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US 4,552,480 AGranted
Ball joint structure
AssigneeSprague Devices, Inc.
InventorAllan E. McIntyre
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeSprague Devices, Inc.
InventorAllan E. McIntyre
Estimating the term…
A ball socket member molded of resilient resin material is open at one end to receive and retain a ball in a part spherical cavity within the body communicating with a chamber containing a lubricant. The socket member carries a skirt at its open end which is adapted to form a seal with a member which carries the ball to prevent leakage and/or contamination of lubrication contained within the body cavity. Relief grooves are formed in the socket member which distribute lubricant on the ball and vent excess lubrication from the cavity as the ball is pressed into the cavity. The socket member has a polygonal external surface having a circumferential groove formed therein which receives the portion of the linkage member surrounding a complementary polygonal opening therein, so as to anchor the socket member against rotation relative to the linkage member.
A ball joint structure for connecting a drive link and the free end of a pivotally mounted crank arm, comprising a socket member having a cavity including a part-spherical portion, a restricted neck portion and a flexible flaring skirt portion extending from the mouth of said cavity, means detachably mounting said socket member on said link in a manner restrained against rotation, and a ball carried by the free end of said crank arm, the restricted neck of said socket member having an inner diameter smaller than the diameter of said ball, said socket member being resilient to accomodate insertion of said ball into said spherical cavity portion, said skirt engaging said crank arm when said ball is received in said spherical cavity portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.