Universal bearing support

Claim 2

A bearing support for supporting one part relative to another comprising: first and second ball-and-socket bearing assemblies, said ball of said first assembly adapted for mounting to one of the parts, said socket of said second assembly adapted for mounting to the other part, and means resiliently interconnecting said socket of said first assembly and said ball of said second assembly, said interconnecting means including elastomeric means adapted to deflect in shear to permit relative movement between said balls of the first and second assemblies along an axis passing through the respective centers of both of said balls.

Claim 3

A bearing support, according to claim 1, wherein said interconnecting means includes a bracket having spaced arms and being carried by said socket of said first assembly with said arms straddling said second assembly and disposed parallel to the axis passing through the respective centers of said balls, said elastomeric means including a pair of elastomeric pads disposed on opposite sides of said ball of said second assembly between said arms parallel to said axis and interconnecting said arms and the ball of said second assembly.

Claim 4

A bearing support, according to claim 2, wherein said pair of elastomeric pads are spaced from said socket of said second assembly to permit relative movement between said ball and socket of said second assembly.

Claim 5

A bearing support, according to claim 2, wherein said pair of elastomeric pads are identical and are spaced equidistant from said axis whereby the effective elastic center of said pads coincides with said axis.

Claim 6

A bearing support, according to claim 2, wherein an aperture is provided through the center of the ball of the second assembly and through each of the elastomeric pads and wherein the interconnecting means includes shaft means extending between and coupled to the arms of the bracket, the shaft means passing through said apertures and having an outer diameter less than the diameters of said apertures so as to permit relative radial movement of the shaft means in the apertures.

Claim 7

A bearing support, according to claim 2, including means for precompressing said elastomeric pads between said arms and the ball of the second assembly normal to said axis.

Claim 8

A bearing support for supporting one part relative to another comprising first and second ball-and-socket bearing assemblies, said ball of said first assembly adapted for mounting to one of the parts, said socket of said second assembly adapted for mounting to the other part, and means resiliently interconnecting the socket of the first assembly and the ball of the second assembly, said inter-connecting means including elastomeric means symmetrically disposed about an axis passing through the respective centers of both of said balls of the first and second assemblies, said elastomeric means resiliently permitting relative movement between said balls along said axis by shear deflection thereof and cooperating with each of said assemblies to permit relative rotation between the ball and socket of each assembly independently of said elastomeric means.

Claim 9

A bearing support for supporting one part relative to another comprising first and second ball-and-socket bearing assemblies, said ball of said first assembly adapted for mounting to one of the parts, said socket of said second assembly adapted for mounting to the other part, and means resiliently interconnecting the socket of the first assembly and the ball of the second assembly, said inter-connecting means including elastomeric means symmetrically disposed about an axis passing through the respective centers of both of said balls of the first and second assemblies, said elastomeric means resiliently permitting relative movement between said balls along said axis by shear deflection thereof and cooperating with each of said assemblies to permit relative rotation between the ball and socket of each assembly independently of said elastomeric means.