Patent ID: 8662783

Claim:
A metal ball joint comprising: an elongated shat having an upper end, a lower end, and a tapered portion extending between the upper and lower ends; a ball located on the upper end of the elongated shaft, said ball having a continuous curved surface extending upwardly near the tapered portion of the shaft, said ball further having a flat surface located at the upper end of the shaft; a housing having an outside surface, an inside vertical wall, an internal thread, and a lower end, said housing further having a curved bearing surface that is integral with and extends from said inside vertical wall, the curved bearing surface engages the curved surface of the ball adjacent the elongated shaft, an opening is formed in the housing for passage therethrough of the elongated shaft but not permitting passage therethrough of the ball such as to permit pivotal movement of the elongated shaft relative to the housing; a retainer assembly having an upper portion, a lower portion, a cylindrical non-threaded surface, and a first thread, said retainer further having a curved seat engaging a second portion of the curved surface of the ball adjacent the flat; and a threaded locking member having external threads and an opening for receiving a tool that is operable to advance the threaded locking member in and out of the housing, the locking member is threadable to a bore in the housing, the threaded locking member has a surface that impinges upon the cylindrical non-threaded surface of the retainer assembly, the locking member engages the retainer to form a stop to prevent the retainer from disengaging from the housing.