Slide positioner

Abstract

A slide positioner for moving a structural member from an inoperating position to a working or operating position has a square shaft for supporting the structural member. Two bearing assemblies are adapted for supporting the sliding shaft. The two bearing assemblies are spaced one from the other and are connected to a stationary base. One of the bearing assemblies is rigidly connected to a pneumatic cylinder whose piston rod is connected to the sliding shaft. The bearing assemblies are mountable to the base in various angular positions since the bearing assemblies may be pivoted around an axis which is parallel to the axis of the sliding shaft.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A slide positioner for moving a structural member from an inoperative position to at least one of an operative position and a working position, said slide positioner comprising: 
 a base;    a first bearing assembly connected to said base;    a second bearing assembly connected to said base and spaced from said first bearing assembly; and    a sliding shaft supported by said first bearing assembly and said second bearing assembly, said sliding shaft being configured for supporting the structural member, said sliding shaft having a shaft axis and an at least approximately polygonal cross section, said first bearing assembly and said second bearing assembly conjunctively defining a bearing axis and being one of pivotable and rotatable about said bearing axis, said bearing axis being parallel to said shaft axis, said first bearing assembly and said second bearing assembly thereby being mountable in various angular positions relative to said base.    
     
     
         2 . The slide positioner of  claim 1 , wherein said bearing axis coincides with said shaft axis.  
     
     
         3 . The slide positioner of  claim 2 , further comprising a linear motor, said linear motor including a stationary element and a movable element, said stationary element being rigidly connected to said first bearing assembly, said movable element being connected to shaft sliding shaft.  
     
     
         4 . The slide positioner of  claim 3 , wherein said movable element is a piston rod.  
     
     
         5 . The slide positioner of  claim 1 , further comprising a linear motor rigidly connected to said first bearing assembly, said linear motor having a motor axis, said motor axis coinciding with said bearing axis.  
     
     
         6 . The slide positioner of  claim 1 , wherein said sliding shaft has a plurality of sliding surfaces, each of said first bearing assembly and said second bearing assembly having a separately replaceable slide strip associated with and positioned relative to each sliding surface.  
     
     
         7 . The slide positioner of  claim 6 , wherein each separately replaceable slide strip is composed of a self-lubricating material.  
     
     
         8 . A slide positioner for moving a structural member from an inoperative position to at least one of an operative position and a working position, said slide positioner comprising: 
 a base;    at least one bearing assembly connected to said base;    a sliding shaft supported by said at least one bearing assembly, said sliding shaft being configured for supporting the structural member, said sliding shaft having an at least approximately polygonal cross section, said sliding shaft thereby having a plurality of sliding surfaces, at least one said bearing assembly having a separate replaceable slide strip associated with and positioned relative to each sliding surface.    
     
     
         9 . The slide positioner of  claim 8 , wherein each separately replaceable slide strip is composed of a self-lubricating material.