Anti-friction bearings

Claim 2

In a bearing for a workpiece, a housing, an endless bearing path defined in said housing, said path including an active portion and an inactive portion, a plurality of balls movable in and along said bearing path between said active portion wherein said balls are in load bearing position and said inactive portion wherein said balls are in non-load bearing position, and a roller rotatably mounted in said housing in a load bearing position, certain of said balls being in load bearing engagement with said roller when said balls are in their load bearing position, said roller being rotatable in response to the movement of said balls in said path, and the longitudinal axis of said roller being positioned to intersect the load path vector extending through the points of contact of certain of said balls with said roller and the workpiece when said balls are in the load bearing position.

Claim 3

In a bearing as in claim 1, said housing having opposed surfaces, said balls in said active portion projecting from one of said surfaces, and said roller projecting from the other of said opposed surfaces.

Claim 4

In a bearing as in claim 1, a plurality of bearing paths each being relatively spaced in said housing, said active and inactive portions of each of said bearing paths being relatively spaced at different levels in said housing, a plurality of balls movable in each of said bearing paths, a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted and relatively spaced in said housing between said inactive portions of adjacent bearing paths, each of said rollers being mounted in a load bearing position with respect to one of said paths, and said balls in each path being in load bearing engagement with the adjacent roller when they are in load bearing position.

Claim 5

In a bearing as in claim 3, said housing being an annulus, and said inactive portion of each of said paths being angularly and radially spaced from said active portion of the respective paths.

Claim 6

In a bearing as in claim 4, said housing comprising a retainer in which said bearing paths are defined, a sleeve rotatably connected to said retainer for movement relative to said retainer, and spacer means in each of said inactive portions of each of said bearing paths.

Claim 7

In a bearing as in claim 4, said housing comprising a retainer and a sleeve in which said bearing paths are defined, and means connecting said sleeve and retainer together for conjoint movement.

Claim 8

In a bearing as in claim 1, spacer means in said inactive path portion for guiding said balls toward said active path portion wherein they are in load bearing position in engagement with said roller.

Claim 9

In a bearing as in claim 1, the longitudinal axis of said roller being substantially in radial alignment with an axis extending through the centers of said balls when they are in load bearing position.

Claim 10

In a bearing, first and second load bearing elements, a movable housing in which said first and second load bearing elements are retained, a path defined in said housing in which said first load bearing element moves at an angle to the direction of movement of said housing between load bearing and non-load bearing positions, said path including a portion thereof into which said first load bearing element moves when in load bearing position and a portion thereof into which said first load bearing element moves when in non-load bearing position, and a plurality of said second load bearing elements being rotatably retained in said housing in constant load bearing position, one at said second load bearing elements being engageable between said first load bearing element and another of said second load bearing elements when said first load bearing element is in said load bearing position, said first and said one of said second load bearing elements being engaged as said first load bearing element moves to and from the load bearing position, and the movement of said first load bearing element causing said second load bearing elements to rotate in their load bearing position.

Claim 11

In a bearing, first and second load bearing elements, a movable housing in which said first and second load bearing elements are retained, a path defined in said housing in which said first load bearing element moves at an angle to the direction of movement of said housing between load bearing and non-load bearing positions, said path including a portion thereof into which said first load bearing element moves when in load bearing position and a portion thereof into which said first load bearing element moves when in non-load bearing position, and a plurality of said second load bearing elements being rotatably retained in said housing in constant load bearing position, one at said second load bearing elements being engageable between said first load bearing element and another of said second load bearing elements when said first load bearing element is in said load bearing position, said first and said one of said second load bearing elements being engaged as said first load bearing element moves to and from the load bearing position, and the movement of said first load bearing element causing said second load bearing elements to rotate in their load bearing position.

Claim 12

In a bearing as in claim 9, said first load bearing element being a ball and said second load bearing elements being rollers movable with and in the direction of said housing, said housing including a plurality of said paths defined therein, a plurality of said balls movable in each of said paths, each of said paths having a portion thereof positioned at an angle to the direction of movement of said housing to direct said balls for movement at an angle to the direction of movement of said housing, and at least certain ones of said plurality of balls being engaged with one of said rollers as said balls move in their respective path portion when in load bearing Position.

