Drive line coupling device with substantially homokinetic features

Claim 1

A substantially homokinetic universal joint drive line coupling device comprising: a drive shaft and a driven shaft, two yokes each of said yokes being rigidly affixed to one of said shafts and pivotally engaging a respective gimbal ring at a diameter thereof, both said gimbal rings being arranged concentrically while said pivot points are aligned to each other along a diameter when said two shafts are in line, two diametrically opposed pivot members pivotally engaging said two intervening concentric gimbal rings, said pivot members being arranged at approximately 45° to the diameter through said yoke pivot points, an auxiliary universal joint, concentric to said gimbal rings and idly engaging said two converging shafts, the spider of said supporting universal joint being mounted pivotally at a concentric diameter orthogonal to the diameter of said yoke pivot points through one of said gimbal rings while the auxiliary joint yoke, idly engaged onto the shaft, whose gimbal ring does not engage the spider, is at all times, when the shafts are in line, with its spider pivot points located on the same diameter as the pivot members joining the two rings, the universal joint axes converging in the center.