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US 4,063,834 AGranted
Ball joint assembly
AssigneeAutomotive Products plc
InventorsWilliam Michael Hanson, Basil Robert Price
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ball joint assembly includes a socket member secured in a housing (e.g. a steering rack), and a bearing member having bearing surfaces for co-operating with the head of a ball pin. The bearing member is biassed by an anti-rattle spring which reacts against the housing to keep the bearing surfaces in contact with the ball pin but is non-releasably retained in the socket member to prevent unskilled attempts to compensate for wear by shimming.
Claims4
A ball joint assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- a socket member secured in the housing;
- a ball pin received in the socket member, the ball pin comprising a shank and a head having a part-spherical surface thereon;
- a first, annular, bearing surface in the socket member co-operating with said part-spherical surface and defining an aperture through which the shank of the ball pin extends;
- a bearing member in the socket member co-operating with said part-spherical surface and having a second bearing surface thereon, said bearing member being movable towards said annular bearing surface in response to wear;
- means non-releasably secured to the socket member adjacent said bearing member to prevent movement of said bearing member away from said annular bearing surface beyond a pre-set position;
- and an anti-rattle spring acting between said housing and said bearing member to urge said bearing member towards said annular bearing surface and maintain said bearing surfaces in contact with the part-spherical surface of the ball pin.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.