Low-loading road vehicle

Claim 1

A ROAD VEHICLE COMPRISING A UNITARY RIGID LOAD SUPPORTING FRAME, TWO ROAD-ENGAGING WHEELS PROVIDING THE SOLE SUPPORT FOR THE REAR OF SAID FRAME AND TWO OTHER ROAD-ENGAGING WHEELS PROVIDING THE SOLE SUPPORT FOR THE FRONT OF SAID FRAME, SEPARATE MEANS FOR INDIVIDUALLY MOUNTING EACH WHEEL ON SAID FRAME, EACH MOUNTING MEANS INCLUDING A UNIT COMPRISING CO-AXIALLY DISPOSED RESILIENT MEANS AND POWER OPERATED EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTABLE MEANS, MEANS CONNECTING ONE END OF EACH UNIT TO THE ASSOCIATED WHEEL, MEANS CONNECTING THE OPPOSITE END OF EACH UNIT TO SAID FRAME, ONE OF SAID LAST TWO MENTIONED MEANS INCLUDING HINGE MEANS, THE TRAVEL OF SAID EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTABLE MEANS BEING SUCH THAT WHEN RETRACTED, BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR OF SAID FRAME ARE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ROAD TO FACILITATE LOADING OF SAID VEHICLE AND WHEN EXTENDED BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR OF SAID FRAME ARE RAISED ABOVE THE ROAD IN RUNNING POSITION, SAID FRAME COMPRISING A HOLLOW BOOM DISPOSED ALONG ONE SIDE OF SAID VEHICLE, A SECOND HOLLOW BOOM DISPOSED ALONG THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID VEHICLE, AND A STRESSED FLOOR CONNECTING SAID BOOMS TO PROVIDE A UNITARY STRUCTURE, EACH OF SAID HINGE MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF WISHBONES FOR HINGEDLY ATTACHING EACH WHEEL TO THE ADJACENT BOOM, AND EACH EXTENSIBLE AND RETRACTABLE MEANS COMPRISING A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER.