Machine element drive means

Claim 2

In a machine element drive means for moving one machine element relative to another machine element, the combination including: a. a first part comprising a gear rack means on one of said machine elements and being provided with a plurality of teeth; b. a second part comprising a rotatable drive worm means operatively mounted on the other of said machine elements and in meshing driving engagement with said gear rack means, whereby when said drive worm means is rotated in said gear rack means a relative movement between said machine elements is produced; c. one of said drive means parts being provided with teeth comprising a plurality of studs; and, d. the other of said drive means parts being provided with square teeth.

Claim 3

In a machine element drive means for moving one machine element relative to another machine element, the combination including: a. a first part comprising a gear rack means on one of said machine elements and being provided with a plurality of teeth; b. a second part comprising a rotatable drive worm means operatively mounted on the other of said machine elements and in meshing driving engagement with said gear rack means, whereby when said drive worm means is rotated in said gear rack means a relative movement between said machine elements is produced; c. one of said drive means parts being provided with teeth comprising a plurality of studs; and, d. the other of said drive means parts being provided with square teeth.

Claim 4

In a machine element drive means for moving one machine element relative to another machine element, the combination including: a. a first part comprising a gear rack means on one of said machine elements and being provided with a plurality of teeth; b. a second part comprising a rotatable drive worm means operatively mounted on the other of said machine elements and in meshing driving engagement with said gear rack means, whereby when said drive worm means is rotated in said gear rack means a relative movement between said machine elements is produced; c. one of said drive means parts being provided with teeth comprising a plurality of studs; and, d. the other of said drive means parts being provided with square teeth.

Claim 5

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 1, wherein: a. said studs are each rotatably mounted in bearing means.

Claim 6

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive worm means includes: a. two drive worm parts; and, b. means for rotatably adjusting the drive worm parts relative to each other and for releasably securing said two drive worm parts together to provide a preload pressure by said drive worm parts on the gear rack means.

Claim 7

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 3, wherein: a. a plurality of driving contacts are provided between said drive worm means and gear rack means.

Claim 8

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 3, wherein: a. one of said drive worm parts is adjustably rotatable relative to the other of said drive worm parts.

Claim 9

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 3, wherein: a. the preload pressure between the drive worm parts and the gear rack means may be adjusted up to and above the cutting tool load.

Claim 10

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 1, including: a. power drive means connected to said drive worm means for rotating the drive worm means.

Claim 11

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 7, wherein: a. said power drive means comprises an electric motor having a stator armature and a rotor winding member; and, b. said drive worm means is operatively mounted on said rotor winding member.

Claim 12

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 7, wherein said power drive means comprises: a. an electric motor mounted on said other of said machine elements; and, b. a pulley and drive belt means operatively connecting said electric motor to said drive worm means.

Claim 13

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 7, wherein said power drive means comprises: a. an electric motor having a drive shaft coupled in alignment with a shaft rotatably supporting the drive worm means.

Claim 14

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 7, wherein said power drive means comprises: a. an electric motor having a drive shaft integrally connected to a shaft rotatably supporting said drive worm means.

Claim 15

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 1, wherein: a. the drive worm means and gear rack means meshing with and engaging surfaces are hardened to an equal degree.

Claim 16

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 1, wherein: rotatably a. said teeth comprising a plurality of studs are formed on the drive worm means and include a plurality of radially disposed studs which are each rotatably mounted in bearing means and positioned about the axis of the rotation of the drive worm means; and, b. said gear rack means is provided with said square teeth.

Claim 17

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 13, wherein: a. said drive worm means comprises two parts; b. said drive worm means includes means for releasably securing said two drive worm parts together; and, c. said plurality of studs on the drive worm means are mounted on the two drive worm parts on a helix angle.

Claim 18

In a machine element drive means for moving one machine element relative to another machine element, the combination including: a. a first part comprising a gear rack means on one of said machine elements and being provided with a plurality of teeth; b. a second part comprising a rotatable drive worm means operatively mounted on the other of said machine elements and in meshing driving engagement with said gear rack means, whereby when said drive worm means is rotated in said gear rack means a relative movement between said machine elements is produced; c. one of said drive means parts being provided with teeth comprising a plurality of studs; d. the other of said drive means parts being provided with square teeth; e. said teeth comprising a plurality of studs which are formed on the drive worm means and which include a plurality of radially disposed studs which are each rotatably mounted in bearing means and positioned about the axis of the rotation of the drive worm means; f. said gear rack means being provided with said square teeth; g. each of said gear rack means square teeth being made separately; and, h. said separately made square teeth being assembled together to comprise said gear rack means.

Claim 19

In a machine element drive means for moving one machine element relative to another machine element, the combination including: a. a first part comprising a gear rack means on one of said machine elements and being provided with a plurality of teeth; b. a second part comprising a rotatable drive worm means operatively mounted on the other of said machine elements and in meshing driving engagement with said gear rack means, whereby when said drive worm means is rotated in said gear rack means a relative movement between said machine elements is produced; c. one of said drive means parts being provided with teeth comprising a plurality of studs; d. the other of said drive means parts being provided with square teeth; e. said teeth comprising a plurality of studs which are formed on the drive worm means and which include a plurality of radially disposed studs which are each rotatably mounted in bearing means and positioned about the axis of the rotation of the drive worm means; f. said gear rack means being provided with said square teeth; g. each of said gear rack means square teeth being made separately; and, h. said separately made square teeth being assembled together to comprise said gear rack means.

