Patent ID: 8197153

Claim:
A combination self-retaining anti-rotation clip and a spherical-bearing rod end, comprising: the rod end comprising: a body; a spherical ball rotatably carried within the body and a portion of the ball protruding from opposite sides of the body; and a connector for attaching the rod end to another object; the clip comprising: two opposing spacer plates, each spacer plate being separated from each other by a connector plate and having a retaining means that surrounds the portions of the spherical ball protruding from opposing sides of the body, the retaining means adapted for retaining each spacer plate in a position generally adjacent one side of a body of the rod end, wherein the retaining means is the sole member of the anti-rotational clip that comes into contact with the spherical-bearing rod end for limiting relative rotation between the body and the spherical ball; the connector plate connecting the spacer plates, the connector plate being configured to retain the spacer plates at a spaced relationship relative to each other and generally parallel to each other, the connector plate also being configured to retain the spacer plates at a distance from the body of the rod end, the connector plate extending solely in a direction relatively normal to the two spacer plates, the connector plate being configured to be at a spaced distance relative to the body of the rod end such that the connector plate does not retain the body; a hole extending through a thickness of the connector plate, the hole receiving the connector of the rod end and retaining means carried on the clip and adapted for retaining each spacer plate in a position generally adjacent one side of a body of the rod end, such that the spacer plates are free from interference with the ball of the rod end; wherein the retaining means is the sole member of the anti-rotational clip that comes into contact with the spherical-bearing rod end.