GB2108064A - Vehicle spare wheel bracket - Google Patents

Abstract

The bracket comprises a first catch 3 mounted on support member 2 for engagement with an edge portion of the central opening of the spare wheel so that the wheel may be pivoted in beneath the support member 2 and with an opposing edge portion of the central opening snap into engagement with a second catch 4 so that the wheel depends from the catches 3, 4. In this position, the first catch 3 is pivotal upwardly for urging the wheel against the support member 2. The first catch 3 has a rearwardly extending operating portion 16 pivotally connected to the lower end of a pressure arm 22. The pressure arm 22 is pivotally connected to a lever 20 which is fixedly disposed on a rotary shaft 19 of handle 18 so as to form an elbow-joint for locking the pressure arm 22 in its lower position and for lifting the pressure arm 22 to an upper position where the operating portion 16 and the first catch 3 are free. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Spare wheel bracket The present invention relates to a spare wheel bracket which advantageously can be used even for very large spare wheels, for example of the so called super single type. The spare wheel bracket has two catches, of which the first is moveable away from and towards the other, the catches being in such mutual location that the edge of the central opening of a vehicle wheel may be passed into engagement with the second catch for pivoting of the vehicle wheel thereabout, in beneath the spare wheel bracket so that an opposing portion of the edge of the central opening will come into engagement with the first catch.

Spare wheel brackets of this fundamental type are previously known, for example from U.K.

Patent Specification 891 171 och Swedish Patent Specification 7710071-7. Both of these patent specifications disclose spare wheel brackets which have a substantially horizontal plate, the projecting catch being disposed in the side thereof turned to face away from the centre line of the vehicle. That catch which comes into engagement with the opposing edge portion of the central opening of the wheel once the wheel has been pivoted in beneath the plate is located at an opposite edge portion of the plate on the underface thereof. According to the UK patent Specification separate anchorage members are used for fixedly retaining the spare wheel once this has thus been caused to hang upon the two --catches, these members comprising bolts by means of which the spare wheel is fixedly bolted to the plate.In this operation, the wheel bolt holes on the spare wheel are used for accommodating the anchorage bolts.

The spare wheel bracket according to the Swedish Patent Specification lacks these separate anchorage members with the bolts and, instead, the projecting catch is raiseable and lowerable under the action of a complicated linkage system.

Even if the above-outlined spare wheel brackets possess weighty advantages, they are also associated with serious drawbacks. First, the use of bolts which extend through the wheel bolt holes of the spare wheel require a special design of spare wheel bracket for each type of spare wheel.

Secondly, the nuts for the bolts which are used for fixedly retaining the spare wheel are difficult to get at and have, moreover, an extremely inconveniencing tendency to rust in place even after a very short time, since they are freely exposed to moisture, exhaust gases, road salt and the like.

As regards the spare wheel bracket according to the Swedish Patent Specification, the above outlined problems are, granted, obviated but, nevertheless, this spare wheel bracket has, because of its complicated construction, proved to be relatively difficult to operate in practice.

Consequently, the object of the present invention is to realize a spare wheel bracket which can advantageously be used also for very large spare wheels and which obviates the drawbacks inherent in the above-described prior art spare wheel brackets.

According to the invention, these objects are achieved by means of a spare wheel bracket which has a first catch projecting from a support member, the catch being placed for engagement with an edge portion of the central opening of a vehicle wheel for pivoting of the wheel to a position beneath the support member, and a second catch placed for engagement with an opposing edge portion of the central opening of the wheel in the position of the wheel beneath the support member, the first catch being connected to the support member by the intermediary of a link and being pivotal for lifting the wheel towards the support member this spare wheel bracket being characterized in that the first catch has an operating member extending past the link and being connected to a pressure arm which is switch able between a first position for pivoting the first catch and the operating member and a second position for locking the operating member in a position where the first catch is pivoted for lifting of the wheel.

