Steerable axle
AssigneeExact Corp.
InventorsDouglas W. Flora, Nelson Tye
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A steerable axle includes a housing defining a ball seat therein, a ball member received within the ball seat and defining a cutout portion to receive a portion of a ball bearing therein, an interstitial space defined by a surface of the ball seat and a surface of the ball member, and a ball bearing disposed within the interstitial space and received into the cutout portion of the ball member. The ball bearing moves within the interstitial space when the ball member rotates along the x or y axis, but is restricted from movement along the z axis. Restriction of movement of the ball bearing along the z axis results in a corresponding restriction of movement of the ball member along the z axis.
Claims10
An articulated coupling comprising:
- a housing member defining a ball seat therein;
- a ball member received within said ball seat, the ball member defining a cutout portion configured to receive a portion of a ball bearing therein;
- an interstitial space defined by a surface of said ball seat and a surface of said ball member;
- a ball bearing disposed within said interstitial space and received into the cutout portion of the ball member;
- a clevis hitch comprising a first prong and a second prong, wherein said first prong defines a first opening therein and said second prong defines a second opening therein;
- and
- a ball shaft extending through said first opening of said first prong, through a ball shaft opening defined by said ball member and extending therethrough, and through said second opening of said second prong,
- wherein said ball bearing moves within said interstitial space when said ball member rotates along an x or y axis, but is restricted from movement along a z axis, and further wherein the restriction of movement of the ball bearing along a z axis results in a corresponding restriction of movement of the ball member along the z axis.
An articulated coupling comprising:
- a housing member defining a ball seat therein;
- a ball member received within said ball seat, the ball member defining a cutout portion configured to receive a portion of a ball bearing therein;
- an interstitial space defined by a surface of said ball seat and a surface of said ball member;
- a ball bearing disposed within said interstitial space and received into the cutout portion of the ball member;
- a clevis hitch comprising a first prong defining a first prong opening therein and a second prong defining a second prong opening therein;
- and
- a pin comprising a shaft housing and a ball shaft, wherein the ball shaft comprises a first end and a second end, and further wherein the first end of the ball shaft defines a sensor shaft opening,
- wherein said ball bearing moves within said interstitial space when said ball member rotates along an x or y axis, but is restricted from movement along a z axis, and further wherein the restriction of movement of the ball bearing along a z axis results in a corresponding restriction of movement of the ball member along the z axis,
- further wherein the ball shaft extends through the first opening of said first prong, through an opening defined by said ball member, and through the second opening defined by said second prong,
- and further wherein said shaft housing is attached to said first prong of said clevis hitch such that said shaft housing does not rotate when said ball shaft rotates.
An articulated coupling comprising:
- a housing defining a ball seat;
- a ball member disposed within said ball seat;
- a clevis hitch comprising a first prong and a second prong, wherein said first prong defines a first opening therein and said second prong defines a second opening therein;
- and
- a ball shaft extending through said first opening of said first prong, through a ball shaft opening defined by said ball member and extending therethrough, and through said second opening of said second prong,
- wherein said ball member is adapted to rotate freely along an x or y axis, but is restricted from movement along a z axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.