Abstract: A seal for use in a ball screw assembly sealingly engages portions of both the nut and the screw. The seal has a plurality of teeth at an outer peripheral surface, and further has a seal thread received in a thread on the screw. The seal is rotated relative to the nut and moves axially due to the screw thread until a seal face sealingly engages the nut. A set screw is then inserted through the nut, into a space formed between adjacent teeth on the seal, to prevent further relative rotation of the seal and the nut. A force from the nut on the seal urges the seal axially such that the seal thread is biased into the screw thread, providing sealing contact between the seal thread and the screw thread.

Abstract: A ball spline assembly in which a sleeve is coupled for rotation with and axial movement relative to a shaft by angularly spaced rows of balls which travel in grooved raceways formed in the sleeve and the shaft. A circumferentially extending groove is formed around the shaft near the ends of the raceways therein in order to remove runout from the raceways and thereby prevent the raceways from forcing the balls radially outwardly and locking up the assembly when the shaft is in an extreme axial position relative to the sleeve.

Abstract: A ball nut having a ball return tube is formed with an externally threaded stud for supporting a mounting flange which is adapted to be screwed onto the stud. Angularly spaced segments of resiliently compressible wire are seated in an annular groove in one face of the flange. When the flange is screwed onto the stud, the segments engage a shoulder on the nut and compress to enable the flange to be tightened to a position in which the flange is in a predetermined angular orientation relative to the ball return tube.

Abstract: A ball screw and nut mechanism in which a preloaded train of balls travels through a closed circuit having an active portion and an inactive or return portion. The active portion is formed by convolutions of opposed helical grooves in the screw and the nut and a return tube on the nut defines the inactive portion. Inclined surfaces are formed on the lands between adjacent convolutions of the groove on the screw and partially unload the balls as the latter enter and leave the active portion of the circuit to prevent the balls from keystoning.