Abstract: A linear slide is provided. The linear slide includes a guide rail, a carriage arrangement and a drive mechanism. The carriage arrangement includes a sidecar or nut arrangement for engagement with a screw of the drive mechanism. The nut arrangement is laterally offset from a carriage of the carriage arrangement.

Abstract: A linear slide is provided. The linear slide includes a guide rail, a carriage arrangement and a drive mechanism. The carriage arrangement includes a sidecar or nut arrangement for engagement with a screw of the drive mechanism. The nut arrangement is laterally offset from a carriage of the carriage arrangement.

Abstract: A guide rail is provided. The guide rail includes a base rail and a gear rack mounted to the base rail. The guide rail also provides at least one race upon which a guide roller can ride. The guide rail defines a reference point related to the raceway that has a parallelism relative to the gear rack of less than or equal to 0.005 inches per foot along the length of the guide rail. Preferably, the reference point is defined directly by the raceway and the parallelism is less than or equal to 0.001 inches per foot. A method of forming the guide rail is also provided. The method includes machining the reference point into the guide rail and using the reference point to locate machining a seat for mounting the gear rack. A guide assembly including a guide rail and a carriage or frame structure is also provided.

Abstract: A double door actuation system is provided. The actuation system includes a base frame, a drive motor, first and second guide rails and a pair of rail support arrangements. The drive motor is mounted to the base frame and includes a pinion gear rotatable about an axis of rotation. The guide rails include opposed raceways and a gear rack. The gear rack engages the pinion gear opposite sides such that the pinion gear simultaneously drives the guide rails in opposite directions parallel to a drive axis. The rail support arrangements are mounted to the base frame and support guide rails. The rail support arrangements maintain a substantially constant lateral location of the guide rails in a direction perpendicular to both the drive axis and axis of rotation to maintain a substantially constant mesh between the pinion the gear racks.

Abstract: A bearing including a wearable section including a wear sensor is provided. The bushing includes a wear sensor that provides feedback to a user relating to the amount of useable life of the bearing that has been used. The sensor may be in the form of a wire imbedded in the wearable section of the bearing such that as the wearable section wears over time, the wire may be worn through breaking a circuit including the wire. An indicator module can sense the breakage of the wire and determine the amount of useable life of the bearing that has been used. In one implementation, the bearing is used in a drying drum. In one form of the invention, a method of monitoring wear of the bearing is provided that includes monitoring changes in electrical properties of a sensor mounted in the bearing.