Double Cardan joint with elastomeric centering means

Claim 2

A universal joint comprising, an input yoke having an input axis of rotation, an output yoke having an output axis of rotation, an intermediate yoke having an intermediate axis of rotation, an input cross connecting said input yoke to an end of said intermediate yoke, an output cross connecting another end of said intermediate yoke to said output yoke, and centering means comprising, first resilient means engaging said input yoke and said input cross and biasing said input cross toward a position where said input cross is perpendicular to said input axis, second resilient means engaging said output yoke and said output cross and biasing said output cross toward a position where said output cross is perpendicular to said output axis and, third resilient means engaging said intermediate yoke and said input and output crosses biasing said input and output crosses toward positions where said input and output crosses are perpendicular to said intermediate axis.

Claim 3

A universal joint comprising; an input yoke having an input axis of rotation, an output yoke having an output axis of rotation, an intermediate yoke having an intermediate axis of rotation, an input cross pivotally connected to said input yoke and an end of said intermediate yoke respectively about mutually perpendicular pivot axes, an output cross pivotally connected to another end of said intermediate yoke and said yoke respectively about mutually perpendicular pivot axis, and centering means comprising; first resilient means engaging said input yoke and said input cross and providing a resistance against pivoting of said input cross with respect to said input yoke away from a position where said input cross is perpendicular to said input axis which resistance increases as said input cross pivots away from said last mentioned position, second resilient means engaging said output yoke and said output cross and providing a resistance against pivoting of said output cross with respect to said output yoke away from a position where said output cross is perpendicular to said output axis which resistance increases as said output cross pivots away from said last mentioned position, and third resilient means engaging said intermediate yoke and said input and output crosses and providing a resistance against pivoting of said input and output crosses away from positions where said input and output crosses are perpendicular to said intermediate axis which resistance increases as said input and output crosses pivot away from said last mentioned positions.

Claim 4

A universal joint comprising; an input yoke having an input axis of rotation, an output yoke having an output axis of rotation, an intermediate yoke having an intermediate axis of rotation, an input cross pivotally connected to said input yoke and an end of said intermediate yoke respectively about mutually perpendicular pivot axes, an output cross pivotally connected to another end of said intermediate yoke and said yoke respectively about mutually perpendicular pivot axis, and centering means comprising; first resilient means engaging said input yoke and said input cross and providing a resistance against pivoting of said input cross with respect to said input yoke away from a position where said input cross is perpendicular to said input axis which resistance increases as said input cross pivots away from said last mentioned position, second resilient means engaging said output yoke and said output cross and providing a resistance against pivoting of said output cross with respect to said output yoke away from a position where said output cross is perpendicular to said output axis which resistance increases as said output cross pivots away from said last mentioned position, and third resilient means engaging said intermediate yoke and said input and output crosses and providing a resistance against pivoting of said input and output crosses away from positions where said input and output crosses are perpendicular to said intermediate axis which resistance increases as said input and output crosses pivot away from said last mentioned positions.

Claim 5

A universal joint as defined in claim 2 wherein said first and second resilient means provide substantially identical resistance against respective pivoting of said input and output crosses from the positions where said crosses are perpendicular to said input and output axes respectively and wherein said third resilient means provides substantially identical resistance against pivoting of each of said input and output crosses away from the positions where said input and output crosses are perpendicular to said intermediate axes whereby said input axis and said intermediate axis form an angle which is substantially identical to an angle formed between said intermediate axis and said output axis when said input and output axes are bent at an angle.

Claim 6

A universal joint comprising; an input yoke having an input axis of rotation, an output yoke having an output axis of rotation, an intermediate yoke having an intermediate axis of rotation, an input cross connecting said input yoke to an end of said intermediate yoke, an output cross connecting another end of said intermediate yoke to said output yoke, and centering means comprising; first elastomeric pad means carried by said input yoke and acting on said input cross to bias said input cross toward a position where said input cross is perpendicular to said input axis, second elastomeric pad means carried by said output yoke and acting on said output cross to bias said output cross toward a position where said output cross is perpendicular to said output axis and, third elastomeric pad means affixed to said intermediate yoke and acting on said input and output crosses to bias said input and output crosses toward positions where said input and output crosses are perpendicular to said intermediate axis.

Claim 7

A universal joint comprising; an input yoke having an input axis of rotation, an output yoke having an output axis of rotation, an intermediate yoke having an intermediate axis of rotation, an input cross connecting said input yoke to an end of said intermediate yoke, an output cross connecting another end of said intermediate yoke to said output yoke, and centering means comprising; first elastomeric pad means carried by said input yoke and acting on said input cross to bias said input cross toward a position where said input cross is perpendicular to said input axis, second elastomeric pad means carried by said output yoke and acting on said output cross to bias said output cross toward a position where said output cross is perpendicular to said output axis and, third elastomeric pad means affixed to said intermediate yoke and acting on said input and output crosses to bias said input and output crosses toward positions where said input and output crosses are perpendicular to said intermediate axis.

