Flat, compact, linear ball bearing with wedge-locked eccentric adjustment and removable races in cylindrical seats

The linear ball bearing adapted to cooperate with a way member to permit free relative longitudinal movement between said member and said linear ball bearing, said linear ball bearing comprising:

• a housing for holding a plurality of movable balls,
• said housing defining a front surface adapted to face toward said way member,
• said housing defining a closed loop path therein for providing an endless path for recirculation of said plurality of movable balls within said housing,
• a straight front channel portion of said path being positioned near the front surface of said housing and the balls being accessible from outside of the housing along said straight front channel of the recirculation path for allowing said way member to be in contact with the balls as they travel along said straight front channel,
• said straight front channel being adapted to receive therein at least one removable, wear-resistant, hard, straight, ball-bearing race element for defining a rolling surface along which said plurality of balls can roll as they travel along said straight channel,
• means for removably holding said race element in said front channel,
• an eccentric post positioned centrally in said housing perpendicular to the plane of travel of said plurality of balls in said recirculation path within the housing,
• said eccentric post being rotatable about its axis for adjusting the pre-loading forces applied to said balls as they travel along said straight front channel in contact with said way member, and
• a wedge member in said housing positioned in abutting relationship with respect to said eccentric post, and screw means for tightening said wedge member against said eccentric post for locking said eccentric in its adjusted position.

An improved linear ball bearing adapted for rolling engagement with a way member for relative movement between said way member and linear bearing in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the linear ball bearing comprising:

• a housing assembly having a central body which is made from a first material and having two identical end pieces removably connected to the central body which are made from a second material;
• said housing assembly defining an endless recirculation channel within it and having a longitudinal cutout along its front side;
• a plurality of balls capable of bearing a load which circulate within said endless channel and which come into rolling contact with the way member through said cutout along the front side of said housing;
• a replaceable, wear-resistant, race element having a contact surface on which said balls run;
• said race element further having a seating surface which is concentric with the desired axis of travel of the centers of said balls as they run through said channel,
• said central body having at least one recessed race seat concentric with the desired axis of travel of the centers of the balls in the channel situated in the longitudinal cutout and running the entire length of said central body for removably receiving and holding said race element in said seat;
• whereby said removable race element may shift slightly longitudinally or circumferentially without compromising its accuracy as a load-bearing component for keeping said balls rolling along said desired axis;
• and
• said removable end pieces prevent said race element from being removed from said race seat when they are connected to said central body.