US3776608A — Circulating ball bearing slide

Claim 1

Independent Claim 188 words

A slide assembly comprising a first elongated track member, a second elongated track member generally parallel to said first track member and a third elongated track member disposed between and generally parallel to said first and second members, each said track member having upper and lower longitudinally extending edge portions, said third track member providing, at each of its upper and lower longitudinally extending edge portions, a pair of laterally spaced apart, longitudinally extending ball bearing raceways, one raceway adjacent said first track member and one raceway adjacent said second track member, conduit means at each end of said third track member providing a ball bearing passageway communicating between the upper raceway adjacent said first track member and the lower raceway adjacent said second track member and another ball bearing passageway communicating between the upper raceway adjacent said second track member and the lower raceway adjacent said first track member, and ball bearings substantially filling said raceways and their communicating passageways, said first and second track members including longitudinal portions extending respectively into and engaging the ball bearings in the upper and lower raceways adjacent said track members.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 188 words

A slide assembly comprising a first elongated track member, a second elongated track member generally parallel to said first track member and a third elongated track member disposed between and generally parallel to said first and second members, each said track member having upper and lower longitudinally extending edge portions, said third track member providing, at each of its upper and lower longitudinally extending edge portions, a pair of laterally spaced apart, longitudinally extending ball bearing raceways, one raceway adjacent said first track member and one raceway adjacent said second track member, conduit means at each end of said third track member providing a ball bearing passageway communicating between the upper raceway adjacent said first track member and the lower raceway adjacent said second track member and another ball bearing passageway communicating between the upper raceway adjacent said second track member and the lower raceway adjacent said first track member, and ball bearings substantially filling said raceways and their communicating passageways, said first and second track members including longitudinal portions extending respectively into and engaging the ball bearings in the upper and lower raceways adjacent said track members.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 24 words

The assembly of claim 1 including roller means journal mounted on said third track member rollably to engage said first and second track members.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 59 words

The assembly of claim 1 in which said third track member defines a vertically and longitudinally extending center plane parallel to said raceways, and including a plurality of rollers journalled on said third track member rollably to engage said first and second track members, the journal axes for said rollers being vertically extending and parallel to said center plane.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 61 words

The assembly of claim 3 in which said rollers include at least two longitudinally spaced apart pairs of rollers journalled on vertical axes lying in said center plane such that the outer periphery of each roller engages said first and second track members, the rollers of each pair being vertically spaced apart to be adjacent, respectively, said upper and lower raceways.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 90 words

The assembly of claim 1 including pulley means journalled on a transverse axis on said third track member, and flexible strand means anchored to said first and second track members and trained about said pulley means to establish a driving connection between said track members whereby, when one of said first and second track members is held stationary and the other of said first and second track members is moved in either direction longitudinally, the third track member will be moved in the same direction and at one-half the velocity.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 41 words

The assembly of claim 1 in which said third track member is formed such that said laterally spaced raceways at said upper and lower edge portions are on opposite sides of and parallel to a verTically and longitudinally extending center plane.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 74 words

The assembly of claim 6 in which said third track member is formed to provide, at each of its ends, a pair and another of apertures therethrough, said conduit means including, on each side of each end of said third member, block means providing a passageway leading downwardly from the raceway disposed thereabove to one of said apertures anda other passageway leading upwardly from the raceway disposed therebelow to the other of said apertures.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 19 words

The assembly of claim 7 in which said apertures of each pair are vertically elongated and longitudinally spaced apart.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 95 words

The assembly of claim 6 in which said third track member includes a pair of longitudinally and vertically extending side members and a longitudinally and vertically extending center member sandwiched between said side members, the vertical center of said center member lying in said center plane, the upper and lower longitudinal edges of each side member being formed to provide outwardly extending floor sections and vertically extending wall sections bounding said upper and lower raceways, the upper and lower longitudinal edges of said center member providing the inner vertically extending wall sections for said raceways.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 203 words

A slide assembly comprising a relatively fixed elongated track member having upper and lower longitudinal edge portions, a relatively movable elongated track member having upper and lower longitudinal edge portions, an intermediate elongated track member generally parallel to and disposed between said fixed and movable track members, said intermediate track member having upper and lower longitudinal edge portions and being longitudinally movable relative to said fixed and movable track members, said intermediate track member defining a vertically and longitudinally extending center plane and providing, at each of its upper and lower longitudinal edge portions and on opposite sides of said center plane, longitudinally extending ball bearing raceways, means at each end of said intermediate member for providing a ball bearing passageway communicating between one of said upper raceways and the lower raceway on the opposite side of said center plane and another passageway communicating between the other said upper raceway and the other lower raceway on the opposite side of said center plane, and ball bearings substantially filling said raceways and their communicating passageways, the upper and lower longitudinal edge portions of said fixed and elongated track members extending respectively into and engaging the ball bearings in the adjacent upper and lower raceways.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 203 words

