United States Patent (19) 11 3,884,090

Dock (45) May 20, 1975

(54) ROLLER SCREW MECHANISM Primary Examiner-Leonard H. Gerin
(75) Inventor: Lars Ingmar Dock, Lutry, Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Howson and Howson
Switzerland
57 ABSTRACT
73) Assignee: SKF Industrial Trading and
Development Company B.V., Roller screw mechanism comprising a screw member
Jutphaas, Netherlands having an external thread, a nut circumscribing the
screw member having an internal thread, a plurality of
22 Filed: Apr. 19, 1973 rollers in the annular space between said members
(21) Appl. No.: 352,737 having a groove configuration adapted to interengage
with threads on the nut and screw members, and a
cage for guiding said rollers, said nut comprising at
(52) U.S. Cl............................... 74/424.8 C; 74/441 least one pair of members having means adjacent their
51) Int. Cl.......................... F16h 1118; F 6h 55/18 confronting axial ends defining circumferentially ex
58) Field of Search........................ 74/424.8 C, 441 tending pocket and said cage consisting of an annular
portion centrated in said pocket and a plurality of cir
56 References Cited cumferentially spaced fingers projecting from said
UNITED STATES PATENTS central annular portion axially in each direction to de
2,683,379 7|1954 Stranogren..................... 74/424.8 C fine a plurality of apertures on either side of the cen
3,726, 15 4/1973 Lemor..........................., 74.1424.8 C tral annular portion for the rollers, each of said rollers
FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS having a web portion and said central annular portion
being provided with circumferentially spaced recesses
387,39 2/1963 Switzerland.................... 74/.424.8 C at least partly enclosing the web portion of said rol
1,026,482 4/1966 Switzerland.................... 74.1424.8 C lers.
1,243,434 8/1971 United Kingdom............ 74.1424.8 C
5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures

