Patent ID: 9649967
Date: 2017-05-16
CPC Classifications: B60G,B60P

Claim:
1. A lowering suspension for a vehicle having driving wheels and a centrally located longitudinal axis aligned with a vertical plane, said vehicle having a cargo surface overlying a portion of a frame, said frame affixed to said vehicle, said lowering suspension comprising: a moving arm parallel to said longitudinal axis and spaced therefrom, said moving arm having a proximal end and a distal end, said moving arm having a first pivot point spaced above a second pivot point, said first and second pivot points located on said proximal end, said moving arm having a spindle affixed to said moving arm near said distal end and spaced from said first and second pivot points, said spindle having a spindle axis; a wheel rotatable with respect to said spindle axis; a first link pivotally connected to said moving arm at said first pivot point and pivotally connected to said vehicle at a third pivot point that is fixed with respect to said vehicle; a second link pivotally connected to said moving arm at said second pivot point and pivotally connected to said vehicle at a fourth pivot point that is fixed with respect to said vehicle; said first pivot point spaced from said second pivot point by a first distance, said third pivot point spaced from said fourth pivot point by a second distance, said spindle spaced from said first and second pivot points by a third distance, said third distance greater than said first distance and said second distance; an actuator having a first end and a second end, said first end affixed to said vehicle, said second end affixed to said moving arm, said actuator movable between a retracted position and an extended position, said actuator pivoting said moving arm between raised and lowered position about an instant center; and when said moving arm is in said lowered position, said spindle axis is located above said cargo surface and said distal end of said moving arm adjacent said cargo surface, when said moving arm is in said raised position, said spindle axis is located below said cargo surface, said moving arm remaining parallel to said vertical plane at all points between said raised and said lowered position.