Linear motion pillow blocks including self-aligning features

A pillow block having an outer surface and comprising in combination a primary bore having an elongated principal axis constructed to be slideably accommodated on a cylindrical primary shaft, and means for self-adjusting the position of said pillow block on said shaft, wherein said self-adjusting means comprises in combination:

• at least one slot which passes through said pillow block between an outer surface thereof and said primary bore;
• an axle supported in said slot and extending in a plane normal to the principal axis of said primary bore;
• at least one roller, mounted in said slot in rotatable relation to said axle, said roller disposed to make tangential contact with said cylindrical primary shaft and constructed for at least slight rotation about said axle in response to slideable movement of said pillow block on said primary shaft;
• wherein said roller is a ball bearing roller annular in form and having a concave sectional shape which conforms to said cylindrical primary;
• and
• wherein said means comprising an axle comprises a secondary shaft interposed through said pillow block through said slot and extending in a direction normal to the principal direction of said primary bore, a pair of plates disposed in spaced-apart relation along the length of said slot, and said secondary shaft interposed in a substantially normal direction through the thickeness of said plates;
• a pair of axle studs spaced-apart in said slot with their ends fixed in said plates on opposite sides and in parallel relation to said secondary shaft;
• and
• a pair of rollers respectively journaled rotatably in said slot on each of said axle studs, said rollers being supported in tangential contact with said primary shaft, whereby said plates are constructed to slightly rotate about said secondary shaft, thereby to change the relative vertical positions of said rollers to raise or lower the contact posiiton of one said roller in relation to the other said roller in tangential relation to said primary shaft.

A pillow block having an outer surface and comprising in combination a primary bore having an elongated principal axis constructed to be slideably accommodated on a cylindrical primary shaft, and means for self-adjusting the position of said pillow block on said shaft, wherein said self-adjusting means comprises in combination:

• at least one slot which passes through said pillow block between an outer surface thereof and said primary bore;
• an axle supported in said slot and extending in a plane normal to the principal axis of said primary bore;
• at least one roller, mounted in said slot in rotatable relation to said axle, said roller disposed to make tangential contact with said cylindrical primary shaft and constructed for at least slight rotation about said axle in response to slideable movement of said pillow block on said primary shaft;
• wherein said roller is a ball bearing roller annular in form and having a concave sectional shape which conforms to said cylindrical primary;
• and
• wherein said self-adjusting means comprises a pair of lateral slots interposed inwardly from diametrically-opposite sides of said pillow block and terminating at said primary bore;
• said slots forming on their inner ceiling a pair of inwardly-directed angular surfaces, a pair of screw-threaded studs interposed in normal relation to each said angular surface, in tangential relation to said primary shaft.

A pillow block having an outer surface comprising in combination a primary bore having an elongated principal axis, constructed to be slideably accommodated on a cylindrical primary shaft, and means for self-adjusting the position of said pillow block on said cylindrical shaft, wherein said self-adjusting means comprises in combination:

• at least one slot which passes through said pillow block between an outer surface thereof and said primary bore;
• an axle supported in said slot, and extending in a plane normal to the principal axis of said primary bore;
• at least one roller, mounted in said slot in rotatable relation to said axle, said roller disposed to make tangential contact with said cylindrical primary shaft and constructed for at least slight rotation about said axis in response to slideable movement of said pillow block on said primary shaft;
• wherein the body of the pillow block has a rectangular top plate;
• means for fastening the body of said pillow block beneath said top plate comprising a plurality of screws or studs;
• said top plate having a principal opening through its thickness to accommodate each of said screws or studs;
• wherein the openings of said top plate positioned to accommodate said screws or studs are elongated in a horizontal plane a substantial dimension exceeding the cross-sectional dimension of said screws or studs to enable the lateral movement of said top plate for adjusting the position of said pillow block with reference to variations in the cross-section of said primary shaft.