Claim 8

A universal joint comprising; an input yoke having an input axis of rotation, an output yoke having an output axis of rotation, an intermediate yoke having an intermediate axis of rotation, an input cross pivotally connected to said input yoke and an end of said intermediate yoke respectively about mutually perpendicular pivot axes which intersect at a first center intersecting said input and intermediate axes of rotation, an output cross pivotally connected to another end of said intermediate yoke and said output yoke respectively about mutually perpendicular pivot axes, which intersect at a second center spaced from said first center and intersecting said intermediate and output axes of rotation, and centering means biasing said yokes toward a position where their respective axes of rotation are colinear comprising, first elastomeric pad means engaging said input yoke and said input cross and providing a resistance against pivoting of said input cross with respect to said input yoke away from a position where said input cross is perpendicular to said input axis which resistance increases as said input cross pivots away from said last mentioned position, second elastomeric pad means engaging said output yoke and said output cross and providing a resistance against pivoting of said output cross with respect to said output yoke away from a position where said output cross is perpendicular to said output axis which resistance increases as said output cross pivots away from said last mentioned position, and third elastomeric pad means affixed to said intermediate yoke and engaging said input and output crosses for providing a resistance against pivoting of said input and output crosses away from positions where said input and output crosses are perpendicular to said intermediate axes which resistance increases as said input and output crosses pivot away from said last mentioned positions.

Claim 9

A universal joint comprising; an input yoke having an input axis of rotation, an output yoke having an output axis of rotation, an intermediate yoke having an intermediate axis of rotation, an input cross pivotally connected to said input yoke and an end of said intermediate yoke respectively about mutually perpendicular pivot axes which intersect at a first center intersecting said input and intermediate axes of rotation, an output cross pivotally connected to another end of said intermediate yoke and said output yoke respectively about mutually perpendicular pivot axes, which intersect at a second center spaced from said first center and intersecting said intermediate and output axes of rotation, and centering means biasing said yokes toward a position where their respective axes of rotation are colinear comprising, first elastomeric pad means engaging said input yoke and said input cross and providing a resistance against pivoting of said input cross with respect to said input yoke away from a position where said input cross is perpendicular to said input axis which resistance increases as said input cross pivots away from said last mentioned position, second elastomeric pad means engaging said output yoke and said output cross and providing a resistance against pivoting of said output cross with respect to said output yoke away from a position where said output cross is perpendicular to said output axis which resistance increases as said output cross pivots away from said last mentioned position, and third elastomeric pad means affixed to said intermediate yoke and engaging said input and output crosses for providing a resistance against pivoting of said input and output crosses away from positions where said input and output crosses are perpendicular to said intermediate axes which resistance increases as said input and output crosses pivot away from said last mentioned positions.

Claim 10

The universal joint defined in claim 5 wherein said first and second elastomeric pad means provide substantially identical resistance against respective pivoting of said input and output crosses from the positions where said crosses are perpendicular to said input and output axes respectively and wherein said third elastomeric pad means provide substantially identical resistance against pivoting of each of said input and output crosses away from the positions where said input and output crosses are perpendicular to said intermediate axes whereby said input axis and said intermediate axis form an angle which is substantially identical to an angle formed between said intermediate axis and said output axis when said input and output axes are bent at an angle.

Claim 11

The universal joint defined in claim 5 wherein said first and second elastomeric pad means such comprise a body of revolution having a mounting portion carried concentrically by said input and output yokes respectively and a bumper portion engaging an exterior side face of said first and second crosses respectively, and wherein said third elastomeric pad means comprises a body of revolution having a central mounting portion which is carried concentrically secured to said intermediate yoke and oppositely extending bumper portion engaging an interior side face of said first and second crosses respectively.

Claim 12

The universal joint defined in claim 6 wherein said first and secon elastomeric pad means each comprises a body of revolution having a mounting portion carried concentrically by said input and output yokes respectively and a bumper portion engaging an exterior side face of said first and second crosses respectively, and wherein said third elastomeric pad means comprises a body of revolution having a central mounting portion which is carried concentrically secured to said intermediate yoke and oppositely extending bumper portion engaging an interior side face of said first and second crosses respectively.

Claim 13

The universal joint defined in claim 5 wherein said first second and third elastomeric pad means are each preloaded in axial direction.