Attachment of auxiliary overload axle in wheel arrangement for truck tractor

Claim 1

IN A TRACTOR FOR TOWING SEMI-TRAILERS OR THE LIKE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A TRACTOR CHASSIS HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID FRAME INCLUDING A LONGITUDINALLY MEMBERS EXTENDING REARWARDLY THEREOF; A DRIVING AXLE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY SPRING MOUNTED BENEATH SAID RIGID FRAME; A PUSHER AXLE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY MOUNTED FORWARD OF SAID DRIVING AXLE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY; MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID PUSHER AXLE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT RELATIVE SAID CHASSIS IN A VERTICAL PLANE PARALLEL TO THE LONGITUDINALLY AXIS OF SAID CHASSIS, SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING A FRAME STRUCTURE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS OF SAID RIGID FRAME ON A PIVOTAL AXIS TRANSVERSE OF AND ABOVE THE LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS OF THE CHASSIS FOR SUPPORTING A LOAD ON SAID TRACTOR CHASSIS, SAID FRAME STRUCTURE INCLUDING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL FRAME MEMBERS CONNECTED TOGETHER BY AT LEAST ONE CROSS MEMBER AND DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING COLUMNS FOR SUPPORTING THE PUSHER AXLE AND WHEELS; SAID RIGID FRAME HAVING A PORTION THEREOF FOR ENGAGING AND LIMITING THE DOWNWARD ANGULAR MOVEMENT OF SAID SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE, AND SAID DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING COLUMNS OF SAID SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE BEING OF A LENGTH THAT SUPPORTS THE WHEELS OF THE PUSHER AXLE OFF THE GROUND WHEN THERE IS NO LOAD ON SAID TRACTOR CHASSIS AND WHEN THE SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE IS IN ITS LOWERMOST POSITION AS LIMTED BY CONTACT WITH SAID PORTION OF SAID RIGID FRAME.