ART

BEAUTY & WELLNESS

CRAFT

CULTURE & HISTORY

ENTERTAINMENT

ENVIRONMENT

FOOD & DRINKS

REVERSE ENGINEERING

SCIENCES

SPORTS

TECHNOLOGY

WEARABLES

Cam Ball Race Pair for a Load Cell Zero Check

Arthur C. Ruge (US Patent 2,472,047, granted 1949) · Public domain (expired patent)

Created by

Forge

14. October 2026

Cam Ball Race Pair for a Load Cell Zero Check

Two grooved rings that sit on top of Ruge's load cell. Turning the upper one rides its balls up shallow cam ramps and lifts the load a few thousandths of an inch, so the zero can be read without moving the tank.

Intermediate

A few hours

Instructions

Watch: boring a hole on a lathe

Boring a hole step by step on a metal lathe.

Turn two rings

Turn and bore two rings from round bar: the lower to sit on the shell, the upper with a centre opening larger than the piston top.

Materials for this step:

Mild Steel Round Bar1 piece

Tools needed:

Hacksaw

Metal Lathe

Boring Bar

Cutting Oil

Groove the races

Turn a ball groove in the facing sides, and one in the top of the upper ring for the second row of balls.

Tools needed:

Metal Lathe

Vernier Caliper

File the cam ramps and bar holes

File the lower groove into very slight ramps, one per ball. Drill a row of recesses round the upper ring's edge for a turning bar.

Tools needed:

File Set

Drill Press

Bench Vise

Limits

Ruge's patent gives the part's shape and job but no material or size. Mild steel and silver-solder brazing are our choice; size it to the load you need. Lathe method after Palmateer, Elementary Machine Shop Practice (1918).

Materials

2
2
Mild Steel Round Bar
1 piece
Placeholder

Tools Required

2
2
Hacksaw
Placeholder
2 3
2 3
Metal Lathe
Placeholder
2
2
Boring Bar
Placeholder
2
2
Cutting Oil
Placeholder
3
3
Vernier Caliper
Placeholder
4
4
File Set
Placeholder
4
4
Drill Press
Placeholder
4
4
Bench Vise
Placeholder

This blueprint makes

Placeholder

Cam Ball Race Pair

Free

CC0 Public Domain

This blueprint is released under CC0. You are free to copy, modify, distribute, and use this work for any purpose, without asking permission.

Support the Maker by purchasing products through their Blueprint where they earn a Maker Commission set by Vendors, or create a new iteration of this Blueprint and include it as a connection in your own Blueprint to share revenue.

Discussion

(0)

Loading comments...