Offset vehicle axle

In a vehicle having a body and wheels for rolling over a surface, the improvement of an offset axle, comprising:

• shaft means for supporting at least two wheels and for pivoting when the wheels roll over irregularities in said surface, said shaft means including a first end portion adjacent to and supporting at least one wheel, a second end portion offset with respect to the first end portion and positioned adjacent to and supporting at least one other wheel, and means for moving each of the end portions in an arcuate path when its associated wheel rolls over an irregularity of said surface and pivots the shaft means;
• and
• wheel support means for connecting each wheel with its adjacent end portion of said shaft means and for changing the arcuate movement of the end portion to a corresponding vertical movement of the wheel so that the wheel is deflected vertically in a vertical plane when it rolls over an irregularity of said surface.

In a vehicle having a body and wheels for rolling over a surface, the improvement of an offset axle, comprising:

• shaft means for connecting at least two wheels and for pivoting when the wheels roll over irregularities of said surface, said shaft means including parallel and offset first and second end portions and a center portion for connecting the end portions;
• and
• support means of said body, said support means including two axle guide plates extending vertically downwardly from the body in parallel spaced relation for defining a guide channel, said center portion of the shaft means including means for pivotally and slidably engaging said guide plates in said guide channel to block lateral movement of the shaft means with respect to the body and to allow the wheels to be independently deflected in respective vertical planes when they roll over irregularities of said surface.

In a vehicle having a body and wheels for rolling over a surface, the improvement of an offset axle, comprising:

• shaft means for connecting at least two wheels and for pivoting when the wheels roll over irregularities of said surface, said shaft means including parallel and offset first and second end portions and a center portion for connecting the end portions;
• and
• support means for blocking lateral movement of said shaft means with respect to said body to resist leaning of the body and for pivotally engaging the end portions of the shaft means and rotatively supporting said wheels in coaxial alignment, said support means having means for moving the shaft means with respect to the body to deflect the wheels in vertical planes and to avoid transmitting the shock of the wheel deflections to the body when the wheels roll over irregularities of said surface.

In a vehicle having a body and wheels for rolling over a surface, the improvement of an offset axle for connecting the wheels and resisting leaning of the body and tilting of the wheels, comprising:

• shaft means having offset end portions;
• and
• support means for pivotally engaging the end portions and rotatively supporting the wheels in coaxial alignment, said support means having means for allowing pivotal, vertical, forward and backward movement of the shaft means to independently deflect the wheels in respective vertical planes and to avoid transmitting the shock of the wheel deflections to the body when the wheels roll over irregularities of said surface.