Patent ID: 8915788

Claim:
A universal joint carried by an elongate body having an axis, the universal joint comprising: an inner race that pivots omni-directionally within an outer race; a series of first and second opposed cavities formed in the inner race and the outer race; a plurality of torque transfer elements, each torque transfer element having a first portion that engages a corresponding first cavity and a second portion that is fixed in position relative to the first portion and engages a corresponding second cavity, wherein the first cavity comprises a socket that permits rotation of the first portion within the first cavity as the inner race pivots omni-directionally within the outer race; and the second cavity comprises a track oriented in the direction of the axis of the elongate body, the second portion moving along the track as the inner race pivots omni-directionally within the outer race, the second portion comprising at least one drive surface that simultaneously engages an inner surface of the track at more than one point along the direction of the track.