Two-position spare tire mounting assembly

Claim 2

A road vehicle mountable, two-position spare tire mounting assembly comprising: a. an elongated supporting member having a first and a second end portion; b. vehicle mounting means adapted to be fixedly joined to an end portion of said vehicle; c. first pivot means joining said first end portion of said supporting member to said vehicle mounting means to provide about 180* pivotal movement of said supporing member about a generally vertical axis; d. a spare tire mounting bracket; e. second pivot means joining said second end portion of said supporting means to said spare tire mounting bracket to provide pivotal movement of about 90* with respect to said elongated supporting member for said spare tire mounting bracket about a generally vertical axis; said bracket being joined to said supporting member so that when said assembly is mounted to a vehicle a spare tire mounted to said bracket will be in substantially vertical orientation; and f. latching means for releasably supporting said elongated supporting member at each of the extreme ends of its pivotal motion to thereby store a spare tire mounted thereto in position along the side of a vehicle or parallel to an end of a vehicle.

Claim 3

An assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vehicle mounting means is constructed and arranged to be mounted to a vehicle bumper.

Claim 4

An assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the latching means for releasably positioning said elongated arm are U-shaped support means constructed and arranged to be mounted to a vehicle in the plane of rotation of said supporting arm and on opposite sides of said first pivot means.

Claim 5

An assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said elongated arm includes first and second sections, the first of said sections being joined to said first pivot means and the second section being joined to said second pivot means and pivotably joined to said first section so that said second section is partially rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof relative to said first section.

Claim 6

An assembly in accordance with claim 4 wherein the first and second sections are telescopically joined and wherein stop means are provided to hold the second section at predetermined points of its rotation relative to said first section.

Claim 7

In combination with a wheeled vehicle having an openable rear panel section and a rear bumper assembly, an elongated supporting member having a first and second end portion, mounting means fixedly joined to the rear of said vehicle at a point intermediate the sides and center axis thereof, first pivot means joining said first end portion of said supporting member to said mounting means to provide pivotal movement of about 180* for said supporting member about a generally vertical axis, a spare tire mounting bracket, second pivot means joining said second end portion of said supporting means to said spare tire mounTing bracket to hold said bracket so that a spare tire mounted thereto will have a generally vertical orientation and to provide pivotal movement of about 90* with respect to said elongated supporting member for said bracket about a generally vertical axis, and latching means for releasably positioning said supporting member at the extreme ends of its pivotal motion to thereby store a spare tire in position along the side of said vehicle or parallel to the end of said vehicle.

Claim 8

In combination with a wheeled vehicle having an openable rear panel section and a rear bumper assembly, an elongated supporting member having a first and second end portion, mounting means fixedly joined to the rear of said vehicle at a point intermediate the sides and center axis thereof, first pivot means joining said first end portion of said supporting member to said mounting means to provide pivotal movement of about 180* for said supporting member about a generally vertical axis, a spare tire mounting bracket, second pivot means joining said second end portion of said supporting means to said spare tire mounTing bracket to hold said bracket so that a spare tire mounted thereto will have a generally vertical orientation and to provide pivotal movement of about 90* with respect to said elongated supporting member for said bracket about a generally vertical axis, and latching means for releasably positioning said supporting member at the extreme ends of its pivotal motion to thereby store a spare tire in position along the side of said vehicle or parallel to the end of said vehicle.

Claim 9

A combination in accordance with claim 6 wherein the mounting means is joined to the rear bumper assembly.

Claim 10

A combination in accordance with claim 7 wherein second and third support means for the second end portions of said support members are mounted to said bumper on opposite sides of said mounting means and in the plane of pivotal movement of said supporting member, said second and third support means each including a flange projecting towards the rear of said bumper, said flange adapted to receive and support said supporting member.

Claim 11

A combination in accordance with claim 6 wherein said elongated arm includes first and second sections, the first of said sections being joined to said first pivot means and the second section being joined to said second pivot means, and pivotably joined to said first section so that said second section is partially rotatable about the longitudinal axis thereof relative to said first section.

Claim 12

A combination in accordance with claim 9 wherein the first and second sections are telescopically joined and wherein stop means are provided to hold the second sections at predetermined points of its rotation relative to said first section.

Claim 13

A road vehicle mountable, two-position spare tire mounting assembly comprising: a. an elongated supporting member having a first and a second end portion; b. vehicle mounting means adapted to be fixedly joined to an end portion of said vehicle; c. first pivot means joining said first end portion of said supporting member to said vehicle mounting means, to provide about 180* pivotal movement of said supporting member about a generally vertical axis; d. a spare tire mounting bracket; e. second and third pivot means intermediate of and joining said second end portion and said spare tire mounting bracket, said bracket being joined to said supporting member so that when said assembly is mounted to a vehicle a spare tire mounted to said bracket will be in substantially vertical orientation, said second pivot means providing pivotal movement of about 90* with respect to said elongated supporting members for said spare tire mounting bracket about a generally vertical axis and said third pivot means providing limited pivotal movement of the tire mounting bracket about an axis generally perpendicular to said vertical axis; and, f. means for releasably positioning said elongated supporting member at each of the extreme ends of its pivotal motion to thereby store a spare tire mounted thereto in position along the side of a vehicle or parallel to an end of a vehicle.

Claim 14

A road vehicle mountable, two-position spare tire mounting assembly comprising: a. an elongated supporting member having a first and a second end portion; b. vehicle mounting means adapted to be fixedly joined to an end portion of said vehicle; c. first pivot means joining said first end portion of said supporting member to said vehicle mounting means, to provide about 180* pivotal movement of said supporting member about a generally vertical axis; d. a spare tire mounting bracket; e. second and third pivot means intermediate of and joining said second end portion and said spare tire mounting bracket, said bracket being joined to said supporting member so that when said assembly is mounted to a vehicle a spare tire mounted to said bracket will be in substantially vertical orientation, said second pivot means providing pivotal movement of about 90* with respect to said elongated supporting members for said spare tire mounting bracket about a generally vertical axis and said third pivot means providing limited pivotal movement of the tire mounting bracket about an axis generally perpendicular to said vertical axis; and, f. means for releasably positioning said elongated supporting member at each of the extreme ends of its pivotal motion to thereby store a spare tire mounted thereto in position along the side of a vehicle or parallel to an end of a vehicle.

Claim 15

An assembly in accordance with claim 11 wherein said third pivot means includes a post member projecting rigidly and vertically upward from said second end portion of said elongated supporting member and a tubular member whose upper portion supports said tire mounting bracket and whose lower end region is a fork whose tines are on opposite sides of said post member and joined thereto by a pin extending through said post and said tines thereby providing pivotal movement of said tubular member.