Claim 13

A bearing comprising a housing a plurality of endless ball paths defined in said housing, a plurality of balls movable in each of said ball paths between load bearing position and non-load bearing position, a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted and spaced in said housing, with only one roller for each of said ball paths in rolling engagement with the balls in load bearing position in its respective ball path, and a portion of each of said paths locating said balls in non-load bearing position in said housing and out of engagement with the rollers in their respective paths.

Claim 14

A bearing comprising a housing a plurality of endless ball paths defined in said housing, a plurality of balls movable in each of said ball paths between load bearing position and non-load bearing position, a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted and spaced in said housing, with only one roller for each of said ball paths in rolling engagement with the balls in load bearing position in its respective ball path, and a portion of each of said paths locating said balls in non-load bearing position in said housing and out of engagement with the rollers in their respective paths.

Claim 15

A bearing as in claim 11, there being at least two rollers for each of said ball paths with one of said two rollers spaced from said balls in load bearing position and another of said rollers engaged between said one roller and said balls in load bearing position.

Claim 16

A bearing as in claim 12, said housing having relatively flat opposed surfaces, certain of said balls projecting through one of said surfaces and one of said plurality of rollers in the respective path of said projecting balls projecting through the opposed surface.

Claim 17

A bearing as in claim 11, said housing comprising a retainer and a sleeve connected for conjoint rotation and in which said paths are defined.

Claim 18

A bearing as in claim 11, said housing comprising a retainer in which said paths are defined, and a sleeve rotatably connected to said retainer.

Claim 19

A bearing as in claim 11, said one roller for each of said ball paths having a tapered end engaged by said balls in their respective ball paths as said balls move into and out of load bearing position.

Claim 20

A bearing as in claim 11, the longitudinal axis of said one roller being intersected by the load path vector extending through the points of contact of said balls with said one roller and the workpiece for the bearing when said balls are in the load bearing position.

Claim 21

A bearing comprising a housing having two substantially flat surfaces and a retainer means defining an endless bearing path, said path including load bearing and non-load bearing portions, a plurality of first bearing elements, a plurality of rotatable second bearing elements, said first bearing elements being movable in said bearing path between a load bearing position wherein they project from one of said housing surfaces and a non-load bearing position, and one of said second bearing elements being engaged between said first bearing elements in load bearing position and another of said second bearing elements having a surface thereof projecting from the other of said housing surfaces, said one second bearing element being free of engagement with said first bearing elements in the non-load bearing position.

Claim 22

A bearing comprising a housing having two substantially flat surfaces and a retainer means defining an endless bearing path, said path including load bearing and non-load bearing portions, a plurality of first bearing elements, a plurality of rotatable second bearing elements, said first bearing elements being movable in said bearing path between a load bearing position wherein they project from one of said housing surfaces and a non-load bearing position, and one of said second bearing elements being engaged between said first bearing elements in load bearing position and another of said second bearing elements having a surface thereof projecting from the other of said housing surfaces, said one second bearing element being free of engagement with said first bearing elements in the non-load bearing position.

Claim 23

In a bearing, a housing, an endless bearing path defined in said housing, said path including an active portion and an inactive portion, a plurality of first bearing elements movable in and along said bearing path between said active portion wherein the same are in load bearing position and said inactive portion wherein the same are in non-load bearing position, a second bearing element in said housing, and certain of said first bearing elements being in load bearing engagement with said second bearing element when said first bearing elements are in their load bearing position, said second bearing element comprising at least two freely rotatable roller bearing elements, one of said two roller bearing elements being engaged between certain of said first bearing elements in the load bearing position and the other of said roller bearing elements.

Claim 24

In a bearing, a housing, an endless bearing path defined in said housing, said path including an active portion and an inactive portion, a plurality of first bearing elements movable in and along said bearing path between said active portion wherein the same are in load bearing position and said inactive portion wherein the same are in non-load bearing position, a second bearing element in said housing, and certain of said first bearing elements being in load bearing engagement with said second bearing element when said first bearing elements are in their load bearing position, said second bearing element comprising at least two freely rotatable roller bearing elements, one of said two roller bearing elements being engaged between certain of said first bearing elements in the load bearing position and the other of said roller bearing elements.

Claim 25

In a bearing as in claim 19, said housing having two relatively flat surfaces, certain of said first bearing elements projecting through one of said surfaces and said other of said second bearing elements projecting through the other of said surfaces.