Covering for rotating flexible axle joints

A method for sealingly enclosing a flexible, rotating joint comprising the steps of:

• placing around the joint a boot body of flexible, resilient material in the shape of a generally tubular bellows segment including a thin wall, first and second end openings and at least one longitudinal split seam in said wall running from one end opening to the other said seam having first and second edges, at least one edge having thin-walled mating means thereon;
• positioning the first edge of said seam in mating relationship with the second edge of said seam such that the mating means and edges are aligned to form a bellows segment having a substantially annular cross-section and simultaneously forming a thin, flexible, continuous, internal bond and seal between said first and second edges so that the seam has substantially the same flexing ability, thickness and weight as the rest of said thin wall;
• and
• clamping each said end opening with clamping means which encircle the end opening and compress the interior surface of each end opening radially inward toward the portion of the joint encircled by said end opening.

A method for sealingly enclosing a joint comprising the steps of:

• placing around the joint a boot body of flexible, resilient material in the shape of a generally tubular bellows segment including a thin wall, first and second end openings and at least one longitudinal split seam in said wall having first and second edges and running from one end opening to the other;
• positioning the first edge of said seam in mating relationship with the second edge of said seam such that the edges are aligned to form a bellows segment having a substantially annular cross-section and simultaneously forming a thin, flexible bond between said first and second edges with dimethyl-formamide solvent and plastic adhesive, using a methacrylate activator;
• and
• clamping each said end opening with clamping means which encircle the end opening and compress the interior surface of each end opening radially inward toward the portion of the joint encircled by said end opening.

A boot for sealingly enclosing a joint comprising:

• a boot body of flexible resilient material in the shape of a generally tubular bellows segment including a thin wall, first and second end openings and an external clamp groove encircling each end opening;
• at least one longitudinal seam in said thin wall, running from one end opening to the other and including:
• a first edge of said thin wall,
• a second edge of said thin wall having thin-walled mating means thereon for mating with said first edge at a contact surface, such that the mating means and first and second edges of said thin wall are aligned to form a bellows segment of substantially annular cross-section, and
• bonding means for forming a thin, flexible, continuous, internal bond and seal extending along the contact surface between the first edge and the mating means of said second edge so that the seam has substantially the same flexing ability, thickness and weight as the rest of said thin wall;
• and
• clamping means cooperating with each of said external clamp grooves to encircle each said end opening and compress the interior surface of each end opening radially inward toward the portion of the joint encircled by each said end opening.

A boot kit for sealingly enclosing a joint comprising:

• a boot body of flexible resilient material in the shape of a generally tubular bellows segment including a thin wall, first and second end openings, an external clamp groove encircling each end opening and at least one longitudinal split seam in said wall, running from one end opening to the other and including:
• a first edge of said thin wall, and
• a second edge of said thin wall having thin-walled mating means thereon for mating with said first edge at a contact surface, such that the mating means and first and second edges of said thin wall are aligned to form a bellows segment having a substantially annular cross-section;
• means for forming a thin, flexible, continuous, internal bond and seal extending along the contact surface between the first edge and the mating means of said second edge so that the seam has substantially the same flexing ability, thickness and weight as the rest of said thin wall;
• and
• clamping means cooperating with each of said external clamp grooves to encircle each said end opening and compress the interior surface of each end opening radially inward toward the portion of the joint encircled by each said end opening.