Socket joint

Claim 2

A movable stud joint comprising: a housing, an opening through said housing defined by a wall having axial open ends, a stud having axial ends, an increased diameter section on said stud intermediate the ends, the increased diameter section having a part sphere surface, a seat in said opening having a part spherical face, the stud projecting through one end of the opening into the opening with the increased diameter section received in the opening seated against the seat, a portion of the stud between the increased diameter section and one end of the stud received in the opening, a ring bushing around the portion, the bushing having an outer diameter spaced from the opening wall, a resilient ring entrapped between the bushing and wall, and the resilient ring deformed from its free state and loading against the bushing, the opening closed at the end opposite the one end by a closure cap, the closure cap being loaded against the resilient ring and engaging the one end of the stud in slidable bearing relationship therewith to apply an axial preload thereto, the increased diameter section terminating in a radial face extending radially inwardly to the portion and the bushing terminates at one end in a radial flange mating with the radial face, the resilient ring loaded against the flange and against the bushing outer diameter to apply both an axial and radial load to the stud in conjunction with the preload, the bushing having axially extending lubrication grooves in an inner diameter surface and radial lubrication grooves on the flange opposite the radial face.

Claim 3

A movable stud joint comprising: a housing, an opening through said housing defined by a wall having axial open ends, a stud haVing axial ends, an increased diameter section on said stud intermediate the ends, the increased diameter section having a part sphere surface, a seat in said opening having a part spherical face, the stud projecting through one end of the opening into the opening with the increased diameter section received in the opening seated against the seat, a portion of the stud between the increased diameter section and one end of the stud received in the opening, a bushing around the portion, the bushing hacing an outer diameter spaced from the opening wall, a resilient ring entrapped between the bushing and wall, and the resilient ring deformed from its free state and loading against the bushing, the opening closed at the end opposite the one end by a closure cap, the closure cap being loaded against the resilient ring and engaging the one end of the stud in slidable bearing relationship therewith to apply an axial preload thereto, the increased diameter section terminating in a radial face extending radially inwardly to the portion, the bushing terminating at one end in a radial flange mating with the radial face, the resilient ring loaded against the flange and against the bushing outer diameter to apply both an axial and radial load to the stud in conjunction with the preload, the resilient ring having an end face opposite the flange end having a free state configuration providing an axial length of the resilient ring greater than the axial length between the flange and the closure cap, the free state configuration including an axially projecting ring nose on one axial end of the resilient ring, the nose having a radial thickness less than the radial thickness of adjacent portions of the resilient ring, the resilient ring being deformed at the one end by loading of the closure cap.

Claim 4

A movable stud joint comprising: a housing, an opening through said housing defined by a wall having axial open ends, a stud haVing axial ends, an increased diameter section on said stud intermediate the ends, the increased diameter section having a part sphere surface, a seat in said opening having a part spherical face, the stud projecting through one end of the opening into the opening with the increased diameter section received in the opening seated against the seat, a portion of the stud between the increased diameter section and one end of the stud received in the opening, a bushing around the portion, the bushing hacing an outer diameter spaced from the opening wall, a resilient ring entrapped between the bushing and wall, and the resilient ring deformed from its free state and loading against the bushing, the opening closed at the end opposite the one end by a closure cap, the closure cap being loaded against the resilient ring and engaging the one end of the stud in slidable bearing relationship therewith to apply an axial preload thereto, the increased diameter section terminating in a radial face extending radially inwardly to the portion, the bushing terminating at one end in a radial flange mating with the radial face, the resilient ring loaded against the flange and against the bushing outer diameter to apply both an axial and radial load to the stud in conjunction with the preload, the resilient ring having an end face opposite the flange end having a free state configuration providing an axial length of the resilient ring greater than the axial length between the flange and the closure cap, the free state configuration including an axially projecting ring nose on one axial end of the resilient ring, the nose having a radial thickness less than the radial thickness of adjacent portions of the resilient ring, the resilient ring being deformed at the one end by loading of the closure cap.

