| 摘要 |
A ball and socket joint having a ball provided with an integral stud projecting outwardly through an end of the socket, a portion of the peripheral spherical surface of the ball being in swivelling sliding engagement with a corresponding partial spherical bore in the socket, and a generally disk-shaped retainer member holding the ball in assembly in the socket and applying a pre-load bias to the ball urging the bearing spherical surfaces in mutual engagement, the retainer member having an integral or separate spherical recess in swivelling sliding engagement with a portion of the peripheral surface of the ball opposite to the stud. The ball is a full ball or alternatively a partial ball having a substantially hemispherical protuberance of smaller diameter in engagement with the spherical recess in the retainer member. The pre-load bias is applied either directly by the retainer member as a result of being elastically stressed during assembly of the elements by swaging of the rim of the socket, or is provided by a frusto-conical spring member engaged against the periphery of the retainer member and flattened during assembly or by a dished spring member in direct engagement with the peripheral spherical surface of the ball and elastically deformed through engagement with the retainer member during assembly of the joint. |
