Patent ID: 7641557

Claim:
A flexible coupling capable of transmitting torque and comprising: a first member having a rotary axis and comprising at least three pins; a second member comprising at least six sockets; and a third member having a rotary axis and comprising at least three pins, wherein the first member is connected to the second member by at least three joints and the second member is connected to the third member by at least three joints, the joints being circumferentially spaced about said axes, wherein each joint comprises a pin carried by the first or third member and a socket carried by the second member, the pin registering into the socket so that torque can be transmitted between the respective joint members and so that relative sliding and rotational movement can take place between each pin and associated socket, wherein the sockets of the second member are connected by flexible extensions to each other such that the first and third members can articulate relative to one another; and wherein longitudinal axes formed by the socket and pin joints lie in a single plane.