Vehicle body lowering system

In a motor vehicle having a carriage including at least one axle and an axle housing, a load compartment body having a floor, and a spring suspension component at each of said axles for the buoyant support of said body above said carriage between a lower position and an upper position, an assembly for facilitating ingress and egress of a load from said motor vehicle, said assembly comprising:

• (a) a hydraulic cylinder having a shell and a piston extending from a first end of said shell, said shell being mounted approximately horizontally within said body;
• (b) a power source;
• (c) a manually actuated control for energizing and deenergizing said power source;
• (d) a toothed sprocket mounted within said body above an opening in said body floor approximately above said axle housing;
• (e) a link chain connected at one end to an end of said piston, directed by said sprocket through said opening, and attached to said axle housing such that, when said power source is deenergized, said vehicle body is freely subject to said buoyant support;
• (f) said chain having a length such that said chain is nearly fully extended when said cylinder and said spring suspension component are fully extended, and the displacement of said cylinder is at least long enough to fully compress said spring suspension component;
• (g) the pulling power of said cylinder being at least the amount of power necessary to fully compress said spring suspension component;
• and
• (h) whereby, when said assembly is activated, said piston retracts into said shell, pulling said chain, and causing said spring suspension component to compress, thus lowering said vehicle body at said axle.

In a motor vehicle having a carriage including at least one axle having a wheel at each end, an axle housing, a load compartment body having a floor, and a spring suspension component at each of said wheels for the buoyant support of said body above said carriage between a lower position and an upper position, an assembly for facilitating ingress and egress of a load from said motor vehicle, said assembly comprising:

• (a) at least one hydraulic cylinder having a shell and a piston extending from a first end of said shell, said shell being mounted approximately horizontally within said body;
• (b) a power source;
• (c) a manually actuated control for energizing and deenergizing said power source;
• (d) a pulley mounted within said body above an opening in said body floor approximately above said axle housing;
• (e) a flexible, substantially constant length line connected at one end to an end of said piston, directed by said pulley through said opening in said body floor, and attached to said axle housing such that, when said power source is deenergized, said vehicle body is freely subject to said buoyant support;
• and
• (f) whereby, when said assembly is activated, said piston retracts into said shell, pulling said line, and causing said spring suspension component to compress, thus lowering said vehicle body at said axle.

In a motor vehicle having a carriage including at least one axle and an axle housing, a load compartment body having a floor, and a spring suspension component at each of said axles for the buoyant support of said body above said carriage between a lower position and an upper position, an assembly for facilitating ingress and egress of a load from said motor vehicle, comprising:

• (a) a hydraulic cylinder having a shell and a piston extending from a first end of said shell, said cylinder being slidably mounted within said body;
• (b) a power source;
• (c) a manually actuated control for energizing and deenergizing said power source;
• (d) a first pulley mounted within said body above a first opening in said body floor approximately above said axle housing;
• (e) a second pulley mounted within said body above a second opening in said body floor approximately above said axle housing;
• (f) a first flexible, substantially constant length line connected at one end to an end of said piston, directed by said first pulley through said first opening, and attached to said axle housing approximately below said first opening such that, when said power source is deenergized, said vehicle body is freely subject to said buoyant support;
• (g) a second flexible, substantially constant length line connected at one end to a second end of said shell, directed by said second pulley through said second opening, and attached to said axle housing approximately below said second opening such that, when said power source is deenergized, said vehicle body is freely subject to said buoyant support;
• and
• (h) whereby, when said assembly is activated, said piston retracts into said shell, pulling said lines, and causing said spring suspension components to compress, thus lowering said vehicle body at said axle.

In a motor vehicle having a carriage including at least one axle and an axle housing, a load compartment body having a floor, and a spring suspension component at each of said axles for the buoyant support of said body above said carriage between a lower position and an upper position, an assembly for facilitating ingress and egress of a load from said motor vehicle, comprising:

• (a) a hydraulic cylinder having a shell and a piston extending from a first end of said shell, said cylinder being slidably mounted within said body;
• (b) a power source;
• (c) a manually actuated control for energizing and deenergizing said power source;
• (d) a first toothed sprocket mounted within said body above a first opening in said body floor approximately above said axle housing;
• (e) a second toothed sprocket mounted within said body above a second opening in said body floor approximately above said axle housing;
• (f) a first link chain connected at one end to an end of said piston, directed by said first sprocket through said first opening, and attached to said axle housing approximately below said first opening such that, when said power source is deenergized, said vehicle body is freely subject to said buoyant support;
• (g) a second link chain connected at one end to a second end of said shell, directed by said second sprocket through said second opening, and attached to said axle housing approximately below said second opening such that, when said power source is deenergized, said vehicle body is freely subject to said buoyant support;
• (h) said first and second chains having a length such that said chains are nearly fully extended when said cylinder and said spring suspension component are fully extended, and the displacement of said cylinder is at least long enough to fully compress said spring suspension components;
• (i) the pulling power of said cylinder being at least the amount of power necessary to fully compress said spring suspension components;
• and
• (j) whereby, when said assembly is activated, said piston retracts into said shell, pulling said chains, and causing said spring suspension components to compress, thus lowering said vehicle body at said axle.