Tripod universal joint and method of its manufacture

A constant velocity universal joint assembly comprising:

• an inner drive member including a shaft and a spider mounted on said shaft carrying a plurality of circumferentially spaced drive elements rotatable relative to said spider;
• an outer drive housing disposed about said spider and said drive elements including an inner wall formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced drive channels having running surfaces extending axially of said housing to an open end thereof guiding said rotatable drive elements with stroking movement relative to said outer drive housing;
• a retainer groove formed in said inner wall of said housing adjacent said open end thereof;
• and
• a retainer having a generally flat, planar body portion of an open ring configuration with spaced free ends formed with a plurality of ears projecting out of the plane of said body portion, said ears extending into said housing from said open end thereof, said ears having locking portions engaging said groove and securing said retainer releasably on said housing and stroke-limiting stop portions seated in overlying engagement with said running surfaces for wedging engagement between said drive elements and said running surfaces to maintain said drive elements within said housing.

A method of making a stroking constant velocity universal joint assembly, comprising:

• preparing an inner drive member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced rotatable drive elements;
• preparing an outer drive housing having an inner wall formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced drive channels formed with running surfaces extending axially of the housing to an open end thereof;
• forming a retention groove in the inner wall of the housing adjacent the open end;
• extending the drive elements of the inner drive member into the housing with the drive elements guided by the running surfaces of the drive channels for stroking movement of the inner drive member therealong relative to the outer housing;
• preparing a retainer having a retainer body and stroke-limiting stop portions extending from the body;
• securing the retainer releasably in the retention groove and seating the stop portions in overlying relation to the running surfaces in the path of the drive elements in such position for wedging engagement of the stop portions between the drive elements and the running surfaces to maintain the drive elements within the housing.