Spare wheel apparatus

Claim 1

Apparatus for mounting a spare wheel on a trailer tongue including a wheel supporting hub, a first shaft extending from the rear of said wheel supporting hub, said shaft being rotatably carried within a first shaft supporting sleeve, means for retaining said first shaft with said first sleeve, an arm extending from said sleeve substantially perpendicularly to the axis of said first shaft disposed within said first sleeve, the end of said arm remote from said first sleeve being affixed to one end of a second shaft, said second shaft being disposed substantially parallel to said first shaft and extending from said arm in a direction opposite to that from which said wheel supporting hub extends from said first shaft, a second sleeve disposed about said second shaft, biasing means associated with said second shaft urging said arm toward said second sleeve, said biasing means including coil spring means positioned over the end of said second shaft remote from said arm, locking means for fixing said arm with respect to said adjacent second sleeve in more than one position, and means associated with said second sleeve for securing said apparatus to said trailer tongue; said arm including a section substantially perpendicular to said wheel supporting hub, said perpendicular section being aligned with and extending between said first and second shaft sleeves, said perpendicular section being engageable with slots in said second sleeve to lock said arm selectively in an up or down position with respect to said second sleeve, said arm and said perpendicular section providing a rigid, strong connection of a T-section between said first and second sleeve, whereby said spare wheel is capable of functioning as an extra wheel for said trailer.