Patent ID: 8226509

Claim:
A pivot joint comprising: a pressure plate having a pressure plate surface; a clutch plate having a clutch plate hole extending through the clutch plate, a clutch plate surface in contact with the pressure plate surface and at least one inclined clutch contact area opposite the clutch plate surface; a pivot arm having a pivot hole and comprising at least one inclined arm contact area facing and complementary in shape to the inclined clutch contact area; a pivot pin comprising a pivot pin head and a pivot pin shaft extending through the pivot hole and the clutch plate hole and into the pressure plate; and a preload spring mounted on the pivot pin between the pivot arm and the clutch plate for urging the pivot arm away from the clutch plate, for providing a spring preload on the clutch plate, and for providing a preload gap between the inclined clutch contact area and the inclined arm contact area to be taken up by an increase in a stack height of the clutch plate and the pivot arm around the pivot pin.