Telescoping drawer slide section for 2-member telescopic ball bearing slides affording full extension

A telescoping ball bearing slide mechanism, comprising:

• an outer slide member having a longitudinally extending bottom wall and oppositely arranged ball races along the side edges thereof;
• an inner slide member having a longitudinally extending bottom wall and ball races along the side edges thereof for cooperation of the respective adjacent ball races of the outer slide member;
• ball bearings disposed in adjacent races of the respective outer and inner slide members;
• a ball retainer operably disposed between the outer and inner slide members for retaining the balls in said races;
• a slide section having a longitudinally extending bottom wall and arcuate edge portions along the side edges thereof for slidable reception on the ball races of the outer slide member;
• stop means limiting telescoping and extension of the slide members relative to each other;
• means limiting telescoping movement of the slide section on the outer slide member;
• and means limiting extension of said slide section on said outer slide member.

A telescoping ball bearing slide mechanism comprising:

• an outer slide member of generally channel-shape and a longitudinally extending bottom wall and oppostely arranged ball races along the side edges of the bottom wall, said ball races being concave in cross section and facing each other;
• an inner channel-shape slide member having a longitudinally extending bottom wall and oppostely facing ball races along the side edges thereof, said ball races being concave in cross section and facing outwardly, the inner slide member being operably disposed within the outer slide member, said inner slide member being within the outer slide member and being attachable to a part defining a drawer opening;
• ball bearings disposed in adjacent races of the respective outer and inner slide members;
• a ball retainer operably disposed between the outer and inner slide members for retaining the balls operably in the races;
• means for limiting extension of the slide members relative to each other;
• means for limiting telescoping of said slide members relative to each other;
• a slide section of generally U-shape in cross section comprising a longitudinally extending bottom wall, and edge portions along the side edges of said bottom wall, said edge portions being generally arcuate in cross section and curved about the outer sides of the ball races of the outer slide member, said slide section being slidable on the outer slide member;
• an ear on the highest part of the upper ball race of the outer slide member for engagement by the inner end of the slide section to limit telescoping movement thereof;
• a longitudinally extending flange upstanding along the top of the slide section, said flange having openings for reception of means for attaching the slide section to a drawer;
• a latch lever pivotly mounted to the inner side of the flange of the slide section, and heavier at one end than at the other;
• pivot means for pivotly mounting said latch lever, the outer end of said pivot means being recessed within the plane of the outer side of the flange of the slide section;
• a block of sound muffling material attached to the heavier end of said lever, the adjacent arcuate edge portion of the slide section having an opening through which the block is adapted to extend;
• the upper ball race of the outer slide member having a notch adjacent the outer end of the outer slide member and in line with the path of movement of the block and adapted to receive said block upon slidable movement of the slide section;
• said block when in said notch, limits outward movement of the slide section but it is provided with a cam surface at the inner side whereby engagement with the inner end of the notch effects raising and unlatching of the latch, the operation of said latch automatically limiting outward movement of the slide section and automatically releasing said latch upon inward movement of the slide section;
• the bottom wall of the outer slide member having at least one longitudinally extending reinforcing rib adjacent the notch in the ball race;
• the inner end of the slide section being inclined downwardly and outwardly;
• a downwardly and inwardly extending lip at the lower end of the lower slide section;
• and resilient mounting means on the bottom wall of the inner slide member, said mounting means including a resilient butterfly part having a transverse portion spaced from the bottom wall of the slide member and from the arcuate side edge portions of the slide section when the latter is adjacent said butterfly part.