Patent ID: 7963535

Claim:
An apparatus for pivotally mounting an auxiliary axle frame to a vehicle chassis, including: a first bracket having a plurality of bracket openings formed through a forward region thereof and comprising a first coupling device along a rearward region thereof, wherein the first bracket is adapted for placement in a mounting position along a longitudinally extending first frame member of a vehicle chassis with the rearward region extended longitudinally beyond the chassis, and with the bracket openings aligned with a plurality of complementary openings formed through the first frame member; a second bracket having a plurality of bracket openings formed through a forward region thereof and comprising a second coupling device along a rearward region thereof, wherein the second bracket is adapted for placement in a mounting position along a longitudinally extending second frame member of the vehicle chassis spaced apart transversely from the first frame member, with the rearward region extended longitudinally beyond the chassis and with the bracket openings aligned with a plurality of complementary openings formed through the second frame member; a plurality of fasteners, each fastener adapted to extend through one of the bracket openings of an associated one of the brackets and its aligned complementary opening when the associated bracket is in the mounting position, each fastener comprising first and second fastener elements moveable relative to one another to adjust a tensile force in the fastener to secure the associated bracket integrally to the associated frame member; and a fastener fixing component associated with each fastener adapted to permanently join the first and second fastener elements after adjustment of the fastener to secure the associated bracket, whereby the fasteners cooperate to permanently secure the brackets in their respective mounting positions; wherein each of the first and second brackets comprises a longitudinally extending plate and a cylindrical housing extending in a thickness direction of the plate; and each of the first and second coupling devices comprises an elongate pin extending in said thickness direction and surrounded by the housing, and a polymeric sleeve fixed relative to the housing, surrounding the pin and supporting the pin rotatably relative to the plate and housing; wherein the sleeve and pin are shaped along an interface thereof to provide circumferential ribs and grooves, interweaved to substantially prevent axial movement of the sleeve and pin relative to one another; and wherein the first and second coupling devices are adapted to releasably engage first and second complementary coupling features mounted to a forward end region of an auxiliary axle frame, whereby the coupling devices and coupling features when so engaged cooperate to couple the auxiliary axle frame for pivoting relative to the chassis about a transverse pivot axis.