Patent attributes
A drill chuck has a chuck body centered on and rotatable about an axis, a jaw holder rotatable on the body and formed with a plurality of angularly spaced guides, a sleeve surrounding the holder and body, and jaws in the guides between the sleeve and the body. Interengaging first and second stops on the body engage the sleeve and limit relative angular movement of the sleeve on the body between respective angularly offset first and second end positions. An annular array of teeth rotationally fixed to the chuck body engages first and second pawl angularly fixed on the holder. The pawls and the array of teeth are oriented such that each pawl locks in one direction and ratchets in the other, with the pawls working oppositely. Respective first and second springs urge the first and second pawls into the locking positions.