Apparatus for positioning of vehicle suspension

Claim 2

A roadway vehicle apparatus comprising: a trailer underframe, a bogie unit movably mounted with respect to the trailer underframe, a locking assembly mounted on the bogie unit and selectively locking the bogie unit to the trailer underframe at selected positions of the bogie unit along the underframe, said locking assembly including a locking pin extendable through the bogie unit and the trailer underframe from an unlocked position within the bogie unit and the underframe to a locked position extending through both the underframe and the bogie unit, means connected to the locking pin for reciprocally moving same between the locked and unlocked positions, including an operable handle for positionably controlling the locking pin, and said handle having a portion thereof which moves toward the locking pin as it is moved toward the locked position and into engagement with the locking pin in the locked position as an indication that the locked position has been assumed.

Claim 3

The invention according to claim 1, and said bogie unit having a center crossmember, and said locking assembly being housed completely within the center crossmember.

Claim 4

The invention according to claim 1, and safety pin means for retaining said handle portion and said locking pin in engagement in the locked position.

Claim 5

The invention according to claim 1, and said means connected to the locking pin for reciprocally moving same including a lever pivotally mounted on the bogie unit and positionably controlled by the handle to thereby position the locking pin, and biasing means connecting with the lever in opposition to the handle for urging the lever such that the locking pin and handle tend toward the locked position.

Claim 6

The invention according to claim 1, and said locking pin includIng means defining a handle portion receiving aperture therein for accommodating said handle portion in the locked position.

Claim 7

The invention according to claim 5, and means defining a safety pin receiving aperture in said locking pin which communicates with said handle portion receiving aperture, means defining a safety pin receiving aperture in said handle portion in alignment with the safety pin receiving aperture in said locking pin in the locked position, and a safety pin disposed in said safety pin receiving apertures to retain the handle portion and locking pin in place in the locked position.

Claim 8

A roadway vehicle apparatus comprising: a trailer underframe, a bogie unit slidably mounted with respect to the trailer underframe, a locking assembly mounted on the bogie unit and selectively locking the bogie unit to the trailer underframe at selected positions of the bogie unit along the underframe, handle means for reciprocally moving the locking assembly between locked and unlocked positions of the bogie unit and underframe, said assembly including opposed locking pins extendable through the bogie unit and the trailer underframe from the unlocked position within the bogie unit and underframe to the locked position extending through both the underframe and the bogie unit, one of the locking pins having handle receiving means and said handle means including pin receiving means whereby the handle receiving means and the pin receiving means are coupled with one another when the handle means is in the locked position for fixedly coupling the trailer underframe and the bogie unit together.

Claim 9

A roadway vehicle apparatus comprising: a trailer underframe, a bogie unit slidably mounted with respect to the trailer underframe, a locking assembly mounted on the bogie unit and selectively locking the bogie unit to the trailer underframe at selected positions of the bogie unit along the underframe, handle means for reciprocally moving the locking assembly between locked and unlocked positions of the bogie unit and underframe, said assembly including opposed locking pins extendable through the bogie unit and the trailer underframe from the unlocked position within the bogie unit and underframe to the locked position extending through both the underframe and the bogie unit, one of the locking pins having handle receiving means and said handle means including pin receiving means whereby the handle receiving means and the pin receiving means are coupled with one another when the handle means is in the locked position for fixedly coupling the trailer underframe and the bogie unit together.

Claim 10

The invention according to claim 7 and said handle receiving means including an aperture in said one pin and said pin receiving means including an end portion of the handle means.

Claim 11

A roadway vehicle apparatus comprising: a trailer underframe, a bogie unit movably mounted with respect to the trailer underframe, a locking assembly mounted on the bogie unit and selectively locking the bogie unit to the trailer underframe at selected positions of the bogie unit along the underframe, said locking assembly including opposed locking pin means extendable through the opposed sides of the bogie unit and trailer underframe and including a pair of opposed links, each link pivotally connected to a respective locking pin means, said locking assembly further including a lever having pivot means mounted on the bogie unit with the links connecting with the lever on opposite sides of the pivot means, each of said locking pin links lying in horizontal alignment with one another and with each of the locking pin means, said locking means and said locking pin links forming a horizontal line in the locked position of the locking pin means affording a positive lock, handle means connected to said lever for rotating same about said pivot means to thereby reciprocally move the respective locking pin means between locked and unlocked positions, and said handle means having a portion thereof which moves toward one of the locking pin means as said one locking pin means is moved toward the locked position and into engagement with said one locking pin means in the locked position as an indication that the locked position has been assumed.

