Vehicle axle suspension

Claim 1

A VEHICLE REAR SUSPENSION STRUCTURE ADAPTED FOR HEAVILY LOADED VEHICLES HAVING A FRAME WITH PARALLEL SIDE BEAMS, SAID SUSPENSION STRUCTURE COMPRISING A TANDEM WHEEL SUSPENSION UNIT AND A THIRD AXLE SUSPENSION UNIT BOTH DISPOSED BENEATH THE REAR END PORTION OF THE PERMANENT FRAME OF THE VEHICLE AND IN PART OUTSIDE OF SAID SIDE BEAMS, SAID TANDEM WHEEL UNIT INCLUDING A PAIR OF AXLES, A WALKING BEAM ON EACH SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY ATTACHING THE OPPOSITTE ENDS OF EACH SAID WALKING BEAM TO THE ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID AXLES SO THAT THE WALKING BEAM IS DISPOSED BELOW THE AXLES, AN ELONGATE RIGID CASTING FORMING A SOLID BEAM MEMBER DISPOSED IMMEDIATELY ABOVE EACH SAID WALKING BEAM, A SADDLE MEMBER PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE MIDPOINT OF SAID WALKING BEAM WITH SAID SOLID BEAM MEMBER AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID SOLID BEAM MEMBER, AN ATTACHING BRACKET DEPENDING FROM THE ADJACENT VEHICLE FRAME SIDE BEAM AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID SOLID BEAM MEMBER, SAID SOLID BEAM MEMBER HAVING MEANS AT ITS OPPOSITE END FORMING A SLIDING PIVOTAL CONNECTION WITH SAID THIRD AXLE UNIT, SAID THIRD AXLE UNIT INCLUDING AN AXLE DISPOSED PARALLEL WITH SAID TANDEM AXLES, AN ELONGATE LOAD DISTRIBUTING BEAM ON EACH SIDE OF SAID VEHIVLE FRAME WHICH EXTENDS BENEATH AND IS DISPOSED IN PART OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE SIDE BEAM, MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE REAR END OF EACH SAID LOAD DISTRIBUTING BEAM BENEATH THE ADJACENT END OF THE AXLE OF SAID THIRD AXLE UNIT, A TRANSVERSE SHAFT HAVING ITS OPPOSITE ENDS JOURNALED IN SAID LOAD DISTRIBUTING BEAMS INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, AND A BRACKET DEPENDING FROM EACH VEHICLE FRAME SIDE BEAM, SAID BRACKETS SUPPORTING OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID TRANSVERSE SHAFT, AND SAID SLIDING PIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SOLID BEAM MEMBER OF SAID TANDEM AXLE UNIT AND SAID THIRD AXLE UNIT COMPRISING A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED BEARING PLATE ON THE TOP OF THE REARWARD END OF THE SOLID BEAM MEMBER AND A ROLLER BEARING MEMBER ON THE FORWARD END OF THE ADJACENT LOAD DISTRIBUTING BEAM WHICH IS POSITIONED TO RIDE ON SAID BEARING PLATE.