Abstract: A linear ball screw assembly and method of construction thereof is provided. The assembly includes a screw having a helical external groove and a ball nut having a through bore configured for receipt of the screw therethrough and including a helical internal groove radially aligned with the external groove of the screw to form a helical raceway. A plurality of axial load balls are disposed in the helical raceway. The nut includes a pair of non-grooved internal cylindrical surfaces extending in axially opposite directions from the internal groove along the external groove of the screw to provide outer surfaces of a pair of radial load raceways. A plurality of radial load balls are disposed in the radial load raceways. The radial and axial load balls have different diameters and/or the internal cylindrical surfaces are provided by a pair of sleeve inserts.

Abstract: A linear ball screw assembly and method of construction thereof is provided. The assembly includes a screw having a helical external groove and a ball nut having a through bore configured for receipt of the screw therethrough and including a helical internal groove radially aligned with the external groove of the screw to form a helical raceway. A plurality of axial load balls are disposed in the helical raceway. The nut includes a pair of non-grooved internal cylindrical surfaces extending in axially opposite directions from the internal groove along the external groove of the screw to provide outer surfaces of a pair of radial load raceways. A plurality of radial load balls are disposed in the radial load raceways. The radial and axial load balls have different diameters and/or the internal cylindrical surfaces are provided by a pair of sleeve inserts.

Abstract: The apparatus described provides a redundant actuator system that is tolerant of any single point failure. In the event of a single point failure in the actuator system, the other motor and corresponding ball nut can be commanded to rotate, thus providing the same function as the system had before the failure.

Abstract: An optical recording medium is provided for distributing content through a portable medium which can be transported by hand from one media player to another media player. The optical recording medium includes a read-only zone and a writable area. Copy control information is stored in the read-only zone. The copy control information specifies (a) an authorized content source and (b) content which is authorized to be downloaded from the authorized content source and recorded in the writable area of the optical recording medium.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for protecting against copying of content recorded on optical recording media are provided. An area of an optical recording medium is designated to be ignored by a standards-compliant optical media player reproducing content recorded on the optical recording medium. Unreadable data is written to the designated area which is ignored by the standard-compliant optical media player. When an optical medium drive attempts to read the unreadable data in order to perform a one-to-one copy process on data recorded on the recording medium, the optical medium drive is unable to complete the one-to-one copy process.

Abstract: A linear actuator comprises a ball screw carrying an axially restrained rotatable ball nut driven by an electrically energized motor. An enclosing motor housing has front and rear walls with axially aligned openings for passing the ball screw. The motor has a radially inner hollow stator assembly and a generally concentric radially outer rotor assembly. A can member is integrated with the rotor assembly to rotate therewith and has a radial end wall connected to the nut.

Abstract: A loaded vertically operating ball screw and nut actuator system, including methods of constructing it, for synchronously moving load systems connected to it in opposite vertical directions has a vertically disposed rotatably driven ball screw device with screw sections of opposite hand. A complemental recirculating ball nut discretely connected to each of the load systems is threaded on each screw section to form ball receiving raceways for trains of load bearing balls which cause the ball nuts to move in opposing directions upon rotation of the screw in either direction. The load systems move in counterbalanced relation under the influence of gravity. A mount system for the upper and lower ends of the screw permits an off-axis adjustment in axial orientation of the screw to compensate for load misalignment problems.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recording medium including video, audio and graphics information stored in separate sets of data packets and a method for creating the same. The graphic information can be superimposed on the video information during playback of the recording media. The graphic information can include text or images. The text has a translucent background and the images may be translucent in whole or in part.

Abstract: A linear ball screw actuator assembly and a method of constructing it. The actuator assembly has a housing for a ball screw and ball nut which together define a raceway between them for a recirculating ball bearing train of balls, one of the screw and nut being reciprocable along a z axis responsive to rotation of the other and being adapted to be coupled to a member to be actuated. The housing has gearing for transmitting rotation to the other of the ball and screw nut in a direction lateral to the z axis. A base for the housing is spaced from the housing and has a base journal journaling the first pin extending along a first pin axis laterally perpendicular to the z axis. The housing has a housing journal journaling a second pin extending crosswisely perpendicular to the first pin. The second pin axis intersects the z axis and x axis. The pins are coupled in a manner to permit relative rotation of the base and housing about either pin axis, or both, to obviate misalignment problems.

Abstract: A telescopic multiple ball screw nut linear actuator has an outer screw and first nut defining a first helical ball raceway between them. The screw has a tubular portion with an axially open outer end on which a second nut is fixed. An inner screw, providing with the second nut a second helical ball raceway of opposite hand, is received within the outer screw tubular portion and is projectable from its open outer end, and a non-helically grooved, plug end fitting the inner diameter of the tubular portion of the outer screw is provided on the axially inner end of the inner screw and coacts with the tubular portion of the outer screw, with only an operating clearance therebetween, to restrain whipping when the inner screw is in projected position. The plug in one position relative to the second nut establishes the limit of projection of the inner screw by blocking the travel of the balls in the second raceway from the second nut to the inner screw.

Abstract: A ball nut and screw system has a ball nut with adjacent helical groove turns providing a helical raceway with a screw for load bearing balls received in the raceway. The nut has an opening extending from its exterior to its interior to permit balls to be fed into the raceway. A compressible snap-in crossover, sized for compressed insertion into the opening, provides an axially diagonal, ball return passage in its underface for channeling balls from one portion of one of the adjacent turns over an intervening land surface on the screw to a portion of another turn to recirculate them. The crossover has opposed portions with nut groove entering projections thereon shaped to be snapped into the turns to define unoccupied turn portions on opposite sides of ball-occupied turn portions when the projections clear the opening upon insertion. For some purposes, wedging retainers can be received in the crossover once it is installed.

Abstract: The ball nut and screw assembly includes a ball nut with a radially projecting tang which is received in an aperture in a connector collar for the ball nut. The tang has an axially extending slot which receives a wall portion of the connecting collar. The engagement of the ball nut retainer wall portion or member with the slot locks the ball nut to the connecting collar. If needed, a key can be secured in the aperture to limit axial movement between the tang and the connecting collar. The tang may be manufactured as a separate element having an interlocking slot and projection coupling with the nut.

Abstract: A multiple circuit, ball nut and screw assembly has a helically externally grooved screw providing a screw ball race and a nut having a complemental internal helical groove providing a nut ball race. The nut has a first internal axial ball return passage leading endwisely outwardly from a location interjacent the ends of the nut ball race and a second internal axial ball return passage leading endwisely outwardly in the opposite direction from this location. Return members at the outer ends of the ball return passage are configured for moving balls to and from the ball races from and to the first and second ball return passages. The nut has a radially extending slot at said location leading from the exterior circumferential surface of the nut through to the nut ball race and a drop-in insert, having a pair of adjacent end return elements is received in the slot.