Claim 12

A roadway vehicle apparatus comprising: a trailer underframe, a bogie unit movably mounted with respect to the trailer underframe, a locking assembly mounted on the bogie unit and selectively locking the bogie unit to the trailer underframe at selected positions of the bogie unit along the underframe, said locking assembly including opposed locking pin means extendable through the opposed sides of the bogie unit and trailer underframe and including a pair of opposed links, each link pivotally connected to a respective locking pin means, said locking assembly further including a lever having pivot means mounted on the bogie unit with the links connecting with the lever on opposite sides of the pivot means, each of said locking pin links lying in horizontal alignment with one another and with each of the locking pin means, said locking means and said locking pin links forming a horizontal line in the locked position of the locking pin means affording a positive lock, handle means connected to said lever for rotating same about said pivot means to thereby reciprocally move the respective locking pin means between locked and unlocked positions, and said handle means having a portion thereof which moves toward one of the locking pin means as said one locking pin means is moved toward the locked position and into engagement with said one locking pin means in the locked position as an indication that the locked position has been assumed.

Claim 13

A roadway vehicle apparatus comprising: a trailer underframe including a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending rails, said rails having longitudinally spaced transversely aligned holes, a sliding bogie unit including a bogie subframe having a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending rail means slidably mounted with said rails, a locking assembly mounted on said bogie unit and including a pair of transversely extending opposing locking pin means on each side of the bogie unit and selectively engageable with one of the holes in each of said rails, biasing means urging each of said opposed locking pin means into its respective rail hole, handle means for transversely reciprocating each of said locking pin means in and out of a respective of said rail holes, said locking assembly including a pivotally mounted lever having pivot means therefor and a pair of pin links pivotally connected to the lever on opposite sides of said lever pivot means and each pin link pivotally connecting with a respective locking pin means, said handle means including a handle rod pivotally connected to the lever below the pivot means and the pin links and having spring means urging the lever and locking pin means thereby to the locking position, said bogie subframe having a stop member, said handle rod having a bent end portion coupling with one of the locking pin means in the locked position of the locking pin means and said rod including a stop engagable with the stop member on the bogie subframe for extending the handle rod outwardly of the bogie unit in opposition to the handle spring means and the biasing means for the locking pin means and thereby disengaging the end of the rod from its locking pin means and causing both locking pin means to move inward for releasing of the trailer frame with respect in the bogie subframe.

Claim 14

A roadway vehicle apparatus comprising: a trailer underframe including a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending rails, said rails having longitudinally spaced transversely aligned holes, a sliding bogie unit including a bogie subframe having a pair of laterally spaced longitudinally extending rail means slidably mounted with said rails, a locking assembly mounted on said bogie unit and including a pair of transversely extending opposing locking pin means on each side of the bogie unit and selectively engageable with one of the holes in each of said rails, biasing means urging each of said opposed locking pin means into its respective rail hole, handle means for transversely reciprocating each of said locking pin means in and out of a respective of said rail holes, said locking assembly including a pivotally mounted lever having pivot means therefor and a pair of pin links pivotally connected to the lever on opposite sides of said lever pivot means and each pin link pivotally connecting with a respective locking pin means, said handle means including a handle rod pivotally connected to the lever below the pivot means and the pin links and having spring means urging the lever and locking pin means thereby to the locking position, said bogie subframe having a stop member, said handle rod having a bent end portion coupling with one of the locking pin means in the locked position of the locking pin means and said rod including a stop engagable with the stop member on the bogie subframe for extending the handle rod outwardly of the bogie unit in opposition to the handle spring means and the biasing means for the locking pin means and thereby disengaging the end of the rod from its locking pin means and causing both locking pin means to move inward for releasing of the trailer frame with respect in the bogie subframe.