Axle-load distributing apparatus

An axle load-distributing apparatus for a vehicle having a frame mounted on wheel supported axles, said axle load-distributing apparatus comprising:

• a lower frame having a forward end and an opposed rearward end;
• at least one transverse load distributing axle mounted on said lower frame;
• a plurality of wheels bearingly mounted on said axle;
• hitch means pivotably connected to the forward end of said lower frame for connecting said lower frame to the motor vehicle and for providing said lower frame with a horizontal lateral swinging movement and a vertical movement with respect to said hitch means;
• a cantilever having a forward end and an upwardly inclined rearward end, the forward end of said cantilever being rigidly mounted to said hitch means for preventing vertical movement of said cantilever with respect to said hitch means and the forward end of said cantilever being pivotably connected to said hitch means for providing a horizontal lateral swinging movement of said cantilever with respect to said hitch means, the upwardly inclined rearward end of said cantilever extending upwardly over said lower frame means in a spaced relationship with said lower frame means;
• first pneumatic means operatively disposed between the rearward end of said cantilever and said lower frame so that in an activated position said first pneumatic means causes a downward force to be applied to said lower frame transferring a portion of the load on the rear axles of the vehicle to said load-distributing axle mounted on said lower frame;
• and
• tracking means interconnecting said cantilever and said hitch means for detecting changes in the angular relationship between the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle and the longitudinal axis of said axle load distributing apparatus, said tracking means operatively connected to said first pneumatic means for at least partially deactivating said first pneumatic means when a predetermined angular relation between the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle and the longitudinal axis of the axle load distributing apparatus is detected by said tracking means and for reactivating said first pneumatic means when the axle load distributing apparatus returns to a normal tracking position.