Patent ID: 8402850
Filing Date: 2013-03-26
Classification: F16C,F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A load displacement apparatus for displacing a mobile component along an elongated fixed structure, said apparatus comprising: a worm screw mountable on the mobile component for rotation about a screw axis, said worm screw defining an arc segment thereof and having at least one thread helically extending therearound about the screw axis, said thread defining a thread angle; a plurality of support blocks mountable on the fixed structure, said plurality of support blocks being spaced apart from one another along the fixed structure to be successively in meshing engagement with said worm screw for movably supporting the mobile component along the fixed structure; each of said plurality of support blocks including a plurality of bearing balls freely movably mounted thereon, said plurality of bearing balls selectively and movably engaging said worm screw, said plurality of bearing balls being located within a closed-loop ball path channel formed into a respective one of said plurality of said support blocks, said closed-loop ball path channel having a contacting path portion where said plurality of bearing balls selectively and movably engage said worm screw, said contacting path portion having a depth larger than a radius of said plurality of bearing balls, said contacting path portion being curved about the screw axis so as to span over and register with said arc segment; and said curved contacting path portion lying in a plane oriented with a contacting angle similar to the thread angle, each of said plurality of support blocks allowing each said plurality of bearing balls, when being in meshing engagement with said worm screw, to be spaced from an adjacent one of said plurality of bearing balls; whereby said worm screw being always in meshing engagement with at least one of said plurality of support blocks.