Quick catch and release clamp for releaseably holding a spare tire of a vehicle

A quick catch and release clamp for supporting a tire beneath the frame of a vehicle comprising,

• an upstanding support post having top and bottom ends, said bottom end being adapted for rigid but detachable attachment to a tire-holding brace,
• a clamp means comprised of an inverted U-shaped bottom member extending toward the top of said support post and a rigid inverted L-shaped hooked top member fixedly attached to the bridge portion of said U-shaped member and projecting outwardly therefrom, adapted for engaging an aperture of said vehicle frame for releasable securement thereto,
• a toggle link pivotally mounted at one end to the top portion of said support post and pivotally mounted at its other end to the bottom portion of said clamp means,
• means to move part of said toggle link, including the pivotal mounting thereof to the top portion of said support post, above the pivotal mounting at said other end of said toggle link and past the longitudinal axis of said clamp means to a locked position, and
• a tire holding brace means associated with said support post for movement into a tire securing position upon movement of said toggle link to its locked position,
• whereby when said clamp means is in its unlocked position the L-shaped hooked member may be easily released from said aperture and the brace means lowered to facilitate loading or unloading of a tire.