Wheel and axle system for land vehicles

Claim 1

A wheel and axle system for a land vehicle, the wheel and axle system comprising: a. first and second rotatable wheels engaging a load-bearing surface through a rolling friction contact, b. a rotatable axle joining said first and second rotatable wheels in a spaced relationship, c. means connecting said first wheel to said axle so that said first wheel is rotatable with said axle, d. engagement means releasably connecting said second wheel to said rotatable axle, said engagement means damping any angular velocity oscillation developed between said first and second wheels and releasing at a predetermined force level so that said second wheel is free to rotate at an angular velocity different than the angular velocity of said wheel and rotatable axle unit, e. said engagement means including clutch means releasably connecting said second wheel to said rotatable axle and clutch actuator means selectively developing the predetermined force level and releasing said clutch means; and f. said clutch actuator means coacts with said rotatable axle and includes sleeve means adapted to engage the rotatable axle, cable means adjustably connected from said clutch means to said sleeve means, and means continuously urging said sleeve means in a first direction so that said cable means maintains said clutch means in said connecting relationship.