Ball joint with manually operable, sensible wear indicator

Claim 2

A ball joint comprising, a housing having an opening at one end, a lower bearing seat in said housing adjacent said opening, a stud unit having a ball portion and a shank portion, said ball portion being disposed in said housing and bearing against said lower bearing seat in an engagement subject to wear and said shank portion protruding through said opening at said one end, a cover fixedly secured to said housing at the other end thereof, an upper bearing seat on said cover in a fixed spatial relationship to said lower bearing seat, said upper bearing seat overlying and bearing against said ball portion in an engagement subject to wear, and an indicator telescopingly mounted on said cover and movable in relation to said upper bearing seat, said wear indicator having a manually operable portion outside of said cover and a bearing portion inside of said cover, said bearing portion engaging said ball portion and seating it on said lower bearing seat and accumulating any clearances between said ball portion and said bearing seats caused by wear as a spacing between said ball portion and said upper bearing seat when said indicator is actuated by a manually applied force pushing said manually operable portion toward said cover, said manually operable portion having a conformation which in relationship to adjacent portions on the cover when said indicator is actuated gives a sensible indication of whether said wear is sufficient to warrant replacement of the ball joint.

Claim 3

A ball joint comprising, a housing having an opening at one end, a lower bearing seat in said housing adjacent said opening, a stud unit having a ball portion and a shank portion, said ball portion being disposed in said housing and bearing against said lower bearing seat in an engagement subject to wear and said shank portion protruding through said opening at said one end, a cover fixedly secured to said housing at the other end thereof, said cover having an interior surface which includes an upper bearing seat in the shape of a concave spherical zone, said upper bearing seat bearing against said ball portion in an engagement subject to wear, a central tubular extension on said cover in alignment with said ball portion, said tubular extension being open at its lower end and having an inturned flange with a flat outer surface at its upper end, an indicator telescopingly received in said tubular extension, said indicator having a flat upper surface and a lower bearing surface, said flat upper surface initially protruding from said tubular extension and spaced a distance from said flat outer surface so that as said joint wears said indicator is manually operable from the exterior of said joint to engage said ball potion with said lower bearing seat and accumulate said joint wear as a spacing between said ball portiOn and said upper bearing seat, said distance being predetermined so that when said joint wear is sufficient to warrant replacement said flat upper surface on said indicator lies flush with said flat outer surface on said cover giving a sensible indication thereof, a stepped lower portion on said indicator, and means including said stepped lower portion and said inturned flange to maintain said indicator in assembly with said ball joint.

Claim 4

A ball joint comprising, a housing having an opening at one end, a lower bearing seat in said housing adjacent said opening, a stud unit having a ball portion and a shank portion, said ball portion being disposed in said housing and bearing against said lower bearing seat in an engagement subject to wear and said shank portion protruding through said opening at said one end, a cover fixedly secured to said housing at the other end thereof, said cover having an interior surface which includes an upper bearing seat in the shape of a concave spherical zone, said upper bearing seat bearing against said ball portion in an engagement subject to wear, a central tubular extension on said cover in alignment with said ball portion, said tubular extension being open at its lower end and having an inturned flange with a flat outer surface at its upper end, an indicator telescopingly received in said tubular extension, said indicator having a flat upper surface and a lower bearing surface, said flat upper surface initially protruding from said tubular extension and spaced a distance from said flat outer surface so that as said joint wears said indicator is manually operable from the exterior of said joint to engage said ball potion with said lower bearing seat and accumulate said joint wear as a spacing between said ball portiOn and said upper bearing seat, said distance being predetermined so that when said joint wear is sufficient to warrant replacement said flat upper surface on said indicator lies flush with said flat outer surface on said cover giving a sensible indication thereof, a stepped lower portion on said indicator, and means including said stepped lower portion and said inturned flange to maintain said indicator in assembly with said ball joint.

