BALL AND SOCKET JOINTS

摘要

1457599 Ball and socket joints CATERPILLAR TRACTOR CO 30 April 1974 [30 April 1973] 18900/74 Heading E2F [Also in Division F2] In a ball and socket joint 10, a rotatable socket 54 is pivotable about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of a shaft 12 by having seals 60, 62 disposed between the socket and annular retainer surfaces 34, 40, the surfaces being fixed relative to the shaft. Each seal comprises a resilient member, e.g. 64, which is bonded on one side to a retainer surface, e.g. 34, and on the other side to an annular seal carrier e.g. 66, and a resilient member, e.g. 70, carried by the carrier so as to be in continuous, annular, sliding contact with the socket 54. Other embodiments are described in which the shape of the retainer surfaces and the mounting of the shaft within the retainer surfaces are changed.