Means for positioning ball retainer for telescoping ball bearing slide mechanisms in relationship to open or closed position of same

Claim 2

Means for recycling of ball retainers to effectively eliminate harmful ball creepage for telescoping ball bearing slide mechanisms, comprising: an outer slide member of generally channel shape and having a longitudinally extending bottom wall and oppositely arranged ball races along thE side edges of the bottom wall, said ball races being concave in cross-section and facing each other; an inner channel shaped slide member having a bottom longitudinally extending between wall and oppositely facing ball races along the side edges thereof, said ball races being concave in cross-section and facing outwardly, the inner slide member operably disposed within the other slide member; a ball retainer having a longitudinally extending bottom wall, and side parts having openings for balls in longitudinally spaced relationship, said ball retainer being disposed between the outer and inner slide members and having a normal 0 position when the slide members are telescoped; balls in said openings, said balls being operably disposed in the ball races and retained therein by said ball retainer; a stop for the outer slide member adjacent one end thereof; a stop for the inner slide member adjacent one end for engagement with the stop of the outer slide member to limit telescoping movement of the slide members; ball retainer stop means for the outer slide member adjacent the first mentioned stop thereof for limiting movement of the ball retainer to a normal 0 position when the slide mechanism is telescoped; a fixed recycle tab for the inner slide member; and a fixed counter tab for the ball retainer engagable by the recycle tab of the slide inner member for positively moving the ball retainer to the normal zero position when the slide members are telescoped.

Claim 3

The invention defined by claim 1, including an alternate movable recycle tab at each end of the inner slide member for positively moving the ball retainer to the normal zero position when the inner slide member has been moved forward and then telescoped; the movable inner member tab engaging the ball retainer tab for positively moving the ball retainer to the normal zero position when the slide inner member has been moved aft and then telescoped.

Claim 4

The invention defined by claim 1 wherein the recycle tab is at the inner side of the bottom wall of the inner slide member and the counter tab is on the central portion of the ball retainer.

Claim 5

The invention defined by claim 3, wherein the recycle tab is lanced from the bottom wall of the inner slide member, and the counter tab is lanced from the central portion of the ball retainer and in alignment with the recycle tab.

Claim 6

The invention defined by claim 3, wherein the recycle tab moves away from the counter tab when the inner slide member is extended.

Claim 7

Means for recycling ball bearing retainers for telescoping ball bearing slide mechanisms, comprising: an outer slide member having longitudinally extending ball bearing races a flange stop member at each end, and atleast one tongue member positioned between said flanges stop members; an inner slide member within the outer slide member and having longitudinally extending ball bearing races operably aligned with the ball bearing races of the outer slide member; a ball bearing retainer disposed between the inner and outer slide members, said ball bearing retainer having side parts with openings therein for ball bearings; ball bearings operably disposed between algined ball bearing races of said outer and inner slide members and operably received in openings of said side parts of the outer and inner slide members, said side parts retaining the ball bearings in operable position within said races; one of the slide members being movable between an extended position and a normal predetermined telescoped position relative to the other slide member; the ball retainer moving in the same direction as the movable slide member but a lesser distance, said ball retainer having a normal predetermined starting position when the slide members are telescoped with the movable slide member at its predetermined normal position relative to the other slide member, movement of the movable slide member from its normal position causing the ball retainer to operably move from its predetermined normal position; and means on the inner member engagable with a part of the ball retainer for positively moving the ball retainer to the normal zero position when the slide inner member has been moved aft and then telescoped said means on the inner member comprising a tab; and a counter tab on the ball retainer, the tab of the inner member being engageable with the ball retainer for positively moving the ball retainer to the normal zero position when the inner member has been moved forward and then telescoped.

Claim 8

Means for recycling ball bearing retainers for telescoping ball bearing slide mechanisms, comprising: an outer slide member having longitudinally extending ball bearing races a flange stop member at each end, and atleast one tongue member positioned between said flanges stop members; an inner slide member within the outer slide member and having longitudinally extending ball bearing races operably aligned with the ball bearing races of the outer slide member; a ball bearing retainer disposed between the inner and outer slide members, said ball bearing retainer having side parts with openings therein for ball bearings; ball bearings operably disposed between algined ball bearing races of said outer and inner slide members and operably received in openings of said side parts of the outer and inner slide members, said side parts retaining the ball bearings in operable position within said races; one of the slide members being movable between an extended position and a normal predetermined telescoped position relative to the other slide member; the ball retainer moving in the same direction as the movable slide member but a lesser distance, said ball retainer having a normal predetermined starting position when the slide members are telescoped with the movable slide member at its predetermined normal position relative to the other slide member, movement of the movable slide member from its normal position causing the ball retainer to operably move from its predetermined normal position; and means on the inner member engagable with a part of the ball retainer for positively moving the ball retainer to the normal zero position when the slide inner member has been moved aft and then telescoped said means on the inner member comprising a tab; and a counter tab on the ball retainer, the tab of the inner member being engageable with the ball retainer for positively moving the ball retainer to the normal zero position when the inner member has been moved forward and then telescoped.

Claim 9

Means for recycling ball bearing retainers for telescoping ball bearing slide mechanisms, comprising: an outer slide member having longitudinally extending ball bearing races, a flange stop member at each end, and atleast one tongue member positioned between said flange stop member; an inner slide member within the outer slide member and having longitudinally extending ball bearing races operably aligned with the ball bearing races of the outer slide member; a ball bearing retainer disposed between the inner and outer slide members, said ball bearing retainer having side parts with openings therein for ball bearings; ball bearings operably disposed between aligned ball bearing races of said outer and inner slide members and operably received in openings of said side parts of the outer and inner slide members, said side parts retaining the ball bearings in operable position within said races; one of the slide members being movable between an extended position and a normal predetermined telescoped position relative to the other slide member; the ball retainer moving in the same direction as the movable slide member but a lesser distance, said ball retainer having a normal predetermined starting position when the slide members are telescoped with the movable slide member at its predetermined normal position relative to the other slide member, movement of the movable slide member from its normal position causing the ball retainer to operably move from its predetermined normal position; a counter tab carried by the ball retainer; and a tab carried by the movable slide member for engaging the tab of the ball retainer and for positively recycling said ball retainer to its normal position upon telescoping of the movable slide member to its normal predetermined telescoped position.

Claim 10

Means for recycling ball bearing retainers for telescoping ball bearing slide mechanisms, comprising: an outer slide member having longitudinally extending ball bearing races, a flange stop member at each end, and atleast one tongue member positioned between said flange stop member; an inner slide member within the outer slide member and having longitudinally extending ball bearing races operably aligned with the ball bearing races of the outer slide member; a ball bearing retainer disposed between the inner and outer slide members, said ball bearing retainer having side parts with openings therein for ball bearings; ball bearings operably disposed between aligned ball bearing races of said outer and inner slide members and operably received in openings of said side parts of the outer and inner slide members, said side parts retaining the ball bearings in operable position within said races; one of the slide members being movable between an extended position and a normal predetermined telescoped position relative to the other slide member; the ball retainer moving in the same direction as the movable slide member but a lesser distance, said ball retainer having a normal predetermined starting position when the slide members are telescoped with the movable slide member at its predetermined normal position relative to the other slide member, movement of the movable slide member from its normal position causing the ball retainer to operably move from its predetermined normal position; a counter tab carried by the ball retainer; and a tab carried by the movable slide member for engaging the tab of the ball retainer and for positively recycling said ball retainer to its normal position upon telescoping of the movable slide member to its normal predetermined telescoped position.