Abstract: A linear motion bearing is disclosed which includes a rail having a plurality of load bearing surfaces and a carriage which rolls smoothly along the rail to slidably support any of a plurality of devices such as individual tools, pillow blocks, etc. The bearing carriage includes a plurality of rolling element surfaces which define with the load bearing surfaces of the rail, load bearing raceways for reception of cylindrical rollers. The carriage further defines return raceways which communicate with the loaded bearing raceways for conducting the rollers between the loaded and return raceways. The loaded bearing surfaces have a unique convex shape facing the working surfaces of the rollers and thereby avoid undue stresses otherwise occurring at the roller ends. A plurality of molded plastic roller retainers are provided with integral inner end caps to guide the rollers between loaded and return raceways. Outer end caps are positioned thereover to seal the bearing and facilitate lubrication.

Abstract: A bearing assembly mounted on a shaft provided with one or more ball conforming grooves, the bearing assembly including a bearing retainer sleeve supporting one or more ball retainers that provide recirculating ball bearing raceways, each raceway having a load-free portion and a load-bearing portion adjacent a grooved load-carrying plate, with each load-carrying plate corresponding to a shaft groove being mounted in the retainer so as to be capable of reorienting itself about the line of balls under loading between such load-carrying plate and its corresponding shaft groove.

Abstract: A linear motion bearing is provided having a rail, a bearing carriage movable along the rail, a number of recirculating rolling element tracks formed in the carriage for conducting recirculating rolling elements between load bearing tracks and return tracks, the rolling elements serving to support the carriage on the rail when they are in the load bearing track, a number of integral retainer and inner guides structures substantially supported on the bearing carriage and end caps including turnaround tracks connecting the load bearing tracks and the return tracks, the end caps receiving the integral inner guides of the retainer and inner guides structure.

Abstract: A bearing liner to be fitted within a housing bore. The bearing liner comprises a hollow cylindrically shaped member having an external circumferential support, such as a rib, located away from the ends of the liner. The bearing liner has a gap extending from one end to the other to facilitate the axial insertion of the bearing liner into the housing bore. An undercut in the housing bore engages the support thereby retaining the bearing liner within the housing.

Abstract: A self-contained linear bearing unit presenting a single line of bearing support therewith is comprised of a retainer having ball-loaded paths and ball-unloaded paths with turnaround paths being located in end sections of the retainer. Caps received on the end sections capture the ball bearings and a bearing plate is disposed over the balls in the ball-loaded path. The unit can be made in a linked together chain of such units and various bearing configurations can be formed from plural ones of such units arranged in a desired disposition.

Abstract: A split roller bearing assembly includes a bearing body, an endless roller bearing chain mounted on the bearing body, and a plurality of rollers mounted on the chain. The bearing body has a load bearing surface and a return surface which define a path for continuous recirculating movement of the rollers thereabout. The roller bearing chain includes a plurality of pins arranged in a spaced, parallel relationship, and link members connecting the axial ends of adjacent pins together. Each roller is mounted on a corresponding pin of the chain, and is split to define at least two roller components rotatably mounted co-axially to each other on the same pin. Each roller component is rotatable independently of the other roller component of the same pin.

Abstract: A linear motion bearing assembly is provided having a pair of aligned shafts which are fastened together, and a pair of bearings which either roll or slide on the aligned shafts. The shafts may be fastened together along a joint formed on their outer surfaces or they may be fastened together with a spacer disposed between the shafts.

Abstract: A linear bearing can engage at least one longitudinal groove of a rod. The bearing has a primary carrier pivotally mounted on a frame. The carrier is sized to enter the groove. The bearing also has a pair of spaced rollers laterally projecting from the primary carrier. The rollers can ride upon the longitudinal groove.

Abstract: A combination linear and rotary anti-friction bearing. The bearing includes a casing within which is mounted a plurality of oblong tracks containing anti-friction balls adapted to engage a shaft and load bearing plates. Assembled to the casing at each terminal end thereof are rotary anti-friction balls mounted between outer and inner cylindrical raceway members so as to provide a linear and rotary bearing. The outer cylindrical members have a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the casing.

Abstract: A ball bearing for linear motion which is particularly useful in applications where the "open type" ball bearing is in combination with a shaft supported along its length which is subjected to radial forces primarily toward or away from the open side of the bearing.The ball bearing for linear motion consists of a bearing sleeve adapted to position a plurality of bearing segments on its inside surface. Each bearing segment contains a closed loop of circulating balls. The closed loop has one straight track of load bearing balls and one straight track of non-load bearing balls. The bearing segments are circumferentially positioned within the bearing sleeve so as to maximize the capacity of the bearing when load is applied either toward or away from the open side of the bearing.

Abstract: A linear motion ball bearing assembly and shaft having ball conforming portions are combined to support heavier-than-normal loads and provide torque resistance. The bearing shaft is provided with one or more ball conforming grooves. The bearing assembly is provided with one or more load-bearing surfaces, each of which also includes a ball conforming groove, which may move circumferentially a very slight amount for tolerance variations in the angular spacing and parallelism of the shaft grooves, thereby assuring perfect ball conformity and line contact on the load-bearing surface of both the shaft and bearing assembly. Alternative configurations and methods of forming the ball conforming grooves on the shaft are also disclosed.

Abstract: At least two linear motion bearings are mounted coaxially within a housing for relative movement with respect to a shaft located in the bore of the bearings. Preferably, the bearings are of the recirculating ball type and may be self-aligning or non-self-aligning. Seals are provided to cooperate with the bearings and housing to form an enlarged lubricant reservoir between the bearings when externally lubricated bearings are utilized, and means are provided for preloading the bearings.