Claim 5

A ball joint comprising, a housing having an opening at one end, a lower bearing seat in said housing adjacent said opening, a stud unit having a ball portion and a shank portion, said ball portion being disposed in said housing and bearing against said lower bearing seat in an engagement subject to wear and said shank portion protruding through said opening at said one end, a cover fixedly secured to said housing at the other end thereof, said cover having an upper bearing seat in fixed spatial relationship to said lower bearing seat and bearing against said ball portion in an engagement subject to wear, a central tubular extension on said cover in alignment with said ball portion, said tubular extension having an opening at its lower end surrounded by said upper bearing seat and an opening at its upper end surrounded by a flat outer surface on said extension, an indicator telescopingly received in said tubular extension and movable in relationship to said cover and upper bearing seat, said indicator having a lower end disposed in said tubular extension and an upper portion protruding from said tubular extension so that said indicator is manually operable from the exterior of said joint, said indicator when manually operated from the exterior of said joint engaging said lower end with said ball portion and accumulating joint wear as a spacing between said ball portion and said upper bearing seat, said upper portion having a conformation which aligns with said flat outer surface when said spacing accumulated from said joint wear is sufficient to warrant replacement of said joint, and means to maintain said indicator in assembly with said ball joint.

Claim 6

A ball joint comprising, a housing having an opening at one end, a lower bearing seat in said housing adjacent said opening, a stud unit having a ball portion and a shank portion, said ball portion being disposed in said housing and bearing against said lower bearing seat in an engagement subject to wear and said shank portion protruding through said opening at said one end, a cover fixedly secured to said housing at the other end thereof, said cover having an upper bearing seat in fixed spatial relationship to said lower bearing seat and bearing against said ball portion in an engagement subject to wear, a central tubular extension on said cover in alignment with said ball portion, said tubular extension having an opening at its lower end surrounded by said upper bearing seat and an opening at its upper end surrounded by a flat outer surface on said extension, an indicator telescopingly received in said tubular extension and movable in relationship to said cover and upper bearing seat, said indicator having a lower end disposed in said tubular extension and an upper portion protruding from said tubular extension so that said indicator is manually operable from the exterior of said joint, said indicator when manually operated from the exterior of said joint engaging said lower end with said ball portion and accumulating joint wear as a spacing between said ball portion and said upper bearing seat, said upper portion having a conformation which aligns with said flat outer surface when said spacing accumulated from said joint wear is sufficient to warrant replacement of said joint, and means to maintain said indicator in assembly with said ball joint.

Claim 7

A ball joint comprising, a housing having an opening at one end, a lower bearing seat in said housing adjacent said opening, a stud unit having a ball portion and a shank portion, said ball portion being disposed in said housing and bearing against said lower bearing seat in an engagement subject to wear and said shank portion protruding through said opening at said one end, a cover fixedly secured to said housing at the other end thereof, said cover having an upper bearing seat in fixed spatial relationship to said lower bearing seat and bearing against said ball portion in an engagement subject to wear, a central tubular extension on said cover in alignment with said ball portion, said tubular extension having an opening at its lower end surrounded by said upper bearing seat and a reduced opening at its upper end, an indicator telescopingly received in said tubular extension and movable in relationship to said cover and upper bearing seat, said indicator having an enlarged lower end portion disposed below said reduced opening and an upper portion slidable in said reduced opening and initially protruding from said tubular extension so that said indicator is manually operable from the exterior of said joint, said lower end portion engaging said ball portion and seating said ball portion on said lower bearing surface and accumulating joint wear as a spacing between said ball portion and said upper bearing seat responsive to a manually applied downward force on said upper portion, said upper portion having conformations which align with portions of said cover adjacent said reduced opening when said spacing accumulated responsive to a manually applied downward force on said upper potion is sufficient to warrant replacement of said ball joint to give a sensible indication thereof.

