Swivel joint

Claim 1

A SELF-ADJUSTING BALL JOINT DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A HOUSING DEFINING A SOCKET SPACE PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST A PARTIALLY SPHERICALLY CURVED BEARING SURFACE THEREIN, A LOAD TRANSMITTING STUD PROVIDED WITH HEAD MEANS HAVING AT LEAST A PARTIALLY SPHERICALLY CURVED PORTION COMPLEMENTING SAID BEARING SURFACE AND ENGAGED THEREWITH, SAID STUD HEAD MEANS HAVING AN AT LEAST PARTIALLY SPHERICALLY CURVED SURFACE IN OPPOSED RELATION TO SAID SPHERICALLY CURVED PORTION, SAID STUD HAVING A SHANK PROJECTING OUT OF THE HOUSING THROUGH AN OPENING THEREIN, AND EXTERNALLY THREADED MEMBER THREADEDLY ENGAGED WITHIN AN INTERNALLY THREADED MEMBER WITH THE THREAD PITCH BEING SELF-LOCKING AND WITH SUCH MEMEBRS DISPOSED IN THE HOUSING, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING THEREON STUD CONTACTING MEANS ENGAGING SAID SPHERICALLY CURVED SURFACE OF SAID HEAD MEANS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE THEROF FROM SAID SPHERICALLY CURVED PORTION, THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING HOUSING CONTACTING MEANS REACTINGLY ENGAGING SAID HOUSING TO LIMIT MOVEMENT OF SUCH MEMBER AWAY FROM SAID BEARING SURFACE, SAID MEMBERS UPON RELATIVE THREADING MOVEMENT THEREOF URGING THE SPHERICALLY CURVED PORTION OF THE STUD HEAD MEANS AGAINST SAID SPHERICALLY CURVED BEARING SURFACE, ONE OF SAID MEMBERS HAVING A PORTION SPACED FROM THE HOUSING TO PROVIDE AN ANNULAR FLAT SPIRAL SPRING-RECEIVING SPACE, A MULTI-TURN SPIRAL SPRING WOUND UPON ITSELF AROUND THE LAST-MENTIONED PORTION WITH A PLURALITY OF TURNS LYING ONE WITHIN THE OTHER SUBSTANTIALLY IN A COMMON PLANE EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF THE THREADED CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MEMBERS AND DISPOSED WITHIN SAID SPRING RECEIVING SPACE, ONE END OF SAID SPRING SECURED TO ONE OF SAID THREADED MEMBERS AND THE OTHER END SECURED TO A PORTION OF THE DEVICE RADIALLY OUTWARDLY TO THE THREAD AXIS AND HELD THEREBY IN TORQUE REACTING RELATION WITH THE HOUSING TO MAINTAIN A TORQUE TENSION BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS CONSTANTLY BIASING ONE OF SAID MEMBERS RELATIVE TO THE OTHER TO AXIALLY ADVANCE THE THREADS TO MAINTAIN SAID STUD HEAD MEANS IN CONTINUAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BEARING SURFACE.