Constant velocity universal joint

Claim 2

In a constant velocity universal joint the combination comprising an annular cage having a plurality of ball receiving windows, a drive shaft having an end portion protruding into said cage through an oversized opening at one end of said cage, an inner drive member non-rotatably secured to the end portion of said drive shaft disposed in said cage, said inner drive member having a plurality of partispherical lands and generally axial ball grooves separated by said partispherical lands, said cage having an inner partispherical seat adjacent said oversized opening engaging one side of said partispherical lands, said cage having an enlarged opening at the other end through which said drive shaft with said inner drive member mounted thereon is axially insertable in any rotational orientation, an end plate having an interior partispherical surface substantially concentric with said partispherical seat secured in said enlarged opening at said other end of said cage, and means carried by said end portion of said drive shaft engaging said interior partispherical surface biasing said partispherical lands into bearing engagement with said partispherical seat.

Claim 3

In a constant velocity universal joint the combination comprising an annular cage having inner and outer peripheral surfaces and a plurality of circumferentially spaced ball receiving windows for maintaining an array of balls coplanar extending from said inner peripheral surface to said outer peripheral surface, said inner peripheral surface including a partispherical seat curving radially inwardly toward an opening at one end of said cage, an elongated inner drive means axially insertable into said cage through an enlarged opening at the other end of said cage, said elongated inner drive means including a portion disposed in said cage having partispherical lands separated by a plurality of generally axial ball grooves, said partispherical lands engaging said partispherical seat for pivotal movement of said elongated drive means with respect to said cage, an end plate secured to said cage across said enlarged opening at said other end, said end plate having an interior partispherical surface substantially concentric with the partispherical seat on the inner periphery of said cage, and automatically adjustable means carried by said inner drive member engaging said interior partispherical surface on said end plate and taking up any clearances between said partispherical lands on said elongated inner drive member and said partispherical seat in said cage to provide good bearing engagement therebetween for the accurate pivotal movement of said elongated inner drive member with respect to said cage.

Claim 4

In a constant velocity universal joint the combination comprising an annular cage having inner and outer peripheral surfaces and a plurality of circumferentially spaced ball receiving windows for maintaining an array of balls coplanar extending from said inner peripheral surface to said outer peripheral surface, said inner peripheral surface including a partispherical seat curving radially inwardly toward an opening at one end of said cage, an elongated inner drive means axially insertable into said cage through an enlarged opening at the other end of said cage, said elongated inner drive means including a portion disposed in said cage having partispherical lands separated by a plurality of generally axial ball grooves, said partispherical lands engaging said partispherical seat for pivotal movement of said elongated drive means with respect to said cage, an end plate secured to said cage across said enlarged opening at said other end, said end plate having an interior partispherical surface substantially concentric with the partispherical seat on the inner periphery of said cage, and automatically adjustable means carried by said inner drive member engaging said interior partispherical surface on said end plate and taking up any clearances between said partispherical lands on said elongated inner drive member and said partispherical seat in said cage to provide good bearing engagement therebetween for the accurate pivotal movement of said elongated inner drive member with respect to said cage.

Claim 5

In a constant velocity universal joint the combination comprising an annular cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ball receiving windows and a partispherical seat on the inner periphery thereof offset toward one end of said cage and a partispherical control surface on the outer periphery thereof equally offset toward the opposite end of said cage, a drive shaft having one axial end thereof disposed in said cage, an inner drive member having a plurality of partispherical lands and ball grooves on the end portion of said drive shaft adjacent said one axial end, said inner drive member being disposed in said cage with said partispherical lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat, said cage having an enlarged opening at said opposite end which is sufficient to axially insert said inner drive member into said cage in any circumferential orientation, an end plate secured to said cage across an enlarged opening at the opposite end of said cage, said end plate having an interior partispherical surface substantially concentric with said partispherical seat, and a ball radially adjustably carried by said shaft protruding from said one axial end and engaging said interior partispherical surface on said end plate to maintain said partispherical lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat.

Claim 6

In a constant velocity universal joint the combination comprising an annular cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ball receiving windows and a partispherical seat on the inner periphery thereof offset toward one end of said cage and a partispherical control surface on the outer periphery thereof equally offset toward the opposite end of said cage, a drive shaft having one axial end thereof disposed in said cage, an inner drive member having a plurality of partispherical lands and ball grooves on the end portion of said drive shaft adjacent said one axial end, said inner drive member being disposed in said cage with said partispherical lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat, said cage having an enlarged opening at said opposite end which is sufficient to axially insert said inner drive member into said cage in any circumferential orientation, an end plate secured to said cage across an enlarged opening at the opposite end of said cage, said end plate having an interior partispherical surface substantially concentric with said partispherical seat, and a ball radially adjustably carried by said shaft protruding from said one axial end and engaging said interior partispherical surface on said end plate to maintain said partispherical lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat.