One preferred embodiment of the spare wheel bracket is characterized, according to the invention, in that the pressure arm is, with its lower end, pivotally connected to the operating member and with its upper end pivotally connected to a lever projecting from a rotary shaft, the pressure arm and the lever making an angle with one another in the first position of the pressure arm and, in the second position of the pressure arm, the pressure arm is approximately directed as an extension of the lever.

In order to ensure that the second catch, which is moveable towards and away from the first catch, is not unintentionally moved towards the first catch so that the spare wheel falls off, the invention is further suitably characterized by locking means in communication with the second catch, the locking means being operative, in the second position of the pressure arm, to retain the second catch in its most distal position in relation to the first catch.

Further advantageous features attained by the subject matter of the present invention are apparent from the disclosures of Claims 4 and 5.

The nature of the invention and its aspects will be more readily understood from the following brief description of the accompanying drawings, and discussion relating thereto.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a spare wheel bracket according to the present invention when the spare wheel bracket is in its locked position, that is to say in a position for reliable retention of a spare wheel; Fig. 2 shows a corresponding view of the spare wheel bracket when this is in the open position and the spare wheel has, thus, been removed; Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the spare wheel bracket according to Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 3 corresponding to Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a corresponding cross-section through the spare wheel bracket, this being located in the same position as in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a cross-section through a modified embodiment of the present invention, this being located in a position corresponding to that shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a cross-section through the modified spare wheel bracket, this being located in a position corresponding to the position shown in Fig. 4.

The spare wheel bracket illustrated in side elevation in Fig. 1 has a vertical anchorage 1 from which extends a horizontally directed box beam or support member 2. As is apparent from the drawings, the support member 2 serves to carry the moveable components of the spare wheel bracket, but also as an abutment for a spare wheel mounted in the spare wheel bracket.

The support member 2 has, at its outer, free end, which in the position of use of the spare wheel bracket, is turned to face away from the centre line of a vehicle, a catch 3 which extends approximately horizontally outwardly from the support member. This catch is placed in such a manner that a spare wheel which has been rolled to a position opposite the catch can readily, for example by means of a lever, be lifted up onto the catch so that the spare wheel hangs resting on the catch which here supports an edge portion of the central part of the wheel rim at its central opening.

Hanging in this manner, the spare wheel (not shown on the drawings) can then simply be pivoted according to the arrow A so that the opposite edge portion of the central opening of the wheel will come into engagement with a second catch 4 which is pivotally disposed at the inner portion of the support member 2. When the spare wheel bracket is in its open position (the position shown in Fig. 2) the second catch 4 is free to pivot away in a direction towards the first catch so that the second catch thereby snaps in under an edge portion of the rim at the central opening thereof so that thus the entire spare wheel rests on two approximately diametrically opposing pointsof the rim at its central opening.

Furthermore, the spare wheel bracket has two horizontal arms 5 projecting from the central portion of the support member, these arms being at their free ends provided with rubber pads 6 on the underfaces. These rubber pads are placed in such a manner that they are located above the plantar portion of the rim intended for abutment against the brakedrum immediately adjacent the central opening through the rim.If the rim is then lifted in that the first catch 3, i.e. the catch placed at the free end of the support member 2, is pivoted from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1, the spare wheel and thereby the rim will also be lifted, the rim coming into abutment against the underside of the two rubber pads which hereby are compressed so that the spare wheel is reliably held in place resting on the two catches 3 and 4, the rubber pads 6 realizing a reliable positionallyfixing force. In order to permit such reliable locking of the spare wheel, the distance between the vertical surface 7 of the first catch and the vertical surface 8 of the rear catch 4 approximately corresponds to the inner diameter of the central opening of the rim.

Furthermore, an upstanding pin 9 placed on the outer catch 3 is located for engagement in the bolt holes of the rim. In the locked position, the rim will, consequently, rest on the upper faces of the two catches 3 and 4 and is tightly urged against the two compressed rubber pads 6, the upstanding pin 9 extending through the bolt holes in the rim.

