Shaft assembly

Claim 1

IN A UNIVERSAL JOINT ASSEMBLY FOR USE ON A MOTOR VEHICLE INCLUDING A PROPELLER SHAFT HAVING LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING EXTERNAL SPLINES ADJACENT TO AN END THEREOF, A STATIONARY HOUSING HAVING A RECESS ADJACENT TO WHICH THE EXTERNAL SPLINES ARE LOCATED AND PROJECT AT LEAST PARTIALLY THEREIN WITH THE SHAFT JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION RELATIVE TO BEARING MEANS MOUNTED IN THE RECESS AS WELL AS A METAL PINION MEANS HAVING A PERIPHERAL PORTION SECURED COMPLEMENTARY THROUGH LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNABLE ALONG THE EXTERNAL SPLINES OF THE SHAFT, A SEAL MEANS CONSISTING OF, A NON-ROTATABLE RESILIENT EXCLUSIVELY RUBBER-LIKE ANNULAR LIP PORTION HELD IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION ON THE STATIONARY HOUSING IN A LOCATION RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERAL PORTIN OF THE METAL PINION MEANS IN WHICH A RADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING GROOVE OF PREDETERMINED AXIAL LENGTH IS PROVIDED SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO CORRESPONDING LENGTH OF SAID NON-ROTATABLE RESILIENT EXCLUSIVELY RUBBERLIKE ANNULAR LIP PORTION, AND COEXTENSIVE BAND OF PLASTIC MATERIAL SUCH AS NYLON TEFLON, DELRIN AND THE LIKE SECURED AS A SUBSTANTIAL RESINOUS, SEALING SURFACE DIRECTLY TO THE ROTATABLE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE PINON MEANS AND SUBSTANTIALY TO FILL THE GROOVE FLUSH WITH SAID PERIPHERAL PORTION THROUGH PRECLUDING AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID PLASTIC COEXTENSIVE BAND IN EITHER OF OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS YET SUBJECT TO ENGAGEMENT EXCLUSIVELY BY SAID RUBBER-LIKE ANNULAR LIP PORTION AND SEALING DIRECTLY THEREBETWEEN