Claim 5

A movable stud joint comprising: a housing, an opening through said housing defined by a wall having axial open ends, a stud having axial ends, an increased diameter section on said stud intermediate the ends, the increased diameter section having a part sphere surface, a seat in said opening having a part spherical face, the stud projecting through one end of the opening into the opening with the increased diameter section received in the opening seated against the seat, a portion of the stud between the increased diameter section and one end of the stud received in the opening, a ring bushing around the portion, the bushing having an outer diameter from the opening wall, a resilient ring entrapped between the bushing and wall, and the resilient ring deformed from its free state and loading against the bushing, the opening closed at the end opposite the one end by a closure cap, the closure cap loaded against the resilient ring, the increased diameter section terminating in a radial face extending radially inwardly to the portion and the bushing terminating at one end in a radial flange mating with the radial face, the resilient ring loaded against the flange and against the bushing outer diameter to apply both an axial and radial load to the stud, the housing opening having a diameter which decreases for at least a portion of the length of the housing opening toward the end opposite the one end, the decreasing dimension of the opening effective to lock the resilient ring within the opening, the decrease beginning intermediate the ends of the resilient ring.

Claim 6

A movable stud joint comprising: a housing, an opening through said housing defined by a wall having axial open ends, a stud having axial ends, an increased diameter section on said stud intermediate the ends, the increased diameter section having a part sphere surface, a seat in said opening having a part spherical face, the stud projecting through one end of the opening into the opening with the increased diameter section received in the opening seated against the seat, a portion of the stud between the increased diameter section and one end of the stud received in the opening, a ring bushing around the portion, the bushing having an outer diameter from the opening wall, a resilient ring entrapped between the bushing and wall, and the resilient ring deformed from its free state and loading against the bushing, the opening closed at the end opposite the one end by a closure cap, the closure cap loaded against the resilient ring, the increased diameter section terminating in a radial face extending radially inwardly to the portion and the bushing terminating at one end in a radial flange mating with the radial face, the resilient ring loaded against the flange and against the bushing outer diameter to apply both an axial and radial load to the stud, the housing opening having a diameter which decreases for at least a portion of the length of the housing opening toward the end opposite the one end, the decreasing dimension of the opening effective to lock the resilient ring within the opening, the decrease beginning intermediate the ends of the resilient ring.

Claim 7

A movable stud joint comprising a stud with a portion thereof projecting from a housing cavity with a portion of the stud received in the cavity, the portion of the stud received in the cavity including a radial extension of said stud, said radial extension having a spherical surface seated against a mating surface associated with the housing to allow rotational and angular movement of the stud with respect to the housing, a portion of the stud beyond the increased portion being received in a bushing, the bushing received in the cavity, and a resilient ring entrapped between a wall of the cavity and the bushing, the resilient ring loaDing both radially and axially against portions of the bushing to maintain the stud substantially perpendicular to the cavity and to axially load the stud, a wall of the cavity radially outward of the portions of the resilient ring having a radially increasing axial taper, the resilient ring having a mating taper, the tapers decreasing in the direction of the projection of the stud from the housing, the cavity wall taper reversing within the length of the resilient ring whereby the outer diameter surface of the resilient ring has an axial midlength radially extending bulge mating against a conforming cavity wall to lock the resilient ring in the housing cavity.

Claim 8

A movable stud joint comprising a stud with a portion thereof projecting from a housing cavity with a portion of the stud received in the cavity, the portion of the stud received in the cavity including a radial extension of said stud, said radial extension having a spherical surface seated against a mating surface associated with the housing to allow rotational and angular movement of the stud with respect to the housing, a portion of the stud beyond the increased portion being received in a bushing, the bushing received in the cavity, and a resilient ring entrapped between a wall of the cavity and the bushing, the resilient ring loaDing both radially and axially against portions of the bushing to maintain the stud substantially perpendicular to the cavity and to axially load the stud, a wall of the cavity radially outward of the portions of the resilient ring having a radially increasing axial taper, the resilient ring having a mating taper, the tapers decreasing in the direction of the projection of the stud from the housing, the cavity wall taper reversing within the length of the resilient ring whereby the outer diameter surface of the resilient ring has an axial midlength radially extending bulge mating against a conforming cavity wall to lock the resilient ring in the housing cavity.