US 4,031,765 A · Reversing nut for diamond thread screw

Abstract

A reversing nut construction for a diamond thread screw of the type having criss-crossed left- and right-hand grooves, the nut comprising an annular nut body having a through bore to receive the screw, a thread-engaging ball carried by the body and extending into the bore thereof, and a second thread-engaging ball also extending into the bore. The first ball has mounting means which enables it to undergo rolling motion, but is held against axial or lateral movement on the nut body. The second ball also undergoes rolling motion, but is further capable of being shifted axially of the body between oppositely disposed extreme positions, whereby it can travel along the left-hand groove of the screw when it is disposed in one position, or the right-hand groove of the screw when it is disposed in the other position. Yieldable detent means, comprising a pair of spring rings, selectively engage the movable ball and bias it into continuous engagement with the screw, while still enabling it to be shifted axially. Such shifting is accomplished by curved reversing grooves which are disposed at the opposite ends of the screw and which are adapted to engage and shift the movable ball so as to effect a reversal in the axial direction of travel of the nut. For a given relative sense of rotation between the screw and nut, the latter can undergo reciprocating movement between the ends of the screw, with the reversals in the axial direction of travel of the nut being automatically effected.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A reversing nut for use with a diamond thread screw having threads defining criss-crossed grooves, comprising in combination:

(a) a nut body having a through opening to receive the screw,
b) a ball engaging a wall of one groove of the screw,
(c) means mounting the ball against lateral movement thereof on the body, said ball extending into the body opening for said groove wall engagement,
(d) a laterally movable ball carried by the body, said ball extending into the opening thereof for engagement with a wall of a groove of the screw,
(e) means providing a slot in the body in which the movable ball is disposed, for enabling said movable ball to be translationally shifted in directions along the body axis whereby, while guided and directly engaged by the slot walls it can transfer from direct engagement with one groove wall of the screw and simultaneous direct engagement with one slot end, to direct engagement with another groove wall of the screw and simultaneous direct engagement with the other slot end, thereby to effect a change in the axial direction of travel of the nut with respect to the screw, and
(f) springs for directly engaging the movable ball to yieldably hold it against either one slot end or else the other slot end.

3 more elements

A reversing nut for use with a diamond thread screw having threads defining criss-crossed grooves, comprising in combination:

(a) a nut body having a through opening to receive the screw,
(b) a thread-engaging ball,
(c) means mounting the ball against lateral movement thereof on the body, said ball extending into the body opening for engagement with the screw threads,
(d) a laterally movable ball carried by the body, said ball extending into the opening thereof for engagement with the screw threads, and
(e) guide means on the body for enabling said movable ball to be translationally shifted in directions along the body axis whereby it can transfer from engagement with one groove wall to engagement with another groove wall of the screw, thereby to effect a change in the axial direction of travel of the nut with respect to the screw, and
(f) yieldable detent means engageable with said laterally movable ball for yieldably holding the latter in either of two spaced-apart predetermined positions on the nut body,
(g) said nut body comprising a housing and a cage adapted to be telescopically received therein,
(h) said cage having a substantially annular groove extending about its periphery,
(i) said yieldable detent means comprising a spring ring received in said groove and being engageable with the movable ball to thereby hold the latter in one extreme position.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Reversing nut for diamond thread screw

Life of this patent

Reversing nut for diamond thread screw

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20