Ball joint

Claim 1

A BALL JOINT COMPRISING: (A) A FEMALE MEMBER HAVING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL SOCKET PROVIDED WITH A REDUCED OPENING AT ONE END DEFINED BY AN INWARDLY EXTENDING ANNULAR FLANGE; (B) A MALE MEMBER HAVING A BALL PORTION RECEIVABLE IN SAID SOCKET AND A NECK EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AXIALLY FROM SAID SOCKET PORTION THROUGH SAID END THEREOF; (C) ANTIFRICTION BEARING MEANS IN SAID SOCKET IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BALL PORTION, SAID BEARING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF AXIALLY SPACED ANNULAR BODIES HAVING GENERALLY SPHEROIDAL SEATS AND BEARING AXIALLY UPON SAID BALL PORTION ON OPPOSITE SIDES A DIAMETRAL PLANE THERETHROUGH; (D) AN ANNULAR RESILIENTLY COMPRESSIBLE ELASTOMERIC SEAL DISPOSED IN SAID OPENING AND BRIDGING SAID NECK AND SAID SOCKET AT SAID OPENING WHILE PRESSING AXIALLY UPON SAID BALL PORTION TO URGE IT AGAINST SAID BEARING MEANS, SAID SEAL HAVING AN ANNULAR OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE OVERLYING SAID INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE OF SAID SOCKET AND DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE AND SAID BEARING MEANS WHILE CLAMPED THEREBY IN SAID SOCKET, A COLLAR PORTION EXTENDING AXIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID OPENING ALONG SAID NECK, AND A LAYER OF AN ELASTOMERIC FOAM DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE SAID BEARING MEANS AND SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE AND ALSO ALONG THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE, SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE BEING COMPRESSED BETWEEN SAID BEARING MEANS AND SAID INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE; AND (E) CLOSURE MEANS AT THE OTHER END OF SAID SOCKET WHEREBY SAID BODIES AND SAID SEAL ARE RETAINED UNDER COMPRESSION BETWEEN SAID INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE AND SAID CLOSURE MEANS.