Patent ID: 8185989

Claim:
An apparatus for carrying a bridge on a vehicle and deploying the bridge to the ground, the apparatus comprising: at least one mounting device for mounting the apparatus to a vehicle; at least one ground engaging member pivotable relative to the at least one said mounting device between a first position in which the at least one ground engaging member engages the ground for supporting the bridge and a second position in which the at least one ground engaging member is separated from the ground to permit movement of the vehicle; at least one first actuator device for pivoting the at least one ground engaging member between said first and second positions; at least one bridge engaging member pivotable relative to the at least one ground engaging member between a third position in which the bridge is on the ground and a fourth position in which the center of gravity of the bridge is raised relative to the third position; and at least one second actuator device for pivoting the at least one bridge engaging member between said third and fourth positions; wherein at least one of said first actuator device and said second actuator device comprises at least two respective actuators arranged such that the sum of the turning moments produced by said at least two respective actuators is never zero when said at least one of said first actuator device and said second actuator device pivots between at least one of said first and second positions and said third and fourth positions.