Low-torque bushing assembly

Claim 1

A LOW-TORQUE BUSHING ASSEMBLY COMPRISING RIGID TUBULAR MEANS FORMING AN AXIALLY ELONGATED EXTERNALLY CYLINDRICAL INNER SLEEVE OF CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION; A RIGID AXIALLY ELONGATED OUTER SLEEVE; AN INTERMEDIATE BEARING SLEEVE OF RESILIENT SYNTHETIC RESIN MATERIAL POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER SLEEVES AND CONCENTRIC THERETO, SAID INTERMEDIATE BEARING SLEEVE HAVING EXTERNAL LONGITUDINAL RIBS AND A MULTIPLICITY OF LUBRICANT RETAINING GROOVES WHICH ARE LOCATED IN THE INNER SURFACE THEREOF; AND AN ANNULAR ELASTIC RUBBER INSERT RADIALLY COMPRESSED BETWEEN THE OUTER AND INTERMEDIATE SLEEVES TO INCREASE THE AXIAL LENGTH OF THE UNSTRESSED INSERT AT LEAST 20%, SAID RUBBER INSERT IN THE UNSTRESSED CONDITION HAVING A RADIALLY PROJECTING PORTION AT EACH END WITH AN ANNULAR GROOVE THEREIN, THE END PORTIONS OF SAID RUBBER INSERT CONTACTING EACH END PORTION OF THE INNER SLEEVE AT THE ENDS OF SAID INTERMEDIATE BEARING SLEEVE AND AT SURFACE AREAS ADJACENT TO THE ENDS OF THE INTERMEDIATE SLEEVE NEAR EACH EDGE OF EACH OF THE ANNULAR GROOVES TO PROVIDE A DOUBLE SEAL AT EACH END OF THE BUSHING ASSEMBLY.