In a practical design of the embodiment of the spare wheel bracket illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the support member 2 is designed as a box beam with approximately rectangular cross-section.

Furthermore, the forward catch 3 is of double construction and has one shank on either side of the support member. In the same manner, the rear catch 4 is of double construction and has one portion on either side of the support member, whereas these two portions in the bottom end of the catch are interconnected by a cross-piece 10.

The situation prevails for the forward catch 3 which, at its outer end, has a transverse connecting portion 11 (please see Fig. 3).

In this context, of special interest to the skilled reader will be the design of the anchorage 1 and the outer end of the support member 2. In such spare wheel brackets as are intended for very large spare wheels of the so-called super single type, the fixing flange which is provided with a central opening and is fixedly bolted to the brakedrum, is placed in the centre of the rim, which entails that the rim extends upwardly a considerable distance above the levels of both the catches 3 and 4 when the spare wheel is mounted in place. This entails that the anchorage 1 must be placed in such a manner in relation to the catch 4 that the anchorage 1 does not come into contact with the radial inner surface of the rim proper.

Correspondingly, the outer end of the support member 2 must be designed such that it does not encroach upon the space for movement which is needed when the rim is lifted up onto the forward catch 3 and pivoted about this catch. For this reason, the support member 2 has, at its free end, a recess 12 which makes room for the abovementioned portion of the rim. Alternatively, the outer and upper surface of the support member 2 can be inclined obliquely from the central portion of the support member down to the region of connection between the support member and the catch 3.

As has been intimated above, both the forward catch 3 and the rear catch 4 in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1-4 are designed in double construction with one shank on either side of the support member 2. The rear catch 4 has, thus, two upwardly directed arms 1 3 which are fixed on either side of the support member 2 by means of a through-shaft 1 4 so that the catches 4 are thereby pivotal in a direction towards and away from the forward catch 3. At the upper ends, the upwardly directed arms 1 3 have projecting bosses 1 5 whose purpose will be described in greater detail below. Finally, as has also been intimated above, the rear catch 4 is united to form a single unit by the intermediary of the cross-piece 10.

As also intimated above, the forward catch 3 is of double construction and has one portion on either side of the support member 2. These two portions are interconnected by a connecting member 11. From the forward catch 3 there extends, on either side of the support member 2, a rearwardly directed operating arm 1 6 which, together with the forward catch 3, forms a rigid unit which by means of a shaft 1 7 is pivotally disposed in the free end of the support member 2.

As a result, the free end of the forward catch 3 will be pivotal in a vertical direction. It should finally also be observed that the upstanding pin 9 mav suitably be of double construction with one such pin placed on either side shank of the forward catch 3, it merely being necessary to ensure that the central distance between these two pins corresponds to the central distance of two adjacent wheel bolt holes in the rim.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the operating apparatus which is necessary for transferring the two catches 3 and 4 between the locked and opened position of the spare wheel bracket. The figures show that there is one handle 1 8 placed on either side of the support member 2. These handles are united to form a rigid unit and are pivotally anchored in the support member 2 by means of a shaft 1 9 which, thus, pivotally extends through the support member 2. In its central portion, there is fixedly disposed on this shaft a lever 20 which, by the intermediary of a link 21, is connected to a pressure arm 22 which extends through a slot shaped opening 23 in the lower defining wall of the support member 2.At the lower end, the pressure arm 22 has an elongate groove 24 in which there is accommodated a shaft 25 which is rigidly anchored in both of the rear end portions of the operating arms 1 6. When the handle 1 8 is lifted from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4, the lever 20 will be pivoted counter-clockwise in a direction through approximately 900 whereby the pressure arm 22 is lifted so that there is thereby provided a possibility for a clockwise pivoting of the forward catch 3 and the operating arm 1 6 rigidly connected therewith. This clockwise pivoting of the catch 3 is realized as a rule in practice by the action of the spare wheel on the outer end of the catch.When the handle 18 is subsequently pivoted a further distance counter-clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 4, the handle will with its curved portion 26 come into abutment against the two projecting bosses 1 5 on the rear catch 4.

