Patent ID: 6142031
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: B62D,F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
An apparatus for maintaining a rack and pinion in meshing engagement, said rack movable within a housing having a preferred translation axis therefor and a bore formed along an adjustment axis that intersects with and is nominally orthogonal to said preferred translation axis, said preferred translation and adjustment axes defining a preferred adjustment plane, said apparatus comprising:an adjuster plug member having an upwardly directed stop member and being adjustably mounted within a threaded aperture portion of said bore;a bearing disc member having a generally round cylindrical shape having a circumferential outer surface and a lower surface, said bearing disc member being mounted within said bore with said circumferential outer surface spaced apart from said bore, said bearing disc member positioned generally along said adjustment axis between said upwardly directed stop member of said adjuster plug member and said rack, and having a concave nominally cylindrical surface spaced apart from said lower surface, said nominally cylindrical surface formed with reference to a support axis that is centrally located with reference to said generally round cylindrical shape and nominally orthogonal to said adjustment axis to slidingly receive said rack;a support member comprising means for compliantly biasing said bearing disc member away from said adjuster plug member and towards said rack substantially along said adjustment axis;said means for compliantly biasing also compliantly providing contra-pitch rotation of said bearing disc member so as to form a lubrication wedge between it and said rack; andsupplemental means for compliantly biasing said bearing disc member away from said adjuster plug member and towards said rack substantially along said adjustment axis, said supplemental means for compliantly biasing additionally providing compliant biasing of said bearing disc member in a lateral direction orthogonal to said preferred adjustment plane such that said support axis is urged toward coincidence with said preferred adjustment plane such that said rack is substantially located coincidentally with said preferred translation axis.