Patent ID: 6926611

Claim:
A universal cardan joint with elastomeric bearings for connecting a pair of mechanical components, comprising: first and second yokes, each drivingly connected to one of said mechanical components, each yoke having two coaxial bores; an intermediate member adapted to be disposed in driving connection with said first and second yokes, said intermediate member having four legs which extend outwardly from a central body with the legs being displaced by 90 degrees from each other, each leg having a central axis, with all of the axes lying in a common plane, and the free end of each leg being trunnion-shaped; bearing sleeves disposed within each bore, each adapted to receive one of the trunnion-shaped ends of the extending legs of the intermediate member so as to join the two yokes through the intermediate member; each said bearing sleeve comprising at least one layer of an elastomeric material and metal layers disposed alternatingly and coaxially, with the outermost and innermost layers being metal layers, and the wall thickness of each of said bearing sleeves in its unloaded condition, before assembly into annular space between the internal surface of one of said bores and the external surface of one of said trunnions, being greater than the radial dimension of said annular space available for insertion of said bearing sleeve, whereby said bearing sleeves are under compression loading after assembly; at least one of external and internal metal surfaces of each said bearing sleeves being tapered and the corresponding surface inside said annular space is tapered at the conforming angle, so that said insertion of said bearing sleeve into said annular space is accompanied by wedge action between said conforming tapered surfaces thus resulting in reduction of wall thickness of said sleeve by compressing said elastomeric layers until the wall thickness of said sleeve equals the radial dimension of said annular space.