Rolamite
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Rolamite is a technology for very low friction bearings developed by Sandia National Laboratories in the 1960s. Invented by Sandia engineer Donald F. Wilkes and patented by him on June 24, 1969[1] these devices use a stressed metal band and counter rotating rollers to create a bearing device that loses very little energy to friction. One source claims it is the only basic mechanical invention of the 20th century [2]. Tests by Sandia indicated that Rolamite mechanisms demonstrated friction coefficients as low as .0005, an order of magnitude better than ball bearings at the time.
[edit] References
- ^ Wilkes, Donald F. (June 24, 1969). US Patent #3,452,175: Roller-Band Devices. Rex Research. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
- ^ Norman, Carlisle. "The Amazing Rolamite – It Opens the Door for 1000 Inventions", Popular Mechanics, February 1968.
- Nelson, Robert A.. Rolamite. Rex Research. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
