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:
May. 12, 1992
Filed:
Jul. 17, 1990
Gary R Gunn, Mullins, SC (US);
Wallace T Colcord, Marion, SC (US);
Tommy G Wood, Conway, SC (US);
Gary Weber, Florence, SC (US);
Stan J Lovendoski, Marion, SC (US);
James B Chamberlin, Charlotte, NC (US);
Maremont Corporation, Carol Stream, IL (US);
Abstract
A captive ball and socket joint where the socket is made from bearing material which is encased in a metal shell, thereby forming a socket around the ball head on the end of a ball stud. The metal shell is cup-shaped and has its base wall apertured so that the ball formed with internal wrenching socket is accessible through the aperture when the ball and the bearing socket are placed into the cup-shaped shell. A flat steel connector lug is pierced with an opening and the wall of the metal cup-shaped shell is secured within the opening by welding. The edge portion of the shell is deformed to render the ball and socket captive in assembly with the lug. The hole in the base wall of the shell permits access for insertion of a rotary drive tool to engage a formation in the ball component to rotate the ball component and secure it to a machine element such as a brace or bracket. The bearing socket can be one or two pieces and can be made from metal bearing material or a plastic bearing material. The method of assembling the joint envisages use of techniques to avoid destruction of the characteristics of the bearing material.