US Patent Issued to Illinois Tool Works on May 26 for "Ball socket apparatus and ball joint apparatus having such a ball socket apparatus" (German Inventors)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 26 -- United States Patent no. 12,638,043, issued on May 26, was assigned to Illinois Tool Works Inc. (Glenview, Ill.).

"Ball socket apparatus and ball joint apparatus having such a ball socket apparatus" was invented by Gerit Vollmer (Enkenbach-Alsenborn, Germany) and Albert Sbongk (Enkenbach-Alsenborn, Germany).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A ball socket apparatus is provided for bearing a joint head. The apparatus includes a first ball shell element and a second ball shell element, wherein the ball socket apparatus forms a preferably radially circumferential, continuous contact surface for a joint head, and a first and a second housing device in which the ball shell el...