Abstract: A damped drive shaft is produced by forming a cylindrical tube of selected length and diameter, inserting a damper into the tube and positioning it at a central location within the tube, fitting a deformable plug into each end of the tube, and swaging the ends of the tube to reduce their diameter and deform the plugs to effect a seal at the opposite ends of the tube. Following the swaging operation the reduced diameter ends of the tube may be faced and washed. Thereafter, the plugs may be removed whereupon the drive shaft is ready for further processing.

Abstract: A vibration and noise attenuating damper for an automotive drive shaft has a cylindrical body of such size as snugly to fit within the shaft between its reduced diameter ends and be retained in fixed position. The damper has at each end thereof a seal which bears against the surface of the bore of the shaft. The seal has a wall which is accommodated within the tubular body of the damper. The seal may include an impervious closure which closes the end of the damper. The inner surface of the tubular damper body may be formed of a waterproof material.

Abstract: A vibration damping liner adapted to pass through a relatively small diameter end of a tubular shaft for accommodation in a relatively large diameter section of such shaft, the liner being formed of a plurality of coaxial, helically wound paperboard strips forming inner and outer layers. The confronting edges of adjacent convolutions of each layer are coplanar and unjoined, and the confronting edges of the convolutions of all but one of such layers register with one another. The paperboard strip forming the one layer bridges the confronting edges of the adjacent convolutions of the other layers and is adhesively secured to that layer adjacent such one layer. Such one layer has less resistance to rupture than any of the other layers.