Integral thrust bearing and kingpin bushing seal

Claim 1

N AXLE ASSEMBLY FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING AN AXLE, A BIFURCATED STEERING KNUCKLE EMBRACING THE END OF SAID AXLE, SAID SPINDLE AND SAID AXLE HAVING ALIGNED BORES THERETHROUGH, A KINGPIN EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ALIGHED BORES AND FORMING A PIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID SPINDLE AND SAID AXLE, LOCKING MEANS SECURING SAID KINGPIN TO SAID AXLE, AN INTEGRAL THRUST BEARING AND KINGPIN BUSHING SEAL ASSEMBLY INTERPOSED BETWEEN A PORTION OF SAID STEERING KNUCKLE AND A PORTION OF SAID AXLE, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING BEARING MEANS, SAID BEARING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF BEARING RACES SEPARATED BY A BEARING ELEMENT, A ONE-PIECE RESILIENT CASE SURROUNDING SAID BEARING MEANS, SAID CASE HAVING AN UPSTANDING LIP, A PORTION OF SAID AXLE HAVING A GROOVE, SAID LIP BEING SEATED IN SAID GROOVE, SEALING MEANS BEING FORMED ON A PORTION OF SAID RESILIENT CASE AND ENGAGING A PORTION OF SAID STEERING KNUCKLE, SAID BEARING RACES HAVING A FRUSTO-CONICAL EXTERIOR EDGES, SAID RESILIENT CASE HAVING A COMPLEMENTARY CONCAVE INTERIOR CONFIGURATION ADAPTED TO SURROUND SAID BEARING ELEMENT.