Abstract: A centered double cardan joint for steering shafts in motor vehicles, in which the shaft ends (1, 2), which are nonrotatably connected to one another in the joint, are mounted movably in a universal joint around two articulated axes that enclose a right angle with one another and with the longitudinal axis of the shaft in a housing, which connects the two universal joints to one another, by journals (5 through 8 and 10 through 13). To make it possible to manufacture a joint that eliminates vibrations at low cost, each of the two universal joints is provided in a ring (3, 4), which surrounds the corresponding shaft end (1, 2) at a radially spaced location, and in which the shaft end (1, 2) is mounted movably around the journals (5 through 8) arranged in one articulated axis, and which is mounted movably in a housing made of a pipe section (9) by journals arranged in the other articulated axis.

Abstract: The universal joint shaft, particularly for a steering column of a motor vehicle, includes a tubular outer shaft, a tubular inner shaft slidably mounted in the outer shaft for axial telescoping movement relative to the outer shaft and engageable for rotation therewith, a bearing between the inner and outer shafts, and a guide tube member between the inner and outer shafts for guiding the inner shaft relative to the outer shaft and transmitting torque between the inner and outer shafts.