Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Larry C Studebaker

William L Van Doren

James D Keaton

Omer C Denney

David E Staeuble

Craig A Osterday

Douglas L Osterfeld

A push rod is connected in pivotal retained relation to a polymeric member such as a power booster air valve polymeric insert having a stiffness less than that of an air valve. In a preferred embodiment, the insert is fitted on the spherical ball end of the push rod, and the insert with the push rod is then inserted into a recess in the member. The insert has a plurality of arms extending from the insert base end at a slight angle outwardly relative to the insert axis. The insert also has an attached metallic end on its base end to better distribute the force input from the push rod to the air valve. The arms and the member recess are provided with various cam surfaces which force the arms inwardly in cantilever fashion during the insertion movement, and the arms have surfaces on their outer ends which fit within an annular groove in the cylindrical side wall of the member recess, locking the insert to the rod spherical ball end and also within the member recess.

Self-locking ball-and-socket mechanism

A push rod is connected in pivotal retained relation to a member such as a power booster air valve or a master cylinder piston by an insert. The insert is fitted on the spherical ball end of the push rod and the insert with the push rod is then inserted into a recess in the member. The insert has a plurality of arms extending from the insert base end at a slight angle outwardly relative to the insert axis. The arms and the member recess are provided with various cam surfaces which force the arms inwardly in cantilever fashion during the insertion movement, and the arms have surfaces on their outer ends which fit within an annular groove in the cylindrical side wall of the member recess, locking the insert to the rod spherical ball end and also within the member recess.

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Englewood, OH, United States of America

Larry C Studebaker