Protective wheel mask

A wheel mask for use during chemical treatment of a tire that is mounted on a vehicle wheel rim having an outer annular edge, comprising a circular concave body that includes a central hub having an exterior handle and terminates in a flared outer periphery, the handle being provided for grasping by a user's hand to position the mask over the vehicle wheel to mask the wheel during chemical treatment of the tire, wherein

• the flared outer periphery comprises a plurality of radially-spaced annular raised ridges, each having tapered annular inner and outer walls connected by an annular crown, each ridge corresponding to a specific size wheel rim, and the outer periphery terminating in an annular mask outer edge,
• a plurality of annular depressed grooves is formed at the juncture of inner and outer walls of adjacent ridges to form a weakened section to provide cut guidance means to facilitate severing the mask material in a selected groove by a cutting tool to tailor the outer diameter of the mask to a specific size wheel and enable the outermost ridge to embrace the outer annular edge of a specific size wheel rim,
• the body is a unitary plastic molding which masks the wheel from liquid contact during chemical treatment of the tire, and is formed with the handle inwardly open and having walls which project outwardly of the hub and are tapered to permit partial insertion of a handle of another mask, and with the annular inner and outer walls of the ridges angled outwardly from the vertical to enhance stacking of a plurality of masks.