Tag axle support for concrete mixer units

Claim 1

In a vehicle having a front support axle with steerable wheels and intermediate load bearing tandem axles including ground-engaging wheels, a tag axle at the rearmost part of said vehicle, ground-engaging wheels rotatably supported at opposite ends of said tag axle, a vehicle frame extending rearwardly of said tandem axle support wheels and including depending portions one at each side of said frame and adapted to support said tag axle, downwardly and rearwardly inclined support arms mounted for arcuate movement on said depending portions and adapted to receive said tag axle, resilient means for biasing said wheels and tag axle in a pivotally upwardly directed movement and out of ground supporting engagement, tag axle guide means, secured to opposite lateral sides of said tag axle, anti-friction bearing means operatively secured to said guide means operatively engaging said vehicle frame to limit movement of said tag axle essentially to vertically upward and downward movement to bring the associated wheel into-and-out-of ground engagement, and prohibiting lateral movement relative to said frame and twisting movement relative to said frame about a vertical axis, and an expandable power actuating means for effecting movement of said wheels carried by the tag axle downwardly into ground engagement and against the resistance of said resilient means.