Preloaded slide bearing support apparatus

Abstract

A slide bearing support having one member slidable on another member and including a pair of parallel slide bearing assemblies disposed between the members. Each bearing assembly comprises a plurality of elongated, rectilinear rods having central axes parallel to each other, the longitudinal surfaces of each of the rods including an elongated curved portion and an oppositely directed coextending flat portion, the flat portions of the rods being spaced apart and facing each other to define an elongated rectilinear raceway; an elongated retainer disposed in the raceway; a plurality of rollers disposed in the retainer and contacting the flat portions on the rods; and rod support surfaces defined by each of the members, the support surfaces defined by the one member contacting the curved portion on one of the rods and the support surfaces defined by the another member contacting the curved portion on the other of the rods, and wherein the support surfaces are shaped so as to restrict movement of the rods in directions transverse their axes and to allow unrestrained rotational movement of the entire rods thereabout without creating torsional stresses therein. Also included in the slide bearing support is a loading mechanism for producing between the rods, the rollers and the surfaces loading forces directed transverse to the central axes and comprising resilient means retained under compression between one of the members and at least one of the rods.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.