Claim 8

A ball joint comprising, a housing having an opening at one end, a lower bearing seat in said housing adjacent said opening, a stud unit having a ball portion and a shank portion, said ball portion being disposed in said housing and bearing against said lower bearing seat in an engagement subject to wear and said shank portion protruding through said opening at said one end, a cover fixedly secured to said housing at the other end thereof, said cover having an upper bearing seat in fixed spatial relationship to said lower bearing seat and bearing against said ball portion in an engagement subject to wear, a central tubular extension on said cover in alignment with said ball portion, said tubular extension having an opening at its lower end surrounded by said upper bearing seat and a reduced opening at its upper end, an indicator telescopingly received in said tubular extension and movable in relationship to said cover and upper bearing seat, said indicator having an enlarged lower end portion disposed below said reduced opening and an upper portion slidable in said reduced opening and initially protruding from said tubular extension so that said indicator is manually operable from the exterior of said joint, said lower end portion engaging said ball portion and seating said ball portion on said lower bearing surface and accumulating joint wear as a spacing between said ball portion and said upper bearing seat responsive to a manually applied downward force on said upper portion, said upper portion having conformations which align with portions of said cover adjacent said reduced opening when said spacing accumulated responsive to a manually applied downward force on said upper potion is sufficient to warrant replacement of said ball joint to give a sensible indication thereof.

Claim 9

A ball joint comprising, a housiNg having an opening at one end, a lower bearing seat in said housing adjacent said opening, a stud unit having a ball portion and a shank portion, said ball portion being disposed in said housing and bearing against said lower bearing seat in an engagement subject to wear and said shank portion protruding through said opening at said one end, a cover fixedly secured to said housing at the other end thereof, said cover having an upper bearing seat in fixed spatial relationship to said lower bearing seat and bearing against said ball portion in an engagement subject to wear, a central tubular extension on said cover in alignment with said ball portion, said tubular extension having an opening at its lower end surrounded by said upper bearing seat and a reduced opening at its upper end surrounded by a flat outer surface, and an indicator telescopingly received in said tubular extension and movable in relationship to said cover and upper bearing seat, said indicator having an enlarged lower end portion disposed below said reduced opening and a flat upper surface iniitally protruding from said tubular extension and sapced a distance from said flat outer surface so that as said joint wears, said indicator is manually operable from the exterior of said joint to engage said ball portion with said lower bearing seat and accumulate said joint wear as a spacing between said ball portion and said upper bearing seat, said distance being predetermined so that when said joint wear is sufficient to warrant replacement of said joint, said flat upper surface on said indicator aligns with said flat outer surface on said cover giving a sensible indication thereof.

Claim 10

A ball joint comprising, a housiNg having an opening at one end, a lower bearing seat in said housing adjacent said opening, a stud unit having a ball portion and a shank portion, said ball portion being disposed in said housing and bearing against said lower bearing seat in an engagement subject to wear and said shank portion protruding through said opening at said one end, a cover fixedly secured to said housing at the other end thereof, said cover having an upper bearing seat in fixed spatial relationship to said lower bearing seat and bearing against said ball portion in an engagement subject to wear, a central tubular extension on said cover in alignment with said ball portion, said tubular extension having an opening at its lower end surrounded by said upper bearing seat and a reduced opening at its upper end surrounded by a flat outer surface, and an indicator telescopingly received in said tubular extension and movable in relationship to said cover and upper bearing seat, said indicator having an enlarged lower end portion disposed below said reduced opening and a flat upper surface iniitally protruding from said tubular extension and sapced a distance from said flat outer surface so that as said joint wears, said indicator is manually operable from the exterior of said joint to engage said ball portion with said lower bearing seat and accumulate said joint wear as a spacing between said ball portion and said upper bearing seat, said distance being predetermined so that when said joint wear is sufficient to warrant replacement of said joint, said flat upper surface on said indicator aligns with said flat outer surface on said cover giving a sensible indication thereof.