GB2091182A

GB2091182A - Vehicle tyre security appliance

Info

Publication number: GB2091182A
Application number: GB8038072A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: NEWCASTLE MACH SERV
Current assignee: NEWCASTLE MACH SERV
Priority date: 1980-11-27
Filing date: 1980-11-27
Publication date: 1982-07-28

Abstract

A device for supporting and immobilising a caravan comprises a bracket member having a foot 1 and an upright plate 2 with said flanges 3, 4. Three apertures 6, 7, 8 are provided near the top of the upright member and arranged so as to receive three of the normal four or five wheel mounting bolts of a caravan wheel hub. One of the apertures (8), is surrounded by a tubular spigot 9 with a pair of apertures 11, 12 near its open end to receive a hasp of a padlock 13. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle and tyre security appliance This invention relates to a device for supporting and immobilising caravans.

Caravans can be either parked temporarily or permanently on short stay, long stay and permanent sites. When a caravan is parked the hazards of theft of the caravan when unoccupied, or of one or more wheels from the caravan, or over a period the deformation of the caravan tyres due to the tyres being forced to support the weight of the caravan in the same position, and thermal degradation and surface cracking in sunlight causes deterioration of the deformed tyre carcass leading to sudden failure and consequently damage to van and towing vehicle.

In the case of permanently parked caravans, these problems do not apply, since the wheels can be removed and other supports inserted.

However other caravans which are intended for mobile holiday use are usually parked to winter at a long stay site. In such parking, the caravan is usually left unoccupied and often unattended, and any site attendant may not recognise caravan owners by sight so that theft by driving a caravan away becomes relatively easy. It is also during such out of season parking that tyre deterioration is most marked.

Since it is intended that the caravan should be mobile and thus able to be towed away by the owner whenever desired and means for combatting these hazards should be easy to erect or install and to dismantle, and secure against unauthorised removal without being complicated.

According to this invention therefore, a device for supporting and/or immobilising a caravan comprises a bracket member, a foot member for the bracket member and at least two apertures corresponding in size position and location to two or more of the mounting bolts of a caravan wheel, the foot and the apertures being spaced apart by a distance such that the lower rim of a wheel to the mounting bolts whereto the apertures are secured at height corresponding to the wheel bolts. Lockable means should be added to prevent unauthorised release of the bracket from the mounting bolts when the bracket member has been secured thereon.

The bracket member may conveniently comprise a flat base comprising the foot, and a pair of upwardly extending arms orstruts, conveniently in the form of angled or L-shaped members, connected towards the top by a cross piece and carrying or providing with the cross piece a mounting plate having an array of e.g. 3 apertures spaced to fit on to three of the four or five mounting bolts of a caravan wheel which are revealed by removal of any hub cap and wheel present or as a single sheet metal piece.

The three apertures may be arranged with one towards each upper end of a respective arm or strut of the bracket, at the same level and with a separation corresponding to the diagonal distance betwee the caravan wheel securing bolts, and the third on the cross bar, for example, and located to receive a third bolt.

The bracket is securable to the caravan wheel hub by removing the nuts on the securing bolts and the wheel slipping the ends of the bolts through the apertures in the bracket, and then reapplying the nuts to the projecting bolt ends.

One of the holes in the bracket is provided with means enabling tampering to be prevented, and this may comprise a tubular spigot surrounding the said one aperture, so that a key must be inserted in to the spigot to engage a nut on any bolt engaged in the aperture. The spigot has a pair of transversely aligned apertures near its outer end to receive the keys of a padlock. When such padlock is in place, the keys prevents insertion of a key into the spigot so that the respective nut can not be loosened and thus the bracket cannot be removed from the wheel hub until the lock has been removed. Since forcing a lock or sawing through its key takes time, thieves are more likely to look for an easier prey than to carry on.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of exampie with reference to the accompanying drawings which is a perspective view of a device according to the invention.

As shown, a device for supporting and immobilising a caravan or other wheeled vehicle comprises a bracket member having a base plate or foot 1, and an upright plate 2 with side flanges, 3 and 4. The plate 2 is of truncated triangular configuration, and the flanges 3,4 also narrow upwardly. The upper side of the plate 2 is provided with a semi circular bight or cut-out 5 for receiving the hub bearing housing of a caravan wheel. At either side of this bight, are provided circular apertures 6, 7 for receiving a pair of diametrically exposed bolts of a wheel hub. A third aperture 8 is provided below the bight 5, the spacing of the apertures being such as to receive three of the four or five bolts on a standard caravan or car wheel hub.

The said third aperture 8 is surrounded, on the same side of the plate 2 as the flanges 3, 4, by a tubular spigot 9 which is open at its outer end to allow insertion of a key to tighten and loosen a nut on a bolt passed through aperture 8. This spigot 9 has a pair of opposed apertures 11, 12 which enable the keys of a padlock 13 to be passed therethrough thus preventing access with a key to the nut within the spigot 9.

In use, a caravan would be supported on this bracket member by jacking up the caravan to the requisite height, removing the wheel hub-cap if present, un-doing the screws on the bolts holding the wheel on to the axle, and removing the wheel, placing the bracket over the hub plate so that three of the bolts enter the apertures 6,7 and 8, replacing the nuts so as to secure the bracket to the wheel hub, fixing the padlock on to the spigot 9 with its keys through the apertures 11, 12 in the spigot, and lowering the caravan so that its weight is supported by the bracket member, one such member being thus installed at each side or for each wheel.

By supporting the caravan on such bracket members, in accordance with the invention, the caravan may be wintered without risk of damage to the tyres due to cracking under steady pressure or weather and the caravan has much greater security against theft or taking and driving away, because any intending thief has first to force the lock, or saw through the keys and provide wheels. The extra time and risk of noise in doing this is likely to substantially increase the risk of detection so that such a thief, even if possessed of the required skill and tools, is likely to be deterred, and look for easier prey.

The construction of the bracket member may be varied from that described, for example it can be made up of strut members rather than a piece of sheet metal cut and bent to shape.

Claims

1. A device for supporting and/or immobilising a caravan comprising a bracket member, a foot member for the bracket member and at least two apertures corresponding in size, position, and location to two or more of the mounting bolts of a caravan wheel.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the apertures and foot are spaced apart by distance exceeding the diameter of the caravan wheel so that the lower rim of the wheel if retained, is carried clear of the ground.

3. A device according to claims 1 or 2 having lockable means to prevent release of the bracket from the mounting bolts when the bracket member has been secured thereon.

4. A device according to claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the bracket member comprises a substantiallytrun cated triangular part with side flanges, made from a single piece of sheet metal and welded to the foot.

5. A device according to any preceding claims wherein the bracket member provides three apertures for receiving three of the usual four or five bolts normal for mounting a wheel.

6. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the lockable means comprises a tubular spigot surrounding one aperture in the bracket, the spigot having two aligned apertures near its open end which can receive the keep of a padlock, thereby preventing access to any nut on a bolt extending through the aperture in the bracketforthe purpose of undoing the nut, until the padlock has first been removed.

7. A device for supporting and/or immobilising a caravan substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.