Motor vehicle axle suspension

In a suspension arrangement for suspending an axle of a motor vehicle from a chassis thereof and including a lifting mechanism for moving the axle from extended operating positions relatively spaced from the chassis to a retracted position relatively closely adjacent the chassis, the improvement wherein said suspension arrangement further comprises:

• a leaf spring assembly to be mounted on each of two opposite sides of a longitudinal median plane of the vehicle, said leaf spring assembly having a front end hinged about a first bearing axis to be stationary to the chassis and a rear end to be clamped rigidly to a rigid axle body of the axle;
• a supporting arm rigid with said rear end of said leaf spring assembly to extend rearwardly from the axle body;
• a fork member hinged about a second bearing axis to be stationary to the chassis, such that said fork member may be pivotable relative to the chassis about said second bearing axis in a plane parallel to the longitudinal median plane;
• an air spring supported at a bottom thereof by said supporting arm and having a top braced upwardly against said fork member;
• a control element for regulating the pivot position of said fork member about said second bearing axis relative to the chassis and thereby for regulating an extended operating position of the axle relative to the chassis, said control element comprising an air spring bellows to be positioned between the chassis and said fork member and to be braced upwardly by the chassis and braced upwardly by said fork member, said air spring bellows being operable upon pressurization thereof to pivot said fork member away from the chassis and thereby to move the axle via said air spring to the extended operating position;
• a mechanical stop fixedly and nonremovably positioned to limit, upon pressurization of said air spring bellows, the maximum pivot position of said fork member away from the chassis;
• and
• said lifting mechanism being operable, upon actuation thereof and upon depressurization of said air spring bellows, for moving the axle toward the retracted position thereof.