Articulating trailing tag axle

In a combination for use with a dump truck to extend the effective length of the dump truck for increasing the load that the dump truck can carry while travelling along a road, the dump truck having a pair of side walls spaced from one another at opposite lateral ends of the dump truck,

• a trailing tag axle,
• a pair of arms,
• first means for attaching each of the arms in the pair to an individual one of the side walls in the dump truck for pivotal movement relative to such side walls,
• second means operatively coupled to the arms and to the side walls of the dump truck for providing a pivotal movement of the trailing tag axle between a lowered position providing for a disposition of the trailing tag axle on the road and a raised position disposing the trailing tag axle above the dump truck,
• wheels attached to the trailing tag axle, and
• third means operatively coupled to the trailing tag axle and the second means for pivoting the trailing tag axle and the wheels between a first position providing for a disposition of the wheels on the ground with the trailing tag axle moved to the lowered position by the second means and a second position providing for a reduction in the height of the tag axle and the wheels above the dump truck with the trailing tag axle pivotably moved to the raised second position by the second means.

In a combination for use with a dump truck to extend the effective length of the dump truck for increasing the load that the dump truck can carry while traveling along a road,

• lift arms having first and second ends and attached at the first end to the dump truck at the opposite lateral ends of the dump truck,
• hydraulic drive means having first and second ends and operatively coupled at their first ends to the opposite lateral ends of the dump truck at positions spaced from the first ends of the arms and operatively coupled at their second ends to the second ends of the lift arms for raising the second ends of the lift arms above the dump truck and for lowering the second ends of the lift arms to a position near the road,
• a trailing tag axle,
• wheels disposed on the trailing tag axle, and
• first means operatively coupled to the trailing tag axle and to the lift arms and the drive means for moving the trailing tag axle and the wheels relative to the lift arms and the drive means to a first position providing for a disposition of the wheels on the ground with the lift arms in the position near the road and to a second position providing for a raising of the trailing tag axle and the wheels relative to the lift arms with the lift arms in the raised position above the dump truck.

In combination,

• a dump truck movable along a road and constructed to carry a load and having a tailgate movable to open the dump truck for the dumping of the load and having a pair of side panels at opposite lateral ends of the dump truck,
• a trailing tag axle,
• wheels on the trailing tag axle,
• first means operatively coupled to the trailing tag axle and the side panels of the dump truck for moving the trailing tag axle and the wheels between a lowered position providing for a disposition of the wheels on the road and a raised position providing for a disposition of the trailing tag axle and the wheels above the dump truck, and
• second means operatively coupled to the trailing tag axle and the first means for providing for a movement of the trailing tag axle and the wheels between a first position providing for a disposition of the wheels on the road and a second position providing for the disposition of the trailing tag axle and the wheels in a stored relationship with the first means above the dump truck.

In combination,

• a dump truck constructed to carry a load and having a frame and opposite lateral sides,
• lift arms,
• drive means,
• first means for attaching the lift arms and the drive means to the opposite lateral sides of the dump truck to provide for a raising and lowering of the lift arms by the drive means without any buckling of the frame, the lift arms being liftable to a position above the dump truck,
• second means for operating the drive means to obtain a lifting and lowering of the lift arms,
• a trailing tag axle,
• wheels supported by the trailing tag axle, and
• third means operatively coupled to the trailing tag axle and the first means for providing a movement of the trailing tag axle and the wheels relative to the lift arms between a first position providing for a disposition of the wheels on the road and a second position providing for a lowering of the tag axle and the wheels relative to the lift arms with the lift arms disposed above the truck.

In a combination for use with a dump truck to extend the effective length of the dump truck for increasing the load that the dump truck can carry while travelling along a road, the dump truck having a frame,

• lift arms,
• drive means,
• first means for attaching the lift arms and the drive means to the dump truck for a movement of the lift arms and the drive means between raised and lowered positions without bending the frame, the lift arms being above the dump truck in the raised position,
• second means operatively coupled to the lift arms and the drive means for providing a movement of the lift arms and the drive means between the raised and lowered positions,
• a trailing tag axle,
• rotable wheels disposed on the trailing tag axle,
• third means for disposing the trailing tag axle on the lift arms for movement of the trailing tag axle relative to the lift arms between first and second positions, the first position providing for a disposition of the trailing tag axle and the wheels on the ground and the second position providing for a storage of the trailing tag axle and the wheels above the dump truck in a low profile position relative to the road,
• linkage means operatively coupled to the lift arms and the drive means and the trailing tag axle for providing for the movement of the trailing tag axle and the wheels relative to the lift arms between the first and second positions, and
• second drive means operatively coupled to the trailing tag axle and the linkage means for operating upon the linkage means to obtain the movement of the trailing tag axle and the wheels relative to the lift arms between the first and second positions.

In a combination for use with a dump truck to extend the effective length of the dump truck for increasing the load that the dump truck can carry while travelling along a road,

• lift arms attached to the dump truck at the opposite lateral sides of the dump truck,
• drive means attached to the dump truck at the opposite lateral sides of the dump truck,
• first means operatively coupled to the lift arms and the drive means for providing a movement of the lift arms and the drive means between raised and lowered positions,
• second means for balancing the operation of the lift arms and the drive means during the raising and lowering of the lift arms and the drive means,
• a trailing tag axle,
• rotatable wheels disposed on the trailing tag axle, and
• third means operatively coupled to the trailing tag axle and the wheels for moving the trailing tag axle and the wheels between an operative position with the lift arms and the drive means in the lowered position and a storage position with the trailing tag axle and the wheels extending forwardly along the dump truck when the lift arms and the drive means are in the raised position.