Bearing races

Claim 1

FOR USE WITH A TELESCOPIC SHAFT PROVIDED AT EACH OF ITS ENDS WITH A UNIVERSAL JOINT FROM WHICH EXTEND STUB SHAFTS FOR CONNECTION, RESPECTIVELY, TO DRIVING AND DRIVEN MACHINERY, A GUARD COMPRISING TWO TELESCOPICALLY-RELATED TUBULAR SHEATHS AND FRUSTO-CONOIDAL END PIECES ON THE MUTUALLY-REMOTE ENDS OF SAID SHEATHS, SAID END PIECES BEING MOUNTED CO-AXIALLY WITH SAID SHEATHS AND WITH THEIR LARGER DIAMETER ENDS DIRECTED AWAY FROM SAID SHEATHS; AN ANNULAR BEARING MOUNTED WITHIN EACH SAID END PIECE, EACH SAID BEARING COMPRISING AN INNER COMPONENT HAVING AN INSIDE SURFACE DEFINING A BORE AND ADAPTED TO FIT AROUND SAID SHAFT ADJACENT ONE SAID UNIVERSAL JOINT, AND AN OUTSIDE SURFACE WITH AN ANNULAR GROOVE DEFINING AN INNER RACE; AND TWO MUTUALLY-COMPLEMENTARY OUTER COMPONENTS SNAPFITTING TOGETHER AND HAVING INSIDE SURFACES IN MUTUAL CONTINUITY TOGETHER HAVING AN ANNULAR GROOVE DEFINING AN OUTER RACE, SAID OUTSIDE SURFACES IN MUTUAL CONTINUITY TOGETHER DEFINING A FRUSTO-CONOIDAL SHAPE AND FITTING SNUGLY WITHIN ONE SAID END PIECE; MEANS SECURING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID OUTER COMPONENTS INTERNALLY TO SAID END PIECE; A COLLAR INTEGRAL WITH SAID INNER COMPONENT AND HAVING AN OUTSIDE SURFACE AND AN INSIDE SURFACE, SAID COLLAR INSIDE SURFACE DEFINING A BORE AND BEING ADAPTED TO FIT AROUND SAID SHAFT, SAID COLLAR BEING RADIALLY CONTRACTILE; MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID COLLAR OUTSIDE SURFACE AND ADAPTED TO CONTRACT SAID COLLAR RADIALLY; A CIRCUMFERENTIAL ROW OF BALLS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER RACES; ANNULAR BEARING SHOULDER MEANS ON SAID OUTSIDE SURFACE OF SAID INNER COMPONENT ON EACH SIDE OF SAID INNER RACE AND ANNULAR SHOULDER MEANS ON SAID INSIDE SURFACE OF EACH SAID OUTER COMPONENTS, EACH SAID ANNULAR SHOULDER MEANS SEATING ON SAID ONE OF SAID ANNULAR BEARING SHOULDER MEANS; AND EACH OF SAID COMPONENTS BEING MOULDED OF PLASTIC MATERIAL.