Auxiliary spring for automotive vehicles

Claim 1

FOR USE ON AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE INCLUDING AN AXLE, A FRAME OVER SAID AXLE, AND A MAIN SPRING SUSPENSION SUPPORTING SAID FRAME ON SAID AXLE, AN AUXILIARY OVERLOAD SPRING DEVICE COMPRISING: A LEVER BELOW THE FRAME SUPPORTED AT ONE END BY SAID AXLE, FULCRUM MEANS PIVOTALLY SUPPORTING AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID LEVER ON SAID FRAME FOR PIVOTING OF THE LEVER TO SWING IN A VERTICAL PLANE, SAID LEVER FROM SAID FULCRUM MEANS TO SAID AXLE COMPRISING A SPRING ARM OF SAID LEVER, AN ABUTMENT MEANS SUPPORTED ON SAID FRAME AND POSITIONED AND ARRANGED THEREON UNDERNEATH THE EXTREMITY OF THE OTHER ARM OF SAID LEVER FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE EXTREMITY OF SAID OTHER ARM OF SAID LEVER AND ESTABLISHING A LIMITING POSITION FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID OTHER ARM AT THE END OF A PREDETERMINED RANGE OF PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER CORRESPONDING TO A PREDETERMINED RANGE OF INCREASING LOADING OF SAID VEHICLE AND CONSEQUENT LOWERING OF SAID FRAME AND SAID FULCRUM MEANS, SUCH THAT SAID SPRING ARM OF SAID LEVER HAS A RANGE OF PIVOTAL MOVEMENT WITHOUT FLEXURE, BUT BEYOND WHICH, WITH STILL FURTHER INCREASE IN LOADING OF SAID VEHICLE, CORRESPONDING FURTHER LOWERING OF SAID FULCRUM MEANS HOLDS THE EXTREMITY OF SAID OTHER ARM OF SAID LEVER AGAINST SAID ABUTMENT MEANS IN SAID LIMITING POSITION AND THE EXTREMITY OF SAID SPRING ARM BY SAID AXLE WHILE FLEXING SAID SPRING ARM, SAID ABUTMENT MEANS INCLUDING A SOFT COIL COMPRESSION SPRING, OF GREATLY LOWER SPRING CONSTANT THAN THAT OF SAID SPRING ARM, AND MEANS SUPPORTING THE BOTTOM OF SAID COIL SPRING FROM SAID FRAME, WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID SPRING ENGAGED DOWNWARDLY BY THE EXTREMITY OF SAID OTHER ARM OF SAID LEVER THROUGHOUT SAID RANGE OF PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER.