Linear bearing for an electromagnetic solenoid and solenoid having said linear bearing

An electromagnetic solenoid comprising:

• a flux sleeve disposed within a housing;
• a pole piece disposed within the housing axially aligned and spaced apart from the flux sleeve, the pole piece including a recess in an end adjacent to the flux sleeve and an axial bore through a length of the pole piece;
• an armature disposed within the flux sleeve supported for axial displacement having an end portion proximate to the pole piece and a backside end portion proximate to a larger diameter portion of the flux sleeve;
• a centrally located pin fixed to the end portion of the armature for axial displacement with the armature;
• and
• a first rolling-element bearing, disposed for free movement within the axial bore including:
• a hollow cylindrical body having a linear central axis, comprising a first hollow cylindrical element having a first wall thickness and a second hollow cylindrical element having a second wall thickness;
• a plurality of spherical first pockets formed around a first circumference of the hollow cylindrical body on a first pitch diameter;
• a plurality of spherical second pockets formed around a second circumference of the hollow cylindrical body axially offset from the first circumference on a second pitch diameter equal to the first pitch diameter;
• and
• a plurality of spherical rolling elements, wherein
• the first hollow cylindrical element includes a plurality of first projections and plurality of first recesses formed on a first side of the first hollow cylindrical element,
• the second hollow cylindrical element includes a plurality of second projections and a plurality of second recesses formed on a first side of the second hollow cylindrical element, and
• each of the first projections and first recesses, and each of the second projections and second recesses includes a semi spherical pocket formed on an edge of the first wall thickness and second wall thickness, respectively, wherein
• the first side of the first hollow cylindrical body is positioned with the first side of the second hollow cylindrical body such that the first sides in opposition can be assembled together such that each of the spherical first pockets is formed from equal halves of the semi spherical pocket of a first recess and the semi spherical pocket of a second projection and each of the spherical second pockets is formed from equal halves of the semi spherical pocket of a second recess and the semi spherical pocket of a first projection,
• the plurality of spherical first pockets are angularly offset from the plurality of spherical second pockets,
• each of the plurality of spherical first pockets and each of the plurality of spherical second pockets captures one spherical rolling element of the plurality of spherical rolling elements, and
• the pin is accepted within the hollow cylindrical body and supported on one or more of the spherical rolling elements.