As a result, the rear catch 4 will be actuated for pivotal motion counter-clockwise so that the lower end of this catch is shifted in a direction towards the forward catch 3. Suitably, the rear catch 4 may be spring-biased in order to counteract this clockwise pivoting.

If the outer catch 3 is loaded with a spare wheel when the spare wheel bracket is in the position shown in Fig. 4, the outer catch 3 and the operating arms 1 6 will be pivoted to the position shown in Fig. 2. When the spare wheel is subsequently swung in beneath the spare wheel bracket, the edge portion of the rim will come into abutment against the bearing surface 27 on the rear catch 4 so that this is pivoted in a direction towards the forward catch and thereby pivoted in under the edge portion of the rim at its central opening. In a subsequent clockwise pivoting of the handle 18, the lever 20 will also be pivoted in the same direction, with the result that the pressure arm 20 is lowered and urges the operating arms 1 6 in a downward direction so that the forward catch 3 is thereafter raised.The range of pivot of the handle 1 8 and the lever 20 is, at its end position (the position shown in Fig. 3) selected in such a manner that the joint 21 will, during the final phase of the pivoting motion, pass a short distance beyond the straight connecting line between the link 1 9 and the shaft 25. As a result, an elbow-joint locking will be realized with the result that very large compression forces in the longitudinal direction of the pressure arm 22 can be withstood without any appreciable torque being applied to the handle 1 8. Moreover, this torque is directed in the opposite direction which is required for opening the spare wheel bracket.In order to prevent the handle 1 8 from being pivoted too far in a clockwise direction under the action of such loading, suitably placed abutments are provided.

In order to prevent the rear catch 4 from unintentionally being pivoted for release of the spare wheel when this rests on the catch, the present invention also comprises a safety mechanism against such unintentional pivoting.

Thus, there is disposed on the pressure arm 22 a locking pin 28 projecting rearwardly towards the rear catch, this pin being, in the locked position of the spare wheel bracket, located closely adjacent to or in abutment with the cross-piece 10 on the rear catch. Since the pressure arm 22 is prevented from being pivoted in a direction towards the forward catch 3, the rear catch 4 will also thereby be prevented from swinging in this direction.

When the spare wheel bracket is opened to the position shown in Fig. 4, the pressure arm 22 is raised and pivoted in a clockwise direction, whereby the locking pin 28 is both raised and pivoted to a position where its free end can no longer engage with the cross-piece 10 on the rear catch 4.

Figs. 5 and 6 show in cross-section a slightly modified embodiment of the spare wheel bracket according to the invention. In this embodiment, the rear catch 4 is placed interiorly in the support member 2 and its upwardly directed arm 13 is pivotally fixed to a shaft 14. The upwardly directed arm 1 3 extends past the shaft 14 to a region at the upper defining wall of the support member 2.

As an alternative to this embodiment, the rear catch may naturally also be of the same design as that described with reference to Figs. 1-4, the upwardly directed arms 13 being, however, rigidly connected to the shaft 14 and an upwardly directed lever being rigidly disposed on a central portion of this shaft, the lever, thus, corresponding to the portions of the upwardly directed arm 1 3 illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 which extend above the shaft 14. The design of the forward catch 3, the operating arms 1 6 and the pressure arm 24 together with their linkage connections with one another and with the support member correspond to that described above. On the other hand, the lever 20 which is pivotal together with the handle 1 8 has been designed in a slightly different manner.Thus, the lever has two projecting hooks 29 and 30 which form therebetween a curved groove 31 which is curved approximately in the shape of a circular arc with the shaft 29 as the centre. A stub-shaft 32 is shiftably disposed in the curved groove 31, the shaft being fixed in one, preferably two, linkage arms 33 which are connected at their opposing ends by means of a joint 34 to an upper end portion of the upwardly directed arm 13 of the rear catch 4.

