Variably preloaded ball joint assembly

Claim 1

An apparatus for connecting a drive member and a tie rod member in a dirigible wheel steering system comprising a ball stud formed with a ball end, a socket assembly including a tubular housing having an internal thread extending inwardly from one end and adapted to have one of said members threaded therein, said tubular housing enclosing said ball end at its other end, said socket assembly providing a pair of opposed bearing surfaces engaging opposite hemispheres of said ball end and journaling said ball stud for tilting and rotational movement with respect to said socket assembly, a disc forming part of said socket assembly threaded into said internal thread, high rate spring means operable between said disc and at least one of said bearing surfaces, said disc being threaded to a preload position in which it preloads said spring means and is locked in said position, said spring means causing said bearing surfaces to be resiliently biased against said ball end with a predetermined preload force due to preloading by said disc, the threaded connection between said disc and said internal thread being sufficiently strong to maintain said preload but insufficiently strong to safely support loads applied to said one bearing surface, said ball and socket assembly being installed in the steering system by threading said internal thread over the threaded end on one of said members until said threaded end engages said disc, said threaded end providing sufficient support for said disc when installed to safely support the loads applied to said one bearing surface during the use, and said internal thread and threads on said disc providing sufficiently small clearance in relation to the spring rate of said spring means to prevent the preloading force on said bearing surface from being excessively increased when said socket assembly is threaded onto said one member.

Claim 2

An apparatus for connecting a drive member and a tie rod member in a dirigible wheel steering system comprising a ball stud formed with a ball end, a socket assembly including a tubular housing having an internal thread extending inwardly from one end and adapted to have one of said members threaded therein, said tubular housing enclosing said ball end at its other end, said socket assembly providing a pair of opposed bearing surfaces engaging opposite hemispheres of said ball end and journaling said ball stud for tilting and rotational movement with respect to said socket assembly, a disc forming part of said socket assembly threaded into said internal thread, high rate spring means operable between said disc and at least one of said bearing surfaces, said disc being threaded to a preload position in which it preloads said spring means and is locked in said position, said spring means causing said bearing surfaces to be resiliently biased against said ball end with a predetermined preload force due to preloading by said disc, the threaded connection between said disc and said internal thread being sufficiently strong to maintain said preload but insufficiently strong to safely support loads applied to said one bearing surface, said ball and socket assembly being installed in the steering system by threading said internal thread over the threaded end on one of said members until said threaded end engages said disc, said threaded end providing sufficient support for said disc when installed to safely support the loads applied to said one bearing surface during the use, and said internal thread and threads on said disc providing sufficiently small clearance in relation to the spring rate of said spring means to prevent the preloading force on said bearing surface from being excessively increased when said socket assembly is threaded onto said one member.

Claim 9

An apparatus for use in steering dirigible wheels comprising a longitudinally movable rack bar, a tie rod connecting the rack bar and wheels, a ball and socket connecting joint comprising a tubular mounting assembly formed with an internal thread extending from one end for mounting said tubular assembly on a threaded end of the rack bar, a ball stud associated with the tie rod and formed with a ball end positioned within said mounting assembly adjacent to the other end thereof, said mounting assembly having first and second opposed bearing surfaces engaging opposite hemispheres of said ball and with one surface absorbing tension forces and the other surfaces absorbing compression forces between said ball stud and mounting assembly, an elastomeric element providing one of said bearing surfaces, and a plug forming part of said mounting assembly threaded into said internal threads applying a force operating to compress said elastomeric element and causing said surfaces to apply sufficient force on said ball end to prevent relative longitudinal movement between said ball stud and said mounting assembly while permitting tilting and rotation therebetween, said plug being adjustable by rotation along said internal thread to adjust the compression of said elastomeric member and being thereafter locked in its adjusted position, and the end of the rack threaded into said internal thread engaging said plug.

Claim 10

An apparatus for use in steering dirigible wheels comprising a longitudinally movable rack bar, a tie rod connecting the rack bar and wheels, a ball and socket connecting joint comprising a tubular mounting assembly formed with an internal thread extending from one end for mounting said tubular assembly on a threaded end of the rack bar, a ball stud associated with the tie rod and formed with a ball end positioned within said mounting assembly adjacent to the other end thereof, said mounting assembly having first and second opposed bearing surfaces engaging opposite hemispheres of said ball and with one surface absorbing tension forces and the other surfaces absorbing compression forces between said ball stud and mounting assembly, an elastomeric element providing one of said bearing surfaces, and a plug forming part of said mounting assembly threaded into said internal threads applying a force operating to compress said elastomeric element and causing said surfaces to apply sufficient force on said ball end to prevent relative longitudinal movement between said ball stud and said mounting assembly while permitting tilting and rotation therebetween, said plug being adjustable by rotation along said internal thread to adjust the compression of said elastomeric member and being thereafter locked in its adjusted position, and the end of the rack threaded into said internal thread engaging said plug.

Claim 19

An apparatus for connecting a drive member and a tie rod member to a dirigible wheel steering system comprising a ball stud formed with a ball end, and a socket assembly including a tubular housing having an internal thread extending inwardly from one end and adapted to have one of said members threaded therein, said tubular housing enclosing said ball end at its other end, said socket assembly providing a pair of opposed bearing surfaces engaging opposite hemispheres of said ball end and journaling said ball stud for tilting and rotational movement with respect to said socket assembly, a disc threaded into said internal thread and forming part of said socket assembly, and high rate spring means operable between said disc and at least one of said bearing surfaces, said disc being threaded to a preload position in which it preloads said spring means, said spring means causing said bearing surfaces to be biased against said ball and with a predetermined preload force due to preloading by said disc, the threaded connection between said disc and internal thread being sufficiently strong to maintain said preload but insufficiently strong to safely support loads applied to said one surface, said internal thread extending axially outwardly from said disc to enable the threaded end portion of one of said members to be received in said housing by threading said internal thread over the threaded end of one of said members until said threaded end engages said disc to provide sufficient support for said disc when installed to safely support the loads applied to said one surface during the use and to connect said housing with said one member to prevent axial outward movement of said disc under the influence of force applied to said ball stud.

Claim 20

An apparatus for connecting a drive member and a tie rod member to a dirigible wheel steering system comprising a ball stud formed with a ball end, and a socket assembly including a tubular housing having an internal thread extending inwardly from one end and adapted to have one of said members threaded therein, said tubular housing enclosing said ball end at its other end, said socket assembly providing a pair of opposed bearing surfaces engaging opposite hemispheres of said ball end and journaling said ball stud for tilting and rotational movement with respect to said socket assembly, a disc threaded into said internal thread and forming part of said socket assembly, and high rate spring means operable between said disc and at least one of said bearing surfaces, said disc being threaded to a preload position in which it preloads said spring means, said spring means causing said bearing surfaces to be biased against said ball and with a predetermined preload force due to preloading by said disc, the threaded connection between said disc and internal thread being sufficiently strong to maintain said preload but insufficiently strong to safely support loads applied to said one surface, said internal thread extending axially outwardly from said disc to enable the threaded end portion of one of said members to be received in said housing by threading said internal thread over the threaded end of one of said members until said threaded end engages said disc to provide sufficient support for said disc when installed to safely support the loads applied to said one surface during the use and to connect said housing with said one member to prevent axial outward movement of said disc under the influence of force applied to said ball stud.