Universal joint for transmission of rotational movements

Claim 1

A UNIVERSAL JOINT FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF ROTATIONAL MOVEMENTS BETWEEN TWO SHAFTS, COMPRISING A FIRST DRIVING MEMBER COUPLED TO ONE OF SAID TWO SHAFTS; THREE PIVOT MEANS RIGIDLY FIXED TO SAID FIRST DRIVING MEMBER, EACH OF SAID PIVOT MEANS HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND SAID ONE SHAFT HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS, THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF EACH OF SAID PIVOT MEANS AND SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID ONE SHAFT BEING IN A COMMON PLANE, THE THREE PLANES CONTAINING SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID ONE SHAFT AND THE RESPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL AXES OF SAID PIVOT MEANS FORMING THREE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL INCLUDED ANGLES; A SUBSTANTIALLY SPHERICAL COUPLING MEMBER ROTATIVELY AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAID PIVOT MEANS; A SECOND DRIVING MEMBER RIGIDLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE OTHER OF SAID TWO SHAFTS, SAID SECOND MEMBER INCLUDING THREE PAIRS OF GROOVES, FOR ENGAGING RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID COUPLING MEMBERS FOR ROLLING AND SLIDING MOVEMENT THEREIN; EACH PAIR OF GROOVES HAVING TWO OPPOSITELY DISPOSED WALL SURFACES, EACH WALL SURFACE IN CROSS SECTION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY AN ARC OF A CIRCLE, AND DEFINING FIRST AND SECOND OPEN SEGMENTS, ONE OF SAID TWO SEGMENTS RECEIVING A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID PIVOT MEANS AND THE SECOND OF SAID SEGMENTS COMMUNICATING WITH A SPACING, SAID TWO SEGMENTS BEING OPPOSITELY DISPOSED AND EXTENDING ALONG AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF EACH OF SAID PAIRS OF GROOVES, SAID FIRST SEGMENT FACING OUTWARDLY AND SAID SECOND SEGMENT FACING THE INTERIOR OF SAID JOINT.