Abstract: An axle suspension system wherein shock-absorbing members (31,32) allow vertical movement of an axle (25) relative to a frame (16). Unequal vertical movement of the ends of the axle (25) is restrained by a torsion bar (40) spaced from and parallel to the axle and mounted (41,42) on the frame for axial rotation and by rods (46-49) extending between the ends of the torsion bar (40) and the axle (25), the rods each having a non-rotatable connection (53a-d) with the torsion bar (40) and a universal connection (58a-d) with the axle (25). Unequal vertical movement of the ends of the axle (25) imposes a torque on the torsion bar (40) which resists such axle movement. The axle suspension system has particular utility in single-axle tractor units of tractor-scraper vehicles.

Abstract: In earth-moving equipment wherein material is ejected from the bottom of a bowl through an open pivoted ejector floor and leveled by the front edge of the floor, the improvement wherein the bowl is automatically raised and lowered as the distance of the front edge of the floor below the bottom of the bowl increases and decreases, respectively, so that level spreading may be achieved.

Abstract: A self loading scraper comprises a bowl preferably having an elevator assembly mounted forward thereon and a normally retracted ejector movably mounted in the bowl for unloading purposes. The floor of the bowl comprises stationary first and second longitudinally spaced panels secured between sidewalls of the bowl to define an opening therebetween and a movable panel pivotally mounted on the first panel and adapted to be pivoted to a closed position over such opening. In a first embodiment of this invention, a double-acting cylinder is interconnected between the first panel and the movable panel whereas in a second embodiment thereof a double-acting cylinder is pivotally interconnected between a sidewall of the bowl and a lever attached to the movable panel.