Abstract In a highway type motor vehicle, a vehicle wheel and wheel mounted pneumatic tire positioned in the front or rear of the vehicle, with the wheel and tire substantially parallel to the highway surface about the height of a standard automobile bumper and having means for supporting the approximate center and rear portion of said tire and wheel securely in a housing by strut members being connected from the housing to the frame of the vehicle so that a forwardly portion of the tire and wheel will act as an air bumper with means to raise and lower the height of said wheel and tire in its housing and means to retract said tire and wheel and housing up and out of the way by means of a control operated by the driver inside the cab or passenger compartment of the vehicle and/or having no means at all for raising and lowering the tire, wheel and housing from a predetermined fixed position built in the vehicle structure.
In an automotive highway vehicle having a front end, a carrier frame, strut members connected at one end to said frame and at the other end being pivotally connected to said vehicle front end, means for rigidly and removably mounting a vehicle wheel and wheel-mounted pneumatic tire in said carrier frame, a wheel and pneumatic tire mounted on said mounting means, and means connecting said vehicle front end and said carrier frame for pivotally moving said carrier frame and wheel and tire between a lowered operative bending position substantially parallel with the highway surface and a higher inoperative storing position non-parallel with the highway surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
105 words
In an automotive highway vehicle having a front end, a carrier frame, strut members connected at one end to said frame and at the other end being pivotally connected to said vehicle front end, means for rigidly and removably mounting a vehicle wheel and wheel-mounted pneumatic tire in said carrier frame, a wheel and pneumatic tire mounted on said mounting means, and means connecting said vehicle front end and said carrier frame for pivotally moving said carrier frame and wheel and tire between a lowered operative bending position substantially parallel with the highway surface and a higher inoperative storing position non-parallel with the highway surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carrier frame includes an elongated aperture, a stop rearwardly of the aperture and a sliding hub in the aperture for carrying the wheel and tire.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein the wheel and tire when mounted on said sliding hub extends outwardly and forwardly of the carrier frame whereby said tire will be forced back against the stop when the vehicle strikes an object in front of it.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein there is a control means adjacent to an operator''s position in the vehicle for activating said means for pivotally moving said carrier frame between operative and inoperative positions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The invention as set forth in claim 4 wherein the inoperative position of the carrier frame is partly under the front end of the vehicle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The invention as set forth in claim 4 wherein the inoperative position of the carrier frame is in front of the front end of the vehicle.