Abstract: The joint of the present invention is characterized essentially by the fact that it includes a male portion and a female portion, the male portion comprising a ball 13 and means 9, 10, 11, . . . for fixing the ball on a connection peg 4, and the female portion comprising a cup 17 having a concave spherical shape complementary to the shape of the ball, with the ball being made of a material having a crystalline structure, e.g. a monocrystal such as ruby, sapphire, or diamond. The invention is particularly suitable for hip prosthesis or the like.

Abstract: The present invention relates to means for the lap joint connection of two bridge elements to each other on intrados or extrados, the lower bridge element being capable of becoming the upper element and vice versa. A first bridge element according to the invention has movable fingers (1, 2) which can retract into the structure of the bridge or protrude therefrom into a position in which they cooperated with boreholes (11, 12) in a second bridge element, in which holes they can be locked. This invention may be used for the construction of floating or nonfloating bridges of any length.

Abstract: The present invention relates to means for lap joint connection of two bridge elements to each other on extrados and intrados. Each bridge element comprises at least one flap (2) on the extrados and one flap (3) on the intrados, a means (6, 9, 10) for the combined displacement of the extrados and intrados flaps and means (16, 18) for locking the first of these flaps on the first bridge element and the second flap on the second element to be connected. This invention may be used to bridge gaps of all lengths.

Abstract: The present invention relates to means for connecting two fixed or floating bridge elements together. A first bridge element comprises at least two retractable studs (1, 2) oriented obliquely with respect to the surface of the element, one on the intrados and the other on the extrados, so as to cooperate with a recess (3', 4') either of the extrados or of the intrados of a second bridge element. This invention may be used to assemble all types of bridges.