Spare tire carrier

Claim 1

A spare tire carrying device for normally supporting a spare tire having a prescribed diameter underneath a frame of a wheeled vehicle and for enabling the spare tire to be readily removed from underneath the vehicle and brought to the periphery of the vehicle when use of the spare tire is desired, said device comprising: an inside tubular member having a length between ends greater than the diameter of the spare tire; a first supporting means affixed to one end of the first tubular member for attaching the one end to the vehicle frame to support said one end beneath the frame and above ground level with the other end being free and extending horizontally outward toward the periphery of the vehicle; an outside tubular member having a length between ends greater than the diameter of the spare tire and an enclosed cross section larger than and complementary to the cross section of the inside tubular member; said outside tubular member being coaxially mounted on the inside tubular member for telescopic coaxial movement between a contracted storage position in which the outside tubular member overlaps more than half the length of the inside tubular member with one end of the outside tubular member terminating adjacent the periphery of the vehicle to prevent road dirt and the like from coating on the overlapped portion of the inside tubular member and an extended delivery position with the one end of the outside tubular member extended well beyond the periphery of the vehicle; a spare tire fixture mounted on the outside tubular member for movement therewith to receive and attachably secure the spare tire to the outside tubular member; the spare tire fixture being mounted to the outside tubular member for adjustment perpendicular to the coaxial movement of the outside tubular member to vary the height of the spare tire relative to the tubular members; said spare tire fixture having a T-shaped tubular member having a cross tubular section thereof coaxially mounted on the outside of the outside tubular member and means for adjustably securing the tubular section to the outside tubular member at a desired longitudinal position; and a second supporting means for affixing to the vehicle adjacent the periphery of the vehicle for releasably receiving and supporting the one end of the outside tubular member above ground level.