Joint for an articulated vehicle

A joint for a powered articulated vehicle for joining a forward unit to a rear unit, which comprises:

• (a) an upper frame member carried by said forward unit and having a recess on its lower side;
• (b) a lower frame member carried by said forward unit, having a recess on its upper side, and being spaced-apart vertically below said upper frame member so that said recesses are in vertical registration;
• (c) a shaft carried by said rearward unit;
• and
• (d) a bearing retainer assembly carried by the end of said shaft and disposed between said recesses, and comprising:
• (i) an outer annulus surmounting an inner hub which hub is connected to said shaft with thrust bearings inserted between said outer annulus and said inner hub, whereby the inner hub co-rotates with said shaft with respect to the outer annulus;
• (ii) a pair of nibs carried by said outer annulus which nibs reside in said upper and lower recesses and which nibs are associated with tapered roller bearings so that said outer annulus co-twists with said shaft with respect to said forward unit;
• said joint being stiff in the longitudinal axis formed along the forward unit frame members and rear unit shaft.