Universal joint apparatus having sliding plate construction for separating thrust and torque forces

摘要

A universal joint is provided for transferring thrust and torque forces from a rotatable means for driving to a rotatable means to be driven. The joint has a pair of end housings each connected to a respective rotatable means at one end thereof and having a socket formed at the other end thereof. A shaft has a socket formed at each end thereof and one shaft socket and one end socket cooperative to receive a ball. The thrust forces are transferred through abutting surfaces on the sockets and the ball. Each socket also has one end of an individual plate attached thereto. The other end of each plate is slidably received by a slot formed in the respective ball. The two slots on each ball are formed one hundred eighty degrees apart and the longitudinal axis of one of the slots is rotated ninety degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the other one of the slots.