Shift lever tower assembly

A shift lever bearing assembly for supporting a shift lever comprising:

• an inner bearing having means for attachment to a shaft of a shift lever and having a generally spherical outer surface with at leat one slot formed therein;
• a support bearing having a hollow interior partially enclosing said inner bearing and defined by a generally spherical inner surface cooperating with said outer surface of said inner bearing, said inner surface having at least one inwardly extending projection formed thereon cooperating with said slot to limit relative movement between said inner bearing and said support bearing to a single plane;
• and
• said support bearing provided with at least one outwardly extending projection formed on an exterior surface thereof for attachment to a bearing housing.

A shift lever bearing assembly for supporting a vehicle shift lever in a housing comprising:

• an inner bearing adapted to be attached to a shaft of a shift lever and having a generally spherical outer surface with at least one slot formed therein;
• an intermediate bearing having a hollow interior with a generally spherical inner surface cooperating with said outer surface of said inner bearing, said inner surface having at least one inwardly extending projection formed thereon cooperating with said inner bearing slot to limit relative movement between said inner bearing and said intermediate bearing to a first plane, said intermediate bearing haivng a generally spherical outer surface with at least one outwardly extending projection formed thereon;
• and
• an outer bearing having a hollow interior with a generally spherical inner surface cooperating with said intermediate bearing outer surface, said outer bearing inner surface having at least one slot formed therein for cooperating with said intermediate bearing outwardly extending projection to limit relative movement between said intermediate bearing and said outer bearing to a second plane.

A bearing assembly for controlling the movement of a lever comprising:

• an inner bearing having means for attachment to a lever and a generally spherical outer surface with a pair of diametrically opposed slots formed therein;
• an intermediate bearing having a hollow interior with a generally spherical inner surface slideably cooperating with said inner bearing outer surface and a pair of inwardly extending projections formed on said inner surface and cooperating with said inner bearing slots to limit relative movement between said inner bearing and said intermediate bearing to a first plane, said intermediate bearing having a generally spherical outer surface with a pair of diametrically opposed outwardly extending projections formed thereon;
• an outer bearing having a hollow interior with a generally spherical inner surface slideably cooperating with said intermediate bearing outer surface, said outer bearing inner surface having a pair of diametrically opposed slots formed therein for cooperating with said intermediate bearing outwardly extending projections to limit relative movement between said intermediate bearing and said outer bearing to a second plane different than said first plane, and a pair of diametrically opposed outwardly extending projections formed on an exterior surface of said outer bearing;
• and
• a generally tubular bearing housing having a pair of diametrically opposed slots formed in an interior wall thereof for retaining said outer bearing outwardly extending projections, said bearing housing enclosing said inner intermediate and outer bearings.