Drive shaft coupling

Claim 1

IN A TORQUE-TRANSMITTING DRIVE COUPLING FOR CONNECTING A DRIVING AND A DRIVEN SHAFT WITH ACCOMMODATION OF RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENTS THEREBETWEEN, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES A FIRST MEMBER FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID SHAFTS AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY EXTENDING PROJECTIONS SPACED EQUALLY AROUND THE ENTIRE PERIPHERY THEREOF, SAID PROJECTIONS BEING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED FORMING A PLURALITY OF AXIAL RACES BETWEEN ADJACENT SAID PROJECTIONS, A SECOND MEMBER FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER OF SAID SHAFTS AND ADAPTED FOR INTERFITTING WITH SAID FIRST MEMBER AND SAID PROJECTIONS THEREON FOR FREE AXIAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT THERETO WHEN SAID MEMBERS AND SAID SHAFTS ARE IN COAXIAL ALIGNMENT, A PLURALITY OF TORQUE-TRANSMITTING ELEMENTS ON SAID SECOND MEMBER EQUALLY SPACED AROUND THE ENTIRE PERIPHERY THEREOF, SAID TORQUE-TRANSMITTING ELEMENTS INCLUDING MEANS FOR ROLLING BEARING ENGAGEMENT IN SAID RACES BETWEEN SAID PROJECTIONS ON SAID FIRST MEMBER FOR RECEIVING EQUAL AMOUNTS OF TORQUE TO SAID SECOND MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY WITHOUT RESISTANCE TO FREE AXIAL MOVEMENT THEREOF, AND ADJUSTING MEANS ON SAID SECOND MEMBER FOR ADJUSTING THE PRECISE POSITIONING OF SAID TORQUE TRANSMITTING ELEMENTS THEREON WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIAL CENTER LINES OF SAID RACES FOR MAINTAINING SAID ROLLING BEARING ELEMENTS UNIFORMLY ALIGNED IN SAID RACES.