Spare tire and wheel securing device

Claim 2

A spare tire and wheel securing device for mounting on the floor of a vehicle, the device extending through an aperture in the center of the wheel and threadably attached to a nut for securing the tire and wheel therebetween, the device comprising: a looped mounting bracket having end portions secured to the floor of the vechile and an outwardly extending looped center portion; an elongated bolt having a curved lower end portion, an elongated center portion, and a threaded upper end portion, the curved lower end portion received through the looped center portion of said bracket, the threaded upper end portion receiving the nut; and biasing means for biasing said bolt outwardly from said bracket and holding said bolt at substantially right angles from the floor of the vehicle, said biasing means engaging the looped center portion of said bracket and the curved lower end portion of said bolt and securing aid bolt thereto, whereby when said bolt is moved back and forth or side to side on said bracket when contacted by the wheel it is returned to substantially a right angle from the floor of the vehicle of said biasing means when said bolt is received through the aperture in the center of the wheel.

Claim 3

The device as described in claim 1, wherein said biasing means is a coil spring.

Claim 4

The device as described in claim 2, wherein said coil spring is threaded around the looped center portion of said bracket and the curved lower end portion of said bolt, the convolutions of said spring securing the curved lower end portion of said bolt against the outwardly extending looped center portion of said bracket, the lower end portion of said coil spring resting against the floor of the vehicle, the upper end of said coil spring disposed around the top of the curved lower end portion of said bolt.

Claim 5

The device as described in claim 1 wherein said biasing means is a steel wire, said steel wire wrapped around the curved lower end portion of said bolt and around the center portion of said bolt, said wire securing the curved lower end portion of said bolt to the looped center portion of said bracket.

Claim 6

A spare tire and wheel securing device for mounting on the floor of a vehicle, the device extending through an aperture in the center of the wheel and threadably attached to a nut for securing the tire and wheel therebetween the device comprising: a looped mounting bracket having end portions secured to the floor of the vehicle and an outwardly extending looped center portion; an elongated bolt having a curved lower end portion, an elongated center portion, and a threaded upper end portion, the curved lower end portion received through the looped center portion of said bracket, the threaded upper end portion receiving the nut; and a metal strap, said metal strap having an "L"-shaped lower end portion, the "L"-shaped lower end portion having a downwardly extending flange witn an aperture therethrough, the aperture receiving the curved lower end portion of said bolt, said metal strap further including an "L"-shaped upper end portion having an aperture therethrough for receiving the center portion of said bolt, said metal strap securing said bolt to the looped center portion of said bracket an allowing said bolt to be pivoted back and forth in a direction parallel to the length of said bracket when contacted by the wheel and said metal strap returning said bolt to a right angle from the floor of the vehicle when said bolt is received through the aperture in the center of the wheel.

Claim 7

A spare tire and wheel securing device for mounting on the floor of a vehicle, the device extending through an aperture in the center of the wheel and threadably attached to a nut for securing the tire and wheel therebetween the device comprising: a looped mounting bracket having end portions secured to the floor of the vehicle and an outwardly extending looped center portion; an elongated bolt having a curved lower end portion, an elongated center portion, and a threaded upper end portion, the curved lower end portion received through the looped center portion of said bracket, the threaded upper end portion receiving the nut; and a metal strap, said metal strap having an "L"-shaped lower end portion, the "L"-shaped lower end portion having a downwardly extending flange witn an aperture therethrough, the aperture receiving the curved lower end portion of said bolt, said metal strap further including an "L"-shaped upper end portion having an aperture therethrough for receiving the center portion of said bolt, said metal strap securing said bolt to the looped center portion of said bracket an allowing said bolt to be pivoted back and forth in a direction parallel to the length of said bracket when contacted by the wheel and said metal strap returning said bolt to a right angle from the floor of the vehicle when said bolt is received through the aperture in the center of the wheel.