An intermodal chassis for highway transportation of shipping containers, the chassis having a forward axle and a rear axle, and incorporating an air bag suspension that automatically deflate the air bags when the brakes are locked, preventing damage when loading a container onto the chassis. Large 53 foot long box/high cube type shipping containers may be loaded along their entire length with the chassis having a rear axle positioned under the chassis frame so that the kingpin-to-rear-axle length is no more than 40 feet, and a forward axle positioned under the frame between the gooseneck and the rear axle so that a forward-to-rear-axle length is at least 12 feet. Other features include self-scaling and load-leveling, and other weight savings include use of smaller sized aluminum wheels.

A suspension for vans or semi-trailers has a sliding (or slider) frame that can be slid longitudinally between spaced, left and right trailer stringers. The sliding frame is coupled within the stringers for longitudinal sliding between forward and rearward extremes. The sliding frame is formed by a pair of left and right rails spaced by two or three or more cross members. The sliding frame has an even number of independent air-spring support towers. The support towers are welded to the rails, but the cross members are bolted. The air-spring support towers can take semi-funnel shapes to having a lower narrower end forming an air-spring seat, and flaring upwardly from there to upper ends connected high on the rails to funnel the weight of the van or trailer from over a wider area to more of a pinpoint distribution on the air-spring seat.

A wheelchair suspension is provided. The wheelchair suspension includes a frame, a front caster pivot arm, a drive assembly, and a rear caster. The front caster pivot arm is pivotally connected to the frame. The front caster is coupled to a front end of the front caster pivot arm. The drive assembly is pivotally connected to the front caster pivot arm. The drive assembly comprises a drive wheel and a motor that drives the drive wheel. Torquing of the drive wheel by the motor in a forward direction causes the drive assembly to pivot with respect to the front caster pivot arm such that the drive wheel moves forward toward the front caster and a distance between a support surface and the connection between of the drive assembly and the front caster pivot arm increases.

An assembly for supporting a vehicle chassis on a wheel of the vehicle includes a wheel attachment component for attaching the assembly to a wheel, a chassis attachment component for pivotably attaching the assembly to a chassis of the vehicle, and a suspension component operably interposed between the wheel attachment component and the chassis attachment component. A first adjustment element is coupled with the chassis attachment component and coupled with a first portion of the suspension component, and a second adjustment element is coupled with the chassis attachment component and coupled with the first portion of the suspension component. The first and second adjustment elements are configured to shift the first portion of the suspension component between a plurality of operating positions relative to the chassis attachment component. A single strut bar slidingly engages the wheel attachment component and is rigidly coupled with a second portion of the suspension component.

A milling machine includes a frame, a housing, a milling drum mounted on the frame within the housing and a drive assembly. A positioning assembly is provided for moving the drive assembly between a first position which is laterally outside the periphery of the machine housing and a second position which is laterally inside the periphery of the machine housing, and for locking the drive assembly in at least the first and second positions without requiring the operator to manually manipulate a locking pin.

An Agricultural vehicle has a frame supported by a front pair of wheels and a back pair of wheels, wherein the back pair of wheels are steerable and wherein each wheel of the back pair of wheels is connected to the frame via a respective intermediate support element that is pivotable with respect to the frame in such a manner that the back pair of wheels are movable between a first position wherein the back pair of wheels defines a first track width and are positioned at a first distance from the front pair of wheels, and a second position wherein the back pair of wheels defines a second track width and are positioned at a second distance from the front pair of wheels, wherein the first track width is larger than the second track width and wherein the first distance is smaller than the second distance.

An assembly for supporting a vehicle chassis on a wheel of the vehicle includes a wheel attachment component for attaching the assembly to the wheel, a chassis attachment component for attaching the assembly to the vehicle chassis, and a suspension component. At least one adjustment element is coupled with the chassis attachment component and with a first portion of the suspension component, and is configured to shift the first portion of the suspension element between a plurality of operating positions relative to the chassis attachment component. A single strut bar is rigidly coupled with the wheel attachment component and with a second portion of the suspension component, and is configured to pivot relative to the chassis attachment component. The suspension component is configured to regulate motion transfer between the wheel attachment component and the chassis attachment component.

An intermodal chassis for highway transportation of 53 foot shipping containers having a rear axle positioned under the chassis frame so that the kingpin-to-rear-axle length is no more than 40 feet, and a forward axle positioned under the frame between the gooseneck and the rear axle so that a forward-to-rear-axle length is at least 12 feet. The chassis includes air bag suspension that automatically deflate the air bags when the brakes are locked, preventing damage when loading a container onto the chassis. Other features include self-scaling and load-leveling, and other weight savings include use of smaller sized aluminum wheels.

A method of regulating the operation of a vehicle axle system, the vehicle axle system including at least one adjustable axle having at least one axle cylinder and a steering assembly including at least one steering cylinder connected thereto, an axle management system including a microcontroller having a microprocessor, a memory, and a sensor. The method includes receiving, by the axle management system, at least one desired axle position and at least one measured axle position, from at least one sensor. The method also includes determining, if the measured axle position is within a predetermined tolerance threshold of the desired axle position and regulating the position of the at least one adjustable axle.

A vehicle has steering and drive wheels supported by legs articulated to the structure of the vehicle. Each leg is rotatably mounted on a main support around a transverse axis. The main support is rotatably mounted about the transverse axis on a base structure, which is connected to the structure of the vehicle. An actuator device is operatively interposed between the main support and the base support to adjust the position of the main support around the transverse axis, and consequently the height of the vehicle from the ground. A hub-bearing support carrying the wheel hub is rotatably mounted around a wheel steering axis on an auxiliary camber adjustment support. The latter is carried around a camber adjustment axis on a further auxiliary caster adjustment support. The latter is carried by the leg around a caster adjustment axis. The steering of the wheel and the camber adjustment are controlled by respective actuator devices. The caster adjustment is automatically controlled as the position of the leg changes around the transverse axis.