Claim 20

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 15, wherein: a. each of said separately made gear rack means square teeth is made as a separate flat plate.

Claim 21

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 16, including: a. spacer means for spacing apart said separately made square teeth flat plates.

Claim 22

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 17, wherein said gear rack means comprises: a. a mounting block secured to said one machine element; b. said plurality of square teeth flat plates being mounted on said block and spaced by said spacer means; and, c. locking means for releasably locking said square teeth flat plates to said block.

Claim 23

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 18, wherein: a. said spacer means comprises a plurality of spacer members.

Claim 24

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 19, wherein: a. said plurality of spacer members comprise a plurality of spacer plates.

Claim 25

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 18, wherein: a. said square teeth flat plates are disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the gear rack means.

Claim 26

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 18, wherein: a. said square teeth flat plates are disposed nonperpendicular relative to the longitudinal axis of the gear rack means.

Claim 27

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 13, wherein: a. said square teeth are integrally formed on an elongated base member.

Claim 28

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 1, wherein: a. said gear rack means is formed on a machine element way.

Claim 29

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 1, wherein: a. said gear rack means is formed on a machine element.

Claim 30

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 1, wherein: a. said teeth comprising a plurality of studs are formed on the gear rack means; and, b. said drive worm means is provided with said square teeth.

Claim 31

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 26, wherein said drive worm means includes: a. two drive worm parts; b. means for releasably securing two drive worm parts together; and, c. said square teeth are helically formed on said two drive worm parts about the axis of rotation of the drive worm parts.

Claim 32

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 26, wherein: a. said studs are rotatably mounted in bearing means in longitudinally aligned, spaced apart positions on a support means.

Claim 33

In a machine element drive means for moving one machine element relative to another machine element, the combination including: a. a first part comprising a gear rack means on one of said machine elements and being provided with a plurality of teeth; b. a Second part comprising a rotatable drive worm means operatively mounted on the other of said machine elements and in meshing driving engagement with said gear rack means, whereby when said drive worm means is rotated in said gear rack means a relative movement between said machine elements is produced; c. one of said drive means parts being provided with teeth comprising a plurality of studs; d. the other of said drive means parts being provided with square teeth; e. said teeth comprising a plurality of studs which are formed on the gear rack means; f. said drive worm means being provided with said square teeth; g. said studs being rotatably mounted in bearing means on a support means; and, h. said studs being disposed in helically disposed lines along the support means to simulate helically formed teeth on a support means.

Claim 34

In a machine element drive means for moving one machine element relative to another machine element, the combination including: a. a first part comprising a gear rack means on one of said machine elements and being provided with a plurality of teeth; b. a Second part comprising a rotatable drive worm means operatively mounted on the other of said machine elements and in meshing driving engagement with said gear rack means, whereby when said drive worm means is rotated in said gear rack means a relative movement between said machine elements is produced; c. one of said drive means parts being provided with teeth comprising a plurality of studs; d. the other of said drive means parts being provided with square teeth; e. said teeth comprising a plurality of studs which are formed on the gear rack means; f. said drive worm means being provided with said square teeth; g. said studs being rotatably mounted in bearing means on a support means; and, h. said studs being disposed in helically disposed lines along the support means to simulate helically formed teeth on a support means.

Claim 35

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 19, wherein: a. said helically disposed studs are mounted on a concave upper face on a support means.

Claim 36

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 13, wherein: a. said studs on the drive worm means are each provided with cylindrically shaped nose having straight, axially extended, peripheral sides which engage the teeth on the gear rack means.

Claim 37

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 13, wherein: a. said studs on the drive worm means each provided with a ball shaped nose which engages the teeth on the gear rack means.

Claim 38

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 13, wherein: a. said studs on the drive worm means are each provided with a conically shaped nose which engages the teeth on the gear rack means.

Claim 39

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 33, wherein: a. said conically shaped nose is provided with a rounded end and a tapered peripheral side which is tapered toward the rounded end.

Claim 40

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 33, wherein: a. said conically shaped nose is frusto-conically shaped.

Claim 41

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 26, wherein: a. said studs on the gear rack means are each provided with a cylindrically shaped nose having straight, axially extended, peripheral sides which engage the teeth on the drive worm means.

Claim 42

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 26, wherein: a. said studs on the gear rack means are each provided with a ball shaped nose which engages the teeth on the drive worm means.

Claim 43

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 26, wherein: a. said studs on the gear rack means are each provided with a conically shaped nose which engages the teeth on the drive worm means.

Claim 44

A machine element drive means as defined in claim 38, wherein: a. said conically shaped nose is provided with a rounded end and a tapered peripheral side which is tapered toward the rounded end.