Retractable unitary compact spare tire carrier assembly for underbody mounting to a pickup truck or the like

Claim 1

A compact, retractable screw driven spare tire carrier assembly for underbody mounting to a pickup truck or the like, said truck having laterally opposed chassis frame members on respective sides thereof, said assembly comprising: first and second mounting brackets mounted to the underside of respective frame members in laterally opposed positions, said first bracket being of inverted U-shape including inner and outer vertical bracket sidewalls, said second bracket being of inverted L-shape and including a vertical bracket wall corresponding to one of said inner and outer vertical sidewalls of said inverted U-shaped bracket, a flat tire carrier rack comprising laterally spaced upstanding sidewalls at positions underlying vertical sidewalls of respective brackets, laterally opposed pairs of hanger arms, including generally equal length forward and rear hanger arms, each arm being pivoted at one end to a respective bracket vertical wall and to a corresponding carrier rack sidewall to maintain the carrier rack in horizontal position and to define a parallelogram support for said rack, a screw drive mechanism mounted to said first bracket between said inner and outer vertical bracket sidewalls, said first bracket having its outer vertical sidewall extending longitudinally forwardly beyond the inner vertical bracket sidewall, one pair of hanger arms being pivotally coupled at their upper ends respectively to said first bracket inner vertical sidewall at respective ends thereof, said screw drive mechanism comprising an elongated, C-shaped nut guide member, and elongated screw mounted for rotation about its axis within said C-shaped nut guide member with said C-shaped nut guide member having an open side facing away from the first bracket outer vertical sidewall, said screw comprising a threaded shaft rotably mounted at respective ends of said C-shaped guide member, a nut threadably mounted on said screw and being of cubic form and restrained on three faces by contact with right angle walls of said C-shaped guide member and to thereby prevent rotation of the nut and to cause said nut to translate along the screw axis as the screw rotates, an elongated drive lever pivotally coupled at one end to the exposed laterally inside face of said nut at the other end to the adjacent rear hanger arm longitudinally rearwardly beyond the end of said guide member and means for fixedly mounting the respective ends of the guide member to the first bracket outer vertical sidewall facing said first bracket inner sidewall at respective locations both forwardly and rearwardly of the adjacent forward hanger arm such that said inverted U-shaped first bracket shields said screw mechanism from excessive amounts of dirt and crud and protects that mechanism mechanically against damage during vehicle operation, whereby the rotation of the screw in one direction causes the carrier rack and spare tire to be lifted vertically and retracted beneath the vehicle chassis between the truck underbody and in the other direction to lower the carrier rack and the spare tire and to partially extend the rack and spare tire rearwardly, while maintaining the carrier rack and space tire horizontal during such movement.