Adjustable ball lead nut

Claim 2

In combination, an adjustable ball lead nut and a ball lead screw having complementary helically arranged grooves cooperating to define a helical ball bearing duct, an adjustment member rotatably mounted at one end of said nut, a return duct connecting one end of said helical duct with the other, and adapted to have a plurality of ball bearings disposed in said helical duct and said return duct, portions of said return duct being disposed in said adjustment member and the adjacent end of said nut, said portions cooperating to define an adjustable loop duCt and being so disposed that rotation of said adjustment member in one direction shortens said adjustment loop and causes said ball bearings to become positioned in close mutual engagement, thereby compensating for wear.

Claim 3

The combination according to claim 1, wherein said adjustable loop duct comprises an annular channel provided in one end of said nut cooperating with a surface of said adjustment member to define a first discontinuous annular duct, a transverse duct provided in said adjustment member and communicating at one end with said first annular duct, and a second discontinuous annular duct provided in said adjustment member connected at one end with said transverse duct, said second annular duct being juxtaposed with respect to said first annular duct, the other end of said second annular duct being connected to a connecting duct which in turn is connected to one end of said helical duct.

Claim 4

The combination according to claim 2, wherein said return duct includes a longitudinally disposed duct communicating at one end with the remote end of said helical duct and communicating at the other end with said first annular duct.

Claim 5

The combination according to claim 1, wherein said lead nut is provided with a filling duct communicating with said helical duct for filling said helical duct with ball bearings, and having means provided for closing said filling duct to prevent ball bearings from escaping through said filling duct during operation.

Claim 6

The combination according to claim 1, wherein an angularly positioned boss is provided at each end of said lead nut positioned to guide ball bearings leaving and entering said helical duct in a continuous stream.

Claim 7

The combination according to claim 1, wherein said adjustment member is disc-form and mounted on said lead nut by means of screws extending through arcuate slots provided in said adjustment member and threadedly engaged in said lead nut.

Claim 8

The combination according to claim 6, wherein the inner face of said adjustment member is provided with an arcuate detent extending axially into the annular channel provided in one end of said nut and serving as an adjustable limit for said first annular duct, and said detent is provided at one end with a lip for guiding ball bearings into said transverse duct.

Claim 9

The combination according to claim 7, wherein said lead nut is provided with axial extensions wherein said adjustment member is rotatably mounted on an axial extension at one end, and having at the other end an annular disc rotatably mounted on the other of said axial extensions, the inner axial surface of said annular disc being provided with a discontinuous annular channel cooperating with the surface of said axial extension to define a discontinuous annular duct, said axial extension having an arcuate boss extending radially into said annular channel and providing a limit for said annular duct, a duct provided in said axial extension having an opening adjacent one end of said boss communicating with said annular duct and being tangentially positioned with respect to and communicating with one end of said helical duct, and duct means connecting said discontinuous annular duct with said longitudinally disposed duct.

Claim 10

The combination according to claim 7, wherein said second annular duct comprises a discontinuous annular channel provided on the inner axial surface of said adjustment member cooperating with the outer surface of the axial extension on which said adjustment member is rotatably mounted, said axial extension being provided with an arcuate boss extending radially into and riding in said annular channel, and providing a limit for said channel, and a duct having an orifice immediately adjacent to one end of said boss and extending in said axial extension tangentially to and communicating with one end of said helical duct.

Claim 11

The combination according to claim 7, wherein said axial extensions are recessed to receive limiting rings mounted therein to provide limits for said helical duct, and preventing said ball bearings from leaving said lead nut during operation.

Claim 12

The combination according to claim 1, wherein the helically arranged grooves provided in said lead nut are deeper than the helically arranged grooves provided in said lead screw.

Claim 13

In combination, an adjustment ball lead nut and a ball lead screw having complementary helically arranged grooves cooperating to define a helical ball bearing duct, a longitudinal transfer duct for transferring ball bearings from one end of said helical duct to the other when said lead screw is rotated with respect to said lead nut, and means for connecting an end of said helical duct to said longitudinal transfer duct, comprising an axial extension provided at an end of said lead nut, an annular disc rotatably mounted on said axial extension having means for being affixed to said nut, the annular disc having a discontinuous annular channel provided at its inner axial surface cooperating with the surface of said extension to define a discontinuous annular duct, said axial extension having an arcuate boss extending radially into said annular channel and providing a limit for said duct, a duct provided in said annular axial extension having an opening adjacent one end of said boss communicating with said annular duct and being tangentially positioned with respect to and communicating with one end of said helical duct, and duct means connecting said discontinuous annular duct with said longitudinally disposed duct.

Claim 14

In combination, an adjustment ball lead nut and a ball lead screw having complementary helically arranged grooves cooperating to define a helical ball bearing duct, a longitudinal transfer duct for transferring ball bearings from one end of said helical duct to the other when said lead screw is rotated with respect to said lead nut, and means for connecting an end of said helical duct to said longitudinal transfer duct, comprising an axial extension provided at an end of said lead nut, an annular disc rotatably mounted on said axial extension having means for being affixed to said nut, the annular disc having a discontinuous annular channel provided at its inner axial surface cooperating with the surface of said extension to define a discontinuous annular duct, said axial extension having an arcuate boss extending radially into said annular channel and providing a limit for said duct, a duct provided in said annular axial extension having an opening adjacent one end of said boss communicating with said annular duct and being tangentially positioned with respect to and communicating with one end of said helical duct, and duct means connecting said discontinuous annular duct with said longitudinally disposed duct.