Spare tire mounting
OwnerEdward L. Levequeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The specification discloses apparatus for mounting a spare wheel and tire in a vehicle, and especially in a cargo box of a pickup truck wherein the spare is secured against one side wall of the box and does not extend above the side wall whereby rear vision of a driver of the truck remains unimpeded. The apparatus includes a well recessed in the floor of the box for receiving the spare adjacent the side wall and behind the cab of the truck and hinged bracket securing means allowing insertion and removal of the spare into and from the well.
Claims11
Apparatus for mounting a spare wheel and tire in a vehicle such as a pick-up truck comprising a cab, a rear window in said cab, a cargo box having a floor, and side walls which extend above said floor rearwardly of said cab to a level no higher than the bottom of said rear window, the height of said side walls above said floor generally being less than the diameter of one of the wheels and tires used to movably support said vehicle, a wheel housing along and immediately adjacent each side of said side walls for covering a wheel and tire when mounted for support of the vehicle, said housings each having a height no greater than said side walls and a predetermined width extending out from the side wall along which it is located, the distance between said wheel housings permitting insertion of cargo along said cargo box floor between said housings and said height of said housings permitting cargo to extend over said housings along the top edges of said side walls;
- means for mounting a spare wheel and tire generally parallel to and adjacent one of said side walls behind said cab and accessible from the interior of the cargo box such that no portion of the spare wheel and tire extends above the top of said one side wall;
- the spare wheel and tire being of the type including a central support having a tire-receiving rim extending about the periphery thereof and laterally of either side thereof, the central support including a vehicle axle-receiving aperture located centrally therein and a plurality of apertures for securing the wheel and tire to the axle spaced about the axle-receiving aperture;
- said mounting means including a well recessed a predetermined distance below said floor adjacent said one side wall for receiving the spare wheel and tire, and securing means for securing the spare wheel and tire within said well including means for engaging the side surface of the central support adjacent said one side wall when the spare wheel and tire is received in said well;
- said engaging means including a rigid member, a plate secured on one end of said rigid member, at least one stud extending outwardly from said plate, and hinge means for securing the end of said rigid member opposite said one end to said one side wall adjacent said well;
- said plate adapted to abut the said side surface of the central support adjacent said axle-receiving aperture while said stud projects through one of the securing apertures for securing the central support to said plate;
- said hinge means allowing pivotal movement of said engaging means between an operative position for engaging and securing the spare wheel and tire and an inoperative position for insertion of the spare wheel and tire in said well, said width of said wheel well being sufficiently wider than the width of the spare wheel and tire received therein to allow said wheel and tire to be tilted and slid past said securing means when they are pivoted, said well width being no greater than said predetermined width of said wheel housing along said one wall whereby when no cargo is loaded in said cargo box, a driver of said vehicle has unimpeded visibility over said side wall in the area of said mounting means when the spare wheel and tire are secured therein, said mounting means permitting the loading of any cargo in said cargo box such as a camper or the like which would otherwise fit between and over said wheel housings.
Apparatus for mounting and securing a spare wheel and tire of the type including a central support and a tire-supporting rim extending around the periphery and laterally of either side of said central support adjacent an upstanding wall of a cargo storage area of a vehicle, the central support including a vehicle axle-receiving aperture located centrally therein and a plurality of apertures for securing the wheel and tire to the axle spaced about the axle-receiving aperture;
- said apparatus including in combination a recessed well located adjacent the wall and bracket means secured to the wall said bracket means extending over said well and including hinge means for pivotally mounting the bracket means on the wall adjacent said well, a rigid spacing member extending outwardly from said hinge means to a position adjacent the side surface of said central support which is closest to said wall to which said bracket is secured for spacing said spare wheel and tire from the wall, a wheel engaging plate at the outer end of said spacing member for securing said spare wheel and tire to said bracket means, and at least one stud extending from said plate;
- said well having a width sufficiently wider than the width of the spare wheel and tire to be secured therein to allow said wheel and tire to be tilted and slid past said bracket means when pivoted via said hinge means;
- said bracket means extending from the wall beyond the plane including the side of the tire and rim closest to said wall when the wheel and tire are received in said well and into engagement with the said side surface of the central support while said stud projects through one of the securing apertures for securing the spare wheel and tire in the well whereby said hinge means allow said bracket means to be pivoted for insertion and removal of the spare wheel and tire into and from the well.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.