Ring frame traverse device

Claim 1

IN A RING FRAME AND THE LIKE HAVING A LONGITUDINALLY DISPOSED RAIL CAUSED TO TRAVERSE VERTICALLY BY RECIPROCATION OF SPACED VERTICAL LIFTER RODS MOUNTED WITHIN SPACED APERTURES WITHIN A FIXED RAIL, THE IMPROVEMENT INCLUDING A BEARING SUPPORTING EACH LIFTER ROD CARRIED BY SAID FIXED RAIL, SAID BEARINGS EACH COMPRISING, AN ELEMENT HAVING AN AXIAL OPENING THEREIN, EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS ENGAGING SAID FIXED RAIL ON ONE SIDE OF THE FIXED RAIL, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED SEGMENTS CARRIED BY THE ELEMENT PROJECTING INWARDLY OF SAID OPENING, SPACED INNER BEARING SURFACES CARRIED BY SAID SEGMENTS ENGAGING THE LIFTER ROD, SAID SEGMENTS BEING CONSTRUCTED OF A YIELDING SYNTHETIC POLYMERIC MATERIAL HAVING A RELATIVELY LOW COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION, SAID ELEMENT HAVING PASSAGEWAYS BETWEEN SAID SEGMENTS WITHIN SAID ELEMENT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE LIFTER ROD FOR THE REMOVAL OF LINT AND THE LIKE, AND MEANS FASTENING THE ELEMENT TO SAID FIXED RAIL, WHEREBY LOCKING OF THE RAIL TRAVERSE IS AVOIDED SINCE THE LONGITUDINAL PASSAGEWAYS AND THE YIELDING SEGMENTS OF THE BEARINGS AVOID BINDING AS A RESULT OF LINT ACCUMULATIONS AND FAULTY ALIGNMENT OF THE LIFTER ROD, AND WHEREBY FRICTION BETWEEN THE LIFTER ROD AND THE BEARING IS REDUCED SINCE THE LIFTER ROD IS SUPPORTED WITHIN THE BEARING BY SAID SPACED INNER BEARING SURFACES REDUCING THE SURFACE AREA OF CONTACT BETWEEN THE ROD AND THE BEARING.