Mud and snow tire cleats securely mounted to the wheel of an automotive vehicle which can be easily and conveniently positioned around the treads of a tire for driving through mud or snow and which can be stored at the side of the tire when not in use, the device comprising, in combination:
- a cylindrical mounting plate having a front and opposed rear surfaces, a round end surface, and a round inside surface to form a large round opening for positioning of said mounting plate over the hub of an automotive vehicle wheel, with a series of round through holes provided at predetermined locations around the mounting plate to match the threaded studs provided on a variety of automotive vehicle wheels, with the mounting plate being secured to the vehicle wheel hub by means of a series of elongated hub nuts to affix the mounting plate a short distance outwardly from said wheel hub;
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- a series of L-shaped brackets consisting of opposed side surfaces, a flat end surface, a front surface angularly disposed to said end surface, an intermediate surface disposed perpendicularly to said end surface, and front and rear surfaces projecting into an L-shaped configuration upwardly from and perpendicularly to said intermediate surface, and a top surface provided with a round hole therein extending into the L-shaped bracket from the top surface to near said intermediate surface, with said series of L-shaped brackets being securely affixed to said mounting plate so as to be spaced equidistantly around the front surface of said mounting plate and so as to be spaced between said round through holes therein;
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- a series of telescoping members consisting of a cylindrical hollow member and a solid extendable member, a cylindrical hollow member being provided with an elongated through slot disposed in a vertical direction a short distance below its top surface and a round through hole located nearly centrally along the length of the hollow member so as to be disposed 90.degree. from said elongated through slot, said hollow member being further provided with a spring assembled therein for assembly of the extendable member thereagainst, the extendable member being provided with a spring-loaded pin a short distance upwardly from its bottom surface for locking of the extendable member into said elongated slot or through hole in said hollow member;
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- a series of cleats consisting of a serrated or spike-like top surface, an opposed bottom surface slightly rounded to match the configuration of tire treads, and opposed flanges integrally conjoining said top surface and bottom surface so as to protrude downwardly therefrom and with a spacing between said flanges determined by the width of the vehicle tire, with said cleats further being securely affixed to the top of said extendable member so that when said spring-loaded pin is positioned within said elongated slot, said cleats are positioned over the tire treads, and, when said pin is positioned within said round through hole in said hollow member, said cleats are turned 90.degree. from the position over the tire treads so as to be positioned downwardly from said tire treads and parallel to the sides of the vehicle tire;
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- a series of truss rods consisting of lengths of solid cylindrical rods secured on each of their ends between said cylindrical hollow members so as to provide rigid assembly between each of said telescoping members.