The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 02, 1980
Filed:
Jun. 18, 1979
Lawther O Smith, Doylestown, PA (US);
Timothy L Howard, Beach Haven, NJ (US);
Kalman Broitman, Dresher, PA (US);
Gas Spring Corporation, Montgomeryville, PA (US);
Abstract
A socket assembly for a ball and socket coupling comprises a socket body having a ball-receiving socket which includes a cylindrical portion. A pair of slots extend through the socket body and open into the cylindrical portion at locations diametrically opposite each other and outwardlyfrom the seated position of the ball. Each slot has a flat surface which generally faces the seated position of the ball and converges inwardly toward the axis of the cylindrical portion of the socket, thus to lie obliquely to the axis of the cylindrical portion. A generally C-shaped spring clip wraps around the socket body. The clip has opposed end portions which extend through the slots and part way into the socket far enough to engage the neck of the ball component. The end portions of the clip are oriented generally obliquely to the axis of the socket. The socket body has a pair of external flat surfaces which underlie the clip, and the clip has flat portions which engage the flat faces of the socket body to keep the clip from turning out of proper position to permit the socket assembly to be pressed onto the ball component.