COMBINATION HITCH BUMPER AND SPARE TIRE CARRIER

• US 3,698,609 A
• Filed: 04/05/1971
• Issued: 10/17/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clifford C. Lund
• Original Assignee: Clifford C. Lund
• Inventors: Lund, Clifford C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Forlenza, Gerald M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Forsberg, Jerold M.
• Application Number:
  US05/131,360
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 224/42.05,42.06,42.23,42.3R,42.26,42.19 214/451,453 293/69R,73
• US Class Current: 224/491
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/06 Ball-and-socket hitches , e.g. constructional details, auxiliary devices, their arrangement on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/56 securing to the vehicle bumper
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/48 combined with, or convertible into, other devices or objects, e.g. bumpers combined with road brushes, bumpers convertible into beds
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 43/04 attached beneath the vehicle body

Abstract

A combination hitch, bumper and spare tire carrier including a cradle formed of straps to seat a spare tire horizontally below the bed of a towing vehicle, a spring-pressed tire clamp secured to one of said straps and engaging the spare tire to hold the same in said cradle, a pair of wrap-around bumpers secured to longitudinal rails of the vehicle frame and protecting the rear corners of the towing vehicle, a hitch plate joined to and extending between said bumpers to hide and prevent access to the spare tire, said hitch plate being releasable from the bumpers and hingedly mounted to lift and turn to a raised position providing access to the spare tire for ready removal thereof in a rearward direction. In a modified form of the invention the spring-pressed tire clamp is omitted and the tire is retained in place by the hitch plate.

Claims

1. A spare tire mount, for a vehicle having a frame including a pair of spaced longitudinal side rails and a transverse rail, comprising a pair of spaced U-shaped straps for securement at their upper ends to said longitudinal rails with their bights dependent transversely therebelow, a longitudinal strap connecting the bights of said U-shaped straps, an extension strap secured at its lower end to the forward end of said longitudinal strap and being bent upwardly and rearwardly and terminating at its upper end in means for securement to the vehicle transverse rail, and a spring-pressed tire clamp secured to the rear end of said longitudinal strap, said tire clamp comprising a vertically disposed handle having an arcuate, forward wall surface engageable with a tire cradled in said straps, a forwardly projecting rod secured to the bottom of said handle, a pair of spaced lugs dependent from said longitudinal strap each having an aperture slidably receiving said rod, a coil spring surrounding said rod in the space between said lugs, and means connecting said rod to the forward end of said coil spring so as to compress the coil spring upon rearward movement of said handle, whereby said handle may be pulled rearwardly to disengage its arcuate surface from a tire and turned about the axis of said rod to permit removal of the tire from the cradling straps in a rearward direction.

2. A spare tire mount according to claim 1, wherein an additional strap is secured to the lower ends of said lugs on the longitudinal strap and projects rearwardly of the rear most lug into the path of turning movement of said handle, whereby once the handle has been turned through a 90* arc and released further turning in a downward direction is prevented.

3. A spare tire mount, for a vehicle having a frame including a pair of spaced longitudinal side rails, comprising a pair of spaced U-shaped straps for securement at their upper ends to said longitudinal rails with their bights dependent transversely therebelow, a longitudinal strap connecting the bights of said U-shaped straps, and means extending said longitudinal strap forwardly, said means being bent upwardly and Rearwardly for cradling a tire, in combination with a rear bumper having a hitch plate forming its central portion and a pair of side bumper portions for extending to the sides of the vehicle, longitudinal bracket arms for securing said side bumper portions to the longitudinal rails of the vehicle, means for securing said hitch plate to said side bumper portions, means for lifting and turning said hitch plate to provide access to a spare tire cradled in said straps and for ready removal thereof rearwardly and between the side bumper portions, said means for lifting and turning the hitch plate including a bracket having an upwardly disposed slot therein affixed to each of said bumper portions, said hitch plate having laterally projecting pins riding in said slots of said brackets, whereby upon unfastening of said hitch plate securing means the hitch plate may be lifted and guided by said pins and slots and turned to permit access to a spare tire cradled in said straps.

4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said hitch plate carries a forwardly projecting lug having a lateral opening therethrough, and a latch member slidably disposed in said opening forward of the adjacent pin and spring-pressed away from the adjacent slot, whereby when the hitch plate is lifted and turned upwardly and outwardly said latch member is aligned with the adjacent slot of the bumper side section and may be pushed into said slot against the pressure of its spring to hold the hitch plate in its upper turned position.

5. The combination according to claim 4, wherein said hitch plate comprises vertically disposed sidewall sections flush with said side bumper portions, said sidewalls being angled forwardly toward each other and connected by a vertical forwardly offset wall section and a horizontal central wall to form a recess, and a hitch ball disposed in said recess and connected to said horizontal central wall.

6. The combination according to claim 5, wherein said side bumper portions are connected at their upper portions by a forwardly and upwardly angled trim strip extending over the hitch plate when in its normal towing position.

7. The combination according to claim 5, wherein said means for securing said bumper side portions to said hitch plate comprises a forwardly offset flange on each side bumper portion and a laterally extending tab at each end of said hitch plate, aligned apertures in said flanges and tabs, and bolt means passing through said aligned apertures to secure the flanges and tabs together.

8. A spare tire mount, for a vehicle having a frame including a pair of spaced longitudinal side rails and a transverse rail, comprising a U-shaped strap secured at its upper ends to said longitudinal rails with its bight dependent transversely therebelow, a horizontal strap positioned parallel to and at the elevation of the bight of said U-shaped strap, means adjustably supporting said horizontal strap from said side rails, a longitudinal strap secured to said U-shaped strap bight and said horizontal strap, said longitudinal strap having an upwardly extending U-shaped end portion integrally formed on the forward end thereof to encompass the forward end of a spare tire supported on said U-shaped strap, said horizontal strap and said longitudinal strap, in combination with a rear bumper having a hitch plate forming its central portion and a pair of side bumper portions extending therefrom to the sides of the vehicle, longitudinal bracket arms for securing said bumper to the longitudinal rails of the vehicle, means for securing said hitch plate to said side bumper portions, means on said hitch plate cooperating with means on said side bumper portions for guiding said hitch plate when moving it from its normal position to a raised horizontal position to provide access to a spare tire cradled in said straps to permit the ready removal thereof rearwardly between the side bumper portions, the means on said hitch plate for guiding said hitch plate including a pair of spaced Parallel cam slot plates having a generally upright U-shaped cam slot formed therein and a horizontally extending