A slide assembly comprising a relatively fixed elongated track member having upper and lower longitudinal edge portions, a relatively movable elongated track member having upper and lower longitudinal edge portions, an intermediate elongated track member generally parallel to and disposed between said fixed and movable track members, said intermediate track member having upper and lower longitudinal edge portions and being longitudinally movable relative to said fixed and movable track members, said intermediate track member defining a vertically and longitudinally extending center plane and providing, at each of its upper and lower longitudinal edge portions and on opposite sides of said center plane, longitudinally extending ball bearing raceways, means at each end of said intermediate member for providing a ball bearing passageway communicating between one of said upper raceways and the lower raceway on the opposite side of said center plane and another passageway communicating between the other said upper raceway and the other lower raceway on the opposite side of said center plane, and ball bearings substantially filling said raceways and their communicating passageways, the upper and lower longitudinal edge portions of said fixed and elongated track members extending respectively into and engaging the ball bearings in the adjacent upper and lower raceways.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 37 words

The assembly of claim 10 including a plurality of rollers journalled on said intermediate track member rollably to engage said first and second track members, the journal axes of said rollers being parallel to said center plane.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 66 words

The assembly of claim 11 in which said track members extend horizontally, said rollers including at least two longitudinally spaced apart pairs of rollers journalled on vertical axes lying in said center plane such that the outer periphery of each roller engages said fixed and movable track members, the rollers of each pair being vertically spaced apart to be adjacent, respectively, said upper and lower raceways.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 71 words

The assembly of claim 10 including pulley means journalled on a transverse axis on said intermediate track member, and flexible strand means anchored to said fixed and movable track members and trained about said pulley means to establish a driving connection between said track members whereby, when said movable track member is moved in either direction longitudinally, the intermediate track member moves in the same direction and at one-half the velocity.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 71 words

The assembly of claim 12 including pulley means journalled on a transverse axis on said intermediate track member, and flexible strand means anchored to said fixed and movable track members and trained about said pulley means to establish a driving connection between said track members whereby, when said movable track member is moved in either direction longitudinally, the intermediate track member moves in the same direction and at one-half the velocity.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 73 words

The assembly of claim 10 in which said intermediate track member is formed to provide, at each of its ends, a pair of apertures therethrough, said conduit means including, on each side of each end of said intermediate track member, block means providing a passageway leading downwardly from the raceway disposed thereabove to one of said apertures and another passageway leading upwardly from the raceway disposed therebelow to the other of said apertures.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 87 words

The assembly of claim 15 in which said intermediate member includes a pair of longitudinally and vertically extending side members and a longitudinally and vertically extending center member, the vertical center of which lies in said center plane, the upper and lower longitudinal edges of each side member being formed to provide outwardly extending floor sections and vertically extending wall sections bounding said upper and lower raceways, the upper and lower longitudinal edges of said center member providing the inner vertically extending wall sections for said raceways.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 18 words

The assembly of claim 16 in which said apertures of each pair are formed in said center member.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 16 words

The assembly of claim 17 in which said apertures are vertically elongated and longitudinally spaced apart.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 200 words

A slide assembly for supporting vertically applied loads comprising a first horizontally elongated track member, a second horizontally elongated track member generally parallel to said first track member, a third horizontally elongated track member disposed between and generally parallel to said first and second members, each said track member having upper and lower longitudinally extending edge portions, said third track member providing, at each of its upper and lower edge portions, a pair of laterally spaced apart, horizontally and longitudinally extending ball bearing raceways on opposite sides of a vertically and longitudinally extending center plane, conduit means continuing said raceways around the ends of said third track member and through said center plane, ball bearings substantially filling said raceways and said conduit means, the upper and lower edge portions of said first and second track members providing downwardly and upwardly longitudinally extending runners extending respectively into said upper and lower raceways on the adjacent side of said center plane to engage said ball bearings therein, said conduit means being proportioned and designed to move said ball bearings vertically out of load bearing contact with said runners when said ball bearings move transversely around the ends of said third track member.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 200 words

A slide assembly for supporting vertically applied loads comprising a first horizontally elongated track member, a second horizontally elongated track member generally parallel to said first track member, a third horizontally elongated track member disposed between and generally parallel to said first and second members, each said track member having upper and lower longitudinally extending edge portions, said third track member providing, at each of its upper and lower edge portions, a pair of laterally spaced apart, horizontally and longitudinally extending ball bearing raceways on opposite sides of a vertically and longitudinally extending center plane, conduit means continuing said raceways around the ends of said third track member and through said center plane, ball bearings substantially filling said raceways and said conduit means, the upper and lower edge portions of said first and second track members providing downwardly and upwardly longitudinally extending runners extending respectively into said upper and lower raceways on the adjacent side of said center plane to engage said ball bearings therein, said conduit means being proportioned and designed to move said ball bearings vertically out of load bearing contact with said runners when said ball bearings move transversely around the ends of said third track member.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 64 words

The assembly of claim 19 in which said conduit means provides, at each end of said third track member, a passageway extending between one of said upper raceways and the lower raceway on the opposite side of said center plane and another passageway extending between the other said upper raceway and the other said lower raceway on the opposite side of said center plane.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 84 words

The assembly of claim 19 in which said conduit means includes, at each end of said third member, means providing upper and lower passageways connecting, respectively, said upper and lower raceways, each said passageway curving about the end of said third track member, said means being proportioned and designed such that said upper passageways include a floor inclining downwardly from the adjacent ends of said upper raceways and said lower passageways include a floor inclining upwardly from the adjacent ends of said lower raceways.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-12-03	1977-06-04	1977-12-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-12-03	1981-06-04	1981-12-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-12-03	1985-06-04	1985-12-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Circulating ball bearing slide

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