kroil and patience, I was able to get the outer ring to fully rotate around the closer. This brought out a discovery that I had not considered earlier. I thought I was going to have the air fitting rotating 360 deg as the rotary table rotates on the mill. Since the outer sleeve now rotates completely, I will be able to have the rotary table go to any position and the air fitting can stay in one place.
After rotating the top plate back down to it's stop, the outside shell is still free to rotate.It works like a champ. I am so happy.
If someone knows which company in Hartford, Connecticut made machine tools 10-25 years ago, please advise. I would still like to find a manual on the closer in case I need to ever take it apart to change O-Rings, etc.
Doug
Yes there will be Orings in the outer ring for sure, they must of been stuck from gunk / coolant Etc, they where not meant for 4th axes use, but if it moves slow it will be fine
Re: Pancake 5C pneumatic collet closer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mactec54
Yes there will be Orings in the outer ring for sure, they must of been stuck from gunk / coolant Etc, they where not meant for 4th axes use, but if it moves slow it will be fine
Thanks for the response.
Still no response as to who made this unit in Hartford, Ct. Would like to find a manual on it. There must be one somewhere. :)
Do you have any idea on whether the spring tension will be released before the threads end when disassembling it? Afraid of launching the part into the air. I would like to disassemble it and clean the 'O' rings, etc.
Doug
Re: Pancake 5C pneumatic collet closer
Quote:
Originally Posted by
calmissile
Thanks for the response.
Still no response as to who made this unit in Hartford, Ct. Would like to find a manual on it. There must be one somewhere. :)
Do you have any idea on whether the spring tension will be released before the threads end when disassembling it? Afraid of launching the part into the air. I would like to disassemble it and clean the 'O' rings, etc.
Doug
Hold some pressure on it, like in a mill or drill press, when you are unscrewing it, they are not very big springs so won't have much force on them otherwise they would of been very difficult to assemble
