Lug nut remover

#1. Field of the Invention

#A supporting assembly particularly designed to mount and support a lug wrench structure in active engagement about a lug nut but in a manner such that the lever arm portion of the lug wrench extends outwardly at an orientation relative to the wheel such that the foot may be applied to the lever arm and the lug wrench itself is held in place by the subject support assembly independently of the operator.

#2. Description of the Prior Art

#For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a front elevation showing the support assembly and a lug wrench structure secured in operative relation about a lug nut on a wheel of a vehicle.

#FIG. 2 is a front elevation of another embodiment of the support assembly in the same operative position as regards to FIG. 1.

#First with reference to FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, the present invention is directed towards a support assembly generally indicated as 50 which is specifically designed to support or maintain a lug wrench generally indicated as 40 in operative engagement with a lug nut 31 mounted on the wheel portion 32 of a vehicle tire, generally indiated as 20. With regard to the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3, the lug wrench means 40 includes an operative arm portion 42 having its distal end connected to a nut socket 60 which at least partially surrounds the conventional lug nuts 31 and serves to remove them or secure the nuts 31 to the wheel base 32 in a conventional fashion. The lug wrench means 40 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 may be of substantially conventional design and includes a lever arm 44 arranged substantially at right angles to the operating arm 42 and having a length sufficient to extend outwardly therefrom such that force may be applied to the distal end thereof and accomplish sufficient leverage to remove the nuts 31.

#With regard to FIGS. 4 and 7, the present invention includes the subject support assembly in use in combination with a lug wrench means generally indicated as 40' which is defined by a plurality of removable components capable of being "broken down" and thereby stored in a small area. More specifically, the lug wrench means 40' includes an operative arm 42' connected to an arm extension 43. A lever arm portion 44' has an elongated configuration of greater length than the operative arm 42' but differs in that the operative arm 42' passes through head portion 45 and more specifically aperture 47 integrally formed therein. By virtue of this connection, the lever arm 44' is rotatable substantially about the longitudinal axis of the operative arm 42 and the arm extension 43 is disposed in substantially parallel relation to the plane of movement or of rotation of the lever arm 44'. The head 49 of operative arm 42' fits within the socket 60 in the conventional fashion wherein the socket 60 is specifically dimensioned and/or structured to fit about a lug nut 31 in a manner which is well known in the art. Again with regard to FIG. 7, the lug wrench means 40' further comprises a bearing arm 75 serving to pass through head 72 and more particularly aperture 74 to which it is connected by connector element 77. As set forth in FIG. 7, the distal end 76 may be externally threaded to slidably pass through the aperture 74 and be threadably secured to an internally threaded connector 77. Alternately, and as not shown, the interior of the aperture 74 may be substantially smooth so as to allow sliding engagement of the bearing arm 75 within the aperture 74 and placement thereof in any of a number of locations being substantially parallel to the operative arm 42'.

#Actual operation and interaction between the lug wrench means 40' and the support assembly 50 will be explained in greater detail hereinafter specifically with regards to FIG. 4.