Control rod orifice seal assembly

Claim 2

In combination with a vehicle cab including a wall having at least one aperture therein and a control means mounted in the cab and including a control element extending through and being loosely received in said aperture and thus defining a clearance space between the periphery of the aperture and the control element, a seal assembly for tightly closing said clearance space, comprising: an apertured relatively thick washer-like member being loosely received on said control element and having a first side in sliding engagement with said wall and having a second side facing away from said wall; said washer-like member being dimensioned so that said first side always overlaps the entire periphery of said aperture; a seal member having a bore extending therethrough and having a spherically contoured surface portion surrounding one end of said bore; said seal member being mounted with said control element received in said bore and with said surface portion facing said washer-like member, said bore having a dimension disposing it in sliding and sealing engagement with said control element; said washer-like member having a surface portion surrounding the aperture thereof and being configured complementary to and receiving said spherically contoured surface portion of said seal member; and resilient biasing means urging said seal member against said washer-like member and said washer-like member against said wall.

Claim 3

The combination recited in claim 1 and further including a plate having an opening therein receiving said control rod; and said plate being fixed to said cab in substantial parallel spaced relationship to said wall; and said resilient biasing means including a helically coiled compression spring compressed between said plate and said seal member.

Claim 4

In combination with a vehicle cab including a wall having at least one aperture therein and control means mounted in the cab and including a control rod extending through and being loosely received in said aperture, a seal assembly for sealing thE aperture area located between the aperture periphery and the rod, comprising: a first member being mounted in sliding engagement with said wall and including an aperture loosely receiving said control rod and dimensioned so as to be constantly entirely in register with said aperture in said wall; a seal member having a substantially spherically contoured surface; a bore extending through said seal member in crosswise relationship to said spherically contoured surface and said control rod being slidably and sealingly received in said bore so as to dispose said spherically contoured surface toward said first member; and said first member including a bearing surface shaped complementary to and receiving said spherically contoured surface; and resilient biasing means urging said seal member against said first member and said first member against said wall.

Claim 5

In combination with a vehicle cab including a wall having at least one aperture therein and control means mounted in the cab and including a control rod extending through and being loosely received in said aperture, a seal assembly for sealing thE aperture area located between the aperture periphery and the rod, comprising: a first member being mounted in sliding engagement with said wall and including an aperture loosely receiving said control rod and dimensioned so as to be constantly entirely in register with said aperture in said wall; a seal member having a substantially spherically contoured surface; a bore extending through said seal member in crosswise relationship to said spherically contoured surface and said control rod being slidably and sealingly received in said bore so as to dispose said spherically contoured surface toward said first member; and said first member including a bearing surface shaped complementary to and receiving said spherically contoured surface; and resilient biasing means urging said seal member against said first member and said first member against said wall.

Claim 6

The combination recited in claim 3 and further including a plate having an opening therein receiving said control rod; and said plate being fixed to said cab in substantial parallel spaced relationship to said wall; and said resilient biasing means including a helically coiled compression spring compressed between said plate and said seal member.

Claim 7

Closure joint means for a plurality of holes in a wall and between the wall and a plurality of rods respectively extending through the holes, the rods being shiftable in the holes both in the plane of the wall and toward and away from said wall, said closure joint means comprising: each hole having associated therewith a first member having a surface lying adjacent to and in sliding contact with the wall and for closing the hole except for a central opening through which a respective one of the rods loosely extends, said member having a second surface spaced from the wall with a spherical surface section therein formed about and extending from the opening; a second member formed about said respective rod and having a central opening with the surface thereof in sliding contact with said respective rod and an outer spherical surface complementary with and engaging the spherical surface of the first member to thereby define a ball and socket joint between the first and second members; a plate-like member fixed to the cab in spaced parallel relationship to the wall at a location directly above said plurality of holes; said plate-like member having a plurality of openings therein respectively receiving said plurality of rods; and a coil compression spring member received on each rod and compressed between said plate-like member and a respective one of said second members to hold the respective second member in contact with a respective one of the first members and to hold the respective second member in contact with the wall.

Claim 8

Closure joint means for a plurality of holes in a wall and between the wall and a plurality of rods respectively extending through the holes, the rods being shiftable in the holes both in the plane of the wall and toward and away from said wall, said closure joint means comprising: each hole having associated therewith a first member having a surface lying adjacent to and in sliding contact with the wall and for closing the hole except for a central opening through which a respective one of the rods loosely extends, said member having a second surface spaced from the wall with a spherical surface section therein formed about and extending from the opening; a second member formed about said respective rod and having a central opening with the surface thereof in sliding contact with said respective rod and an outer spherical surface complementary with and engaging the spherical surface of the first member to thereby define a ball and socket joint between the first and second members; a plate-like member fixed to the cab in spaced parallel relationship to the wall at a location directly above said plurality of holes; said plate-like member having a plurality of openings therein respectively receiving said plurality of rods; and a coil compression spring member received on each rod and compressed between said plate-like member and a respective one of said second members to hold the respective second member in contact with a respective one of the first members and to hold the respective second member in contact with the wall.

Claim 9

In combination with a vehicle cab including a wall having at least one orifice therein and a control means mounted in the cab and including a control element extending through and being loosely received in said orifice, a seal assembly comprising: first and second ring-like members having respective holes extending therethrough and being mounted with said control element passing through said holes; said first member including a first surface in constant sliding engagement with an area of said wall completely surrounding and including the periphery of said orifice and the hole of the first member being dimensioned so as to loosely receive said control element; the hole of said second member being dimensioned to slidingly and sealingly embrace said control element; said first and second members having opposed surface means in engagement with each other and configured so as to form a universal bearing connection between said first and second members; and resilient biasing means urging said second member into engagement with said first member and said first member into engagement with said wall.

Claim 10

In combination with a vehicle cab including a wall having at least one orifice therein and a control means mounted in the cab and including a control element extending through and being loosely received in said orifice, a seal assembly comprising: first and second ring-like members having respective holes extending therethrough and being mounted with said control element passing through said holes; said first member including a first surface in constant sliding engagement with an area of said wall completely surrounding and including the periphery of said orifice and the hole of the first member being dimensioned so as to loosely receive said control element; the hole of said second member being dimensioned to slidingly and sealingly embrace said control element; said first and second members having opposed surface means in engagement with each other and configured so as to form a universal bearing connection between said first and second members; and resilient biasing means urging said second member into engagement with said first member and said first member into engagement with said wall.