Claim 7

In a constant velocity universal joint the combination comprising an annular cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ball receiving windows and a partispherical seat on the inner periphery thereof offset toward one end of said cage and a partispherical control surface on the outer periphery thereof equally offset toward the opposite end of said cage, a drive shaft having a cavity in one axial end thereof, a plug secured in said cavity to a predetermined depth, an inner drive member having a plurality of partispherical lands and ball grooves on the end portion of said drive shaft adjacent said one axial end, said inner drive member being disposed in said cage with said lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat, said cage having an enlarged opening at said opposite end which is sufficient to axially insert said inner drive member into said cage in any circumferential orientation, an end plate secured to said cage across said enlarged opening, said end plate having an interior partispherical surface substantially concentric with said partispherical seat and an eccentric hole sufficient to permit passage of said plug therethrough for insertion into said cavity when said cage is angulated on said inner member beyond the maximum angle encountered during the normal operation of said universal joint, and an undersized ball disposed in said cavity against said plug and engaging said partispherical surface on said end plate to maintain said partispherical lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat.

Claim 8

In a constant velocity universal joint the combination comprising an annular cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ball receiving windows and a partispherical seat on the inner periphery thereof offset toward one end of said cage and a partispherical control surface on the outer periphery thereof equally offset toward the opposite end of said cage, a drive shaft having a cavity in one axial end thereof, a plug secured in said cavity to a predetermined depth, an inner drive member having a plurality of partispherical lands and ball grooves on the end portion of said drive shaft adjacent said one axial end, said inner drive member being disposed in said cage with said lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat, said cage having an enlarged opening at said opposite end which is sufficient to axially insert said inner drive member into said cage in any circumferential orientation, an end plate secured to said cage across said enlarged opening, said end plate having an interior partispherical surface substantially concentric with said partispherical seat and an eccentric hole sufficient to permit passage of said plug therethrough for insertion into said cavity when said cage is angulated on said inner member beyond the maximum angle encountered during the normal operation of said universal joint, and an undersized ball disposed in said cavity against said plug and engaging said partispherical surface on said end plate to maintain said partispherical lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat.

Claim 9

In a constant velocity universal joint the combination comprising an annular cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ball receiving windows and a partispherical seat on the inner periphery thereof offset toward one end of said cage and a partispherical control surface on the outer periphery thereof equally offset toward the opposite end of said cage, a drive shaft having one axial end thereof disposed in said cage, an inner drive member having a plurality of partispherical lands and ball grooves on the end portion of said drive shaft adjacent said one axial end, said inner drive member being disposed in said cage with said partispherical lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat, said cage having an enlarged opening at said opposite end which is sufficient to axially insert said inner drive member into said cage in any circumferential orientation, an end plate secured to said cage across an enlarged opening at the opposite end of said cage, said end plate having an interior partispherical surface substantially concentric with said partispherical seat, and a resiliently biased bearing shoe carried by said shaft protruding from said one axial end and engaging said interior partispherical surface on said end plate to maintain said partispherical lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat.

Claim 10

In a constant velocity universal joint the combination comprising an annular cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ball receiving windows and a partispherical seat on the inner periphery thereof offset toward one end of said cage and a partispherical control surface on the outer periphery thereof equally offset toward the opposite end of said cage, a drive shaft having one axial end thereof disposed in said cage, an inner drive member having a plurality of partispherical lands and ball grooves on the end portion of said drive shaft adjacent said one axial end, said inner drive member being disposed in said cage with said partispherical lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat, said cage having an enlarged opening at said opposite end which is sufficient to axially insert said inner drive member into said cage in any circumferential orientation, an end plate secured to said cage across an enlarged opening at the opposite end of said cage, said end plate having an interior partispherical surface substantially concentric with said partispherical seat, and a resiliently biased bearing shoe carried by said shaft protruding from said one axial end and engaging said interior partispherical surface on said end plate to maintain said partispherical lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat.

Claim 11

In a constant velocity universal joint the combination comprising an annular cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ball receiving windows and a partispherical seat on the inner periphery thereof offset toward one end of said cage and a partispherical control surface on the outer periphery thereof equally offset toward the opposite end of said cage, a drive shaft having an axial end disposed in said cage, an inner drive member having a pluralIty of partispherical lands and ball grooves on the end portion of said drive shaft adjacent said one axial end, said inner drive member being disposed in said cage with said lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat, said cage having an enlarged opening at said opposite end which is sufficient to axially insert said inner drive member into said cage in any circumferential orientation, an end plate secured to said cage across said enlarged opening having an interior partispherical surface substantially concentric with said partispherical seat, a bearing shoe telescopingly carried by said end portion of said drive shaft engaging said interior partispherical surface on said end plate, and resilient means urging said bearing shoe away from said one axial end of said shaft toward said interior partispherical surface on said end plate to maintain said partispherical lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat.

Claim 12

In a constant velocity universal joint the combination comprising an annular cage having a plurality of circumferentially spaced ball receiving windows and a partispherical seat on the inner periphery thereof offset toward one end of said cage and a partispherical control surface on the outer periphery thereof equally offset toward the opposite end of said cage, a drive shaft having an axial end disposed in said cage, an inner drive member having a pluralIty of partispherical lands and ball grooves on the end portion of said drive shaft adjacent said one axial end, said inner drive member being disposed in said cage with said lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat, said cage having an enlarged opening at said opposite end which is sufficient to axially insert said inner drive member into said cage in any circumferential orientation, an end plate secured to said cage across said enlarged opening having an interior partispherical surface substantially concentric with said partispherical seat, a bearing shoe telescopingly carried by said end portion of said drive shaft engaging said interior partispherical surface on said end plate, and resilient means urging said bearing shoe away from said one axial end of said shaft toward said interior partispherical surface on said end plate to maintain said partispherical lands in bearing engagement with said partispherical seat.