Suspension assembly for a wheel and brake

Claim 1

A combined wheel mounting and brake assembly for a vehicle having a small lightweight frame with front wheels associated with disc brakes and rear wheels associated with drum brakes, comprising a support fixedly engaging the vehicle frame via a spring engaging the support and the vehicle frame, said support defining an opening extending axially therethrough, and an axle rotatably disposed within said support opening via a pair of bearings carried within said support opening at substantially opposite ends of said support opening, said axle including a first portion at one end of said support outside said one end support opening, said first portion extending radially outwardly of said support opening and releasably mounting one of the rear wheels to said axle, said axle including a second portion at the other end of said support opening, said second portion extending radially outwardly of said support opening and having an axially extending outer rim, said rim substantially defining a cavity for receiving one of the drum brakes which is disposed adjacent said support other end, the one drum brake being operable to brake the rear wheel via said axle, said axially extending rim defining a surface engageable with the one drum brake and said surface defines a diameter dimension which is less than a diameter dimension for the radial outer periphery of said first portion, said second portion defining an inner axially extending boss engageable with said axle and cooperating with one of said pair of bearings to retain the latter within the support opening, said second portion being releasably coupled to said axle via a nut, and said nut cooperates with said axle when said second portion is coupled thereto and cooperating with the one bearing to retain the other of said pair of bearings within the support opening, whereby said pair of bearings are carried within the support opening to one side of the rear wheel in the direction of said second portion.