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PATENTED MAY 201975 3.884,090
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 3,884,090 2
ROLLER SCREW MECHANISM same is provided with recesses 14 (Vide Figure 2). The
central portion 11 of the cage 10 is centrated between
The present invention relates to a roller screw mech the nut halves 3 in recesses 15 and 16 arranged in the
anism of the type comprising a nut and a screw and a halves. The rollers have such a play in the cage that
number of rollers arranged therebetween so-called sat they can move a distance corresponding to at least the
ellite rollers. The screw and the nut are threaded exter pitch of thread in axial direction and a distance radially
nally and internally, respectively whereas the rollers corresponding to at least the thread depth of the screw.
are provided with grooves at the same distance from When the nut is rotated relative to the screw the rol
each other and perpendicular to the roller axis. The rol lers will move around the screw and it is necessary in
lers serve as transmission elements between screw and 10 course of each turn to return the rollers a distance cor
nut and decrease to a high degree the friction work in responding to the pitch of thread. In the inner surface
the mechanism. The rollers are in known roller screw of the nut there is an axial groove 26. Each time the rol
mechanisms of this type placed and guided in a cage ler reaches this groove 26 it interrupts its contact with
consisting of two annular end portions united together the thread of the screw by the aid of the annular cam
with longitudinal ribs. The rollers are placed in the ap 15 elements 17 and 18 located in the nut halves at their
ertures between the ribs. end portions. In the present instance the cam elements
The purpose of the invention is to obtain a device 17 and 18 are formed integrally with end plates 17a and
which makes it possible to adjust roller screw mecha 18a respectively suitably secured to the nut halves 3
nisms of this type so that they will be free from play. and 5 adjacent their axial ends. In this way the rollers
Furthermore, that advantage is obtained that the cage 20 are returned. In order to make it possible to interrupt
and the cam elements of the mechanism will from con the contact between the grooves 26 and the rollers and
structional point of view be stronger and cheaper in the thread of the screw for allowing the entrance of the
manufacturing. One further and important advantage is rollers into the groove 26 of the nut, the cage is pro
that it will be practically possible to give the above vided with the above mentioned recesses 14 in FIG. 2.
mentioned cam elements a better transmission charac 25 In order to protect the interior of the mechanism
teristic by arranging a guide surface in the form of a against external dirt particles seals 19 and 20 are ar
double parabola whereby a constant acceleration and ranged in the cam elements. In order to make it possi
retardation, respectively is obtained during contact be ble to adjust the roller screw mechanism so that it will
tween cam guide surface and roller end. Even if the rol be free from play or be pre-loaded the nut halves 3,5
ler end of this construction must be of double curved 30 might be provided with external flange members and by
or semi-globular shape a good contact between roller means of screws it will be possible to tighten the halves
end and cam guide surface is maintained during the so that the desired result is obtained. The adjusting de
whole re-circulation dependent on the fact that the vice might be designed in different ways, but the easiest
cam element fills up the whole space between nut and way might be to tighten the nut halves against each
SCW.
35 other in a housing.
These and other objects of the present invention and In FIG. 6, a variation of the roller screw mechanism
the various features and details of the operation and in accordance with the invention is shown, in which a
construction thereof are hereinafter more fully set modified cage for guiding the rollers is used. This cage
forth with reference to the accompanying drawings 40
is designed for roller screw mechanisms in which the
wherein: cage 21 can be exposed to greater load. The cage in ac
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a roller cordance with this embodiment is fundamentally of the
screw mechanism in accordance with the present in same design as the one described earlier but is shaped
vention; with a central portion showing a larger section area
FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view as viewed on line 45 than the earlier one. It is otherwise provided with axi
2-2 of FIG. 1; ally in each direction extending fingers 23 and 24, and
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view as the rollers 8 are placed in the apertures between the
viewed on line 3-3 of FIG. , fingers. Since the central portion reaches the rollers in
FIG. 4 is a schematic view as viewed on line 4-4 of the interior of the mechanism, the same are provided
FIG. 3; 50
with recesses 25 and the web portions shaped therein
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary respective view of one of the surrounded by the central portion 21 of the cage with
end plates of the roller screw mechanism; and a play great enough to allow the rollers to function as
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified above described.
form of the roller screw mechanism in accordance with I claim:
the present invention. 55 1. Roller screw mechanism comprising a screw mem
The screw 1 is provided with a thread 2. The nut ber having an external thread, a nut circumscribing the
which cooperates with the screw consists of two identi screw member having an internal thread, a plurality of
cal halves 3 and 5 each of them provided with threads rollers in the annular space between said members hav
4 and 6, the diameters of which are as much greater ing a groove configuration adapted to interengage with
than the diameter of the thread 2, so that an annular 60 threads on the nut and screw members, and a cage for
space is obtained between the screw and the nut. In this guiding said rollers, said nut comprising at least one
space a number of satellite rollers 8 are operating each pair of members having means adjacent their confront
of them provided with grooves 9 earlier described. The ing axial ends defining a circumferentially extending
rollers are guided in a cage 10 consisting of an annular, pocket and said cage consisting of an annular portion
centrally located portion 11 and therefrom axially ex 65 centrated in said pocket and a plurality of circumferen
tending fingers 12 and 13. The rollers are placed in the tially spaced fingers projecting from said central annu
apertures between the fingers, and in order to allow lar portion axially in each direction to define a plurality
free running for the rollers in the central portion, the of aperatures on either side of the central annular por
 3,884,090
3 4.
tion for the rollers, each of said rollers having a web 4. Roller screw mechanism as claimed in claim 2
portion and said central annular portion being provided wherein the clearance between the cage and roller per
with circumferentially spaced recesses at least partly mits axial movement of said rollers a distance corre
enclosing the web portion of said rollers. sponding to at least the pitch of the screw thread.
2. Roller screw mechanism as claimed in claim 1 5. Roller screw mechanism as claimed in claim 1
wherein the diameter of the web portion is less than the wherein said pocket is disposed radially outwardly of
largest diameter of the roller. said annular space and the fingers are disposed approx
3. Roller screw mechanism as claimed in claim 2
wherein the clearance between said recesses and said imately centrally of the annular space and are formed
web portion of the rollers permits displacement of said 10 integrally with the inner extremeties of the central por
rollers in a radial direction, a distance corresponding to tion of said cage on kopposite
sk k
sides of said recesses.
sk k
at least the thread depth of said screw member.

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