Title: Drive mechanism for a carriage

Abstract: A drive mechanism includes a nut on a rotatable lead screw. The nut has a partially threaded and partially unthreaded axial bore and a mounting assembly to couple it to a linearly movable carriage. The mounting assembly includes diametrically opposed carriage-engaging lugs positioned on the drive nut near the threaded bore end and a locking arm slidably keyed into a slot in the carriage which mounts the drive nut for universal radial floating on the carriage. The drive nut may become slightly skewed relative to the axis of the lead screw in order to minimize frictional forces due to tolerance variations, bow in the lead screw, or axial misalignment of the lead screw with carriage guide rods. Kinetic-energy-induced bounce forces of the carriage are damped by a coil spring which also maintains the lugs against the carriage.

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Inventors: Randolph, John E. (Palatine, IL, US)

Application Number: 541362
Filing Date: 1975-01-15
Publication_date: 1976-08-31
Assignee: Teletype Corporation (Skokie, IL)
Primary Class(es): 74/89.36 74/89.32, 400/328
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

2555124	May, 1951	Gothberg	74/424.
2838948	Jun, 1958	Lassy	74/424.
2876653	Mar, 1959	Meyer	74/424.
3106352	Oct, 1963	Bennett	74/424.
3353718	Nov, 1967	McLay	74/424.
3698257	Oct, 1972	Ballentine et al.	74/424.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Scott, Samuel
Assistant Examiner: Ratliff, Jr., Wesley S.
Attorney: Kaufmann; J. D., Landis; J. L.