Universal joints

Claim 1

A HOUSING FOR A UNIVERSAL JOINT FOR DRIVABLY COUPLING TWO SHAFTS OF WHICH THE AXES INTERSECT, SAID HOUSING COMPRISING INTERENGAGING FIRST AND SECOND PART-SPHERICAL OPENENDED SHELL-LIKE MEMBERS HAVING A COMMON CENTRE WITH THE OPEN ENDS OF EACH OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING A DIAMETER LESS THAN THE GREATEST DIAMETERS OF SAID MEMBERS, SAID FIRST MEMBER COMPRISING INNER AND OUTER CONCENTRIC LAYERS DEFINING BETWEEN THEM A SPHERICAL SPACE, AND SAID SECOND MEMBER ENTERING INTO THE SAID SPACE, WHEREBY SAID MEMBERS CAN PERFORM RELATIVE ANGULAR SLIDING MOVEMENTS ABOUT SAID COMMON CENTRE, SAID FIRST MEMBER HAVING AN OPEN END THAT IS NORMALLY OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE GREATEST DIAMETER OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SECOND MEMBER, AND EACH OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING AN UNBROKEN PERIPHERY, AT LEAST SAID FIRST MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE ITS ASSOCIATED SHAFT AT ITS END REMOTE FROM SAID OPEN END, THE SPACE IN SAID FIRST MEMBER HAVING AT THE SHAFT ENGAGING END THEREOF A DIAMETER LESS THAN THE GREATEST DIAMETER OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SECOND MEMBER, AND SAID SECOND MEMBER BEING MADE OF RESILIENT MATERIAL SUCH AS TO ALLOW THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SECOND MEMBER TO BE DEFORMED TO PASS THROUGH THE OPENING OF SAID FIRST MEMBER AND BETWEEN THE LAYERS OF SAID FIRST MEMBER WITH THE OPEN END OF SAID SECOND MEMBER EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SHAFT RECEIVING END OF THE SPHERICAL SPACE OF SAID FIRST MEMBER AND BEYOND THE PLANE THROUGH THE GREATEST DIAMETER THEREOF FOR ASSEMBLY TOGETHER OF SAID MEMBERS.