Fleixible drive shaft coupling assembly

Claim 1

IN A FLEXIBLE SHAFT INCLUDING AN INNER ROTATABLE FLEXIBLE CORE AND AN OUTER SHEATH COVERING SAID CORE; AN ASSEMBLY FOR COUPLING SAID SHAFT TO A ROTATABLE DRIVE MEMBER COMPRISING A SLEEVE BONDED AT ONE END TO THE END OF SAID SHEATH, THE OTHER END OF THE SLEEVE HAVING AN EXTERNAL RADIAL FLANGE, A BEARING FITTED WITHIN SAID SLEEVE, AN ADAPTER FOR CONNECTING SAID CORE TO SAID ROTATABLE DRIVE MEMBER INCLUDING A CENTRAL THREADED BODY PORTION, CONNECTOR MEANS INTEGRAL WITH SAID BODY AND EXTENDING FROM ONE END THEREOF FOR SECURING THE ADAPTER TO THE DRIVE MEMBER, A SHAFT OF REDUCED DIAMETER EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER END OF THE BODY PORTION, SAID SHAFT FITTING WITHIN SAID SLEEVE AND BEING JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION IN SAID BEARING, AN AXIALLY EXTENDING COUPLING RECESS IN THE END OF SAID SHAFT, SAID CORE BEING ADAPTED TO FIT WITHIN SAID RECESS FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT THEREWITH, A RETAINER NUT SLIDEABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SLEEVE, SAID NUT HAVING AN INTERNALLY THREADED PORTION, THE THREADS ON SAID NUT BEING ADAPTED TO INTERFIT WITH THE THREADS ON THE BODY OF SAID ADAPTER FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, SAID NUT FURTHER HAVING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE, SAID FLANGE BEING AXIALLY SPACED FROM THE SLEEVE FLANGE AND BEING ADAPTED TO PREVENT SEPARATION OF SAID SHAFT ASSEMBLY FROM SAID ADAPTER, SAID NUT BEING DIMENSIONED TO PROVIDE FOR AXIAL CLEARANCE OF SAID FLANGES WHEN SAID THREADS ARE INTERFITTED.