Fig. 5 illustrates the spare wheel bracket in the locked state. In this position, the lever 20 extends downwardly and urges the pressure arm 22 in the same direction fully in accordance with that described above. Furthermore, the rear hook 29 is placed in engagement with the stub-shaft 32, whereby a rearward shifting, that is to say to the left in the figure, of the linkage arm 33 and the upper end of the rear catch 4 is rendered impossible. As a result, the rear catch 4 is effectively prevented from being unintentionally pivoted out of engagement with a spare wheel mounted on the spare wheel bracket. This locking of the rear catch is particularly effective, since the pressure arm 22 and the lever 20 together function as an elbow-joint locking which, on increased loading, will strive to move the mechanism in the locking direction.When the handle 18 is pivoted in a counter-clockwise direction for opening the spare wheel bracket, the lever 20, the pressure arm 22 and the operating arm 16, as well as the forward catch 3 will move fully in accordance with that described above.

Furthermore, the stub-shaft 32 will slide in the curved groove 31 until the stub-shaft 32 strikes the forward hook 30 as illustrated in Fig. 6. In this position, the forward catch 3 can be considered as being completely free for pivoting in a downward direction. On further counter-clockwise pivoting of the handle 18, the engagement between the stub shaft 32 and the hook 30 will realize a counter clockwise pivoting of the rear catch 4, whereby this releases its engagement with the rim of the spare wheel, and the spare wheel pivots down to a dependent position on the forward catch 3.

In order to prevent unintentional release of the rear catch 4, it is also possible to provide, on the operating arms 1 6, a rearwardly protruding projection which, in the locked position of the spare wheel bracket, is in engagement with the cross-piece 10 on the rear catch 4. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the groove 24 in the pressure arm 22 is closed at its lower end, and is considerably shorter than is shown on the figures.

Hereby, the operating arm 16 will positively be lifted when the handle 1 8 is pivoted counterclockwise, whereby the projection rearwardly protruding from the operating arm will be lifted to a raised position where it no longer engages with the cross-piece 10 on the rear catch 4. The protruding projection is, thus, located above the cross-piece, which entails that the rear catch is free to carry out pivoting motions.

The invention should not be considered as restricted to that described above and shown on the drawings, many modifications being possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims (5)

1. A spare wheel bracket with a first catch protruding from a support member, said catch being placed for engagement with an edge portion of the central opening of a vehicle wheel, for pivoting the wheel to a position beneath said support member, and a second catch placed for engagement with an opposing edge portion of the central opening of the wheel in the position of the wheel under said support member, said first catch being connected to said support member by the intermediary of a link and being pivotal for lifting the wheel towards said support member, wherein said first catch has an operating portion extending beyond said link, said operating portion being connected to a pressure arm which is switchable between a first position for pivoting of said first catch and said operating portion and a second position for locking said operating portion in a position where said first catch is pivoted for lifting the wheel.

2. The spare wheel bracket as recited in claim 1, wherein said pressure arm has, with its lower end, pivotal connection to said operating portion and, with its upper end, pivotal connection to a lever projecting from a rotary shaft, said pressure arm and said lever making an angle with one another in the first position of said pressure arm and in the second position of said pressure arm, the pressure arm being approximately directed as an extension of said lever.

3. The spare wheel bracket as recited in claim 2 and in which said second catch is moveable towards and away from said first catch, further comprising locking means in connection with said second catch, said locking means being operative, in the second position of said pressure arm, to hold said second catch in its most distal position from said first catch.

4. The spare wheel bracket as recited in claim 3, wherein said locking means comprises a projection fixedly mounted on said pressure arm or said operating portion and directed towards said second catch.

5. The spare wheel bracket as recited in claim 3, wherein said second catch is provided with a shaft retained in said bearing member by means of a joint. said shaft having an extension beyond said joint, wherein said extension is in engagement, by the intermediary of a linkage, with a locking projection disposed on said lever, in the second position of said pressure arm, said locking projection being provided to prevent pivoting of said second catch.