Spare tire carrier
OwnerStanley E. Briggsinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spare tire carrier for use on a motor vehicle. The carrier comprises a swing arm having a spare tire holding a basket attached thereto. The swing arm is pivotally connected to a frame of the motor vehicle by a hinge. The hinge is tilted rearwardly at the top thereof such that gravity urges the swing arm rearwardly. The carrier stows the spare tire under the rear of the pickup bed. A latching mechanism retains the carrier in a stowed position. Upon release of the latching mechanism, the carrier along with the spare tire rotates rearwardly about the hinge and downwardly to a position to the rear of the vehicle allowing the spare tire to be easily removed from the carrier for changing of a flat tire.
Claims4
A spare tire carrier for use on a truck having laterally spaced frame members, said carrier comprising:
- (a) a swing arm;
- (b) a pivot hinge mounted on said swing arm and adapted for securing to one of said frame members in a location to permit said swing arm to pivot from a stowed position beneath the rear of said truck to an exposed position extending rearwardly of said truck;
- (c) said pivot hinge having a pivot axis tilted rearwardly from vertical at the top thereof and thereby biasing said swing arm for movement downwardly and rearwardly from said stowed position to said exposed position;
- (d) latching means for selectively holding said swing arm in said stowed position, and;
- (e) holding means on said swing arm for securing a spare tire thereto such that said spare tire will pass from a stowed position to an exposed position with said swing arm;
- and wherein:
- (f) said holding means is attached to said swing arm at an end opposite said pivot hinge and includes a basket;
- said basket comprising a circumferential ring adapted for encircling the spare tire to be stowed and a plurality of straps;
- each of said straps being securely attached at one end thereof to a generally common location on said swing arm and radially extending outwardly from said common location to said ring;
- each of said straps being of a shape to conform to a sidewall of the spare tire positioned horizontally within said basket;
- said basket securely holding the spare tire until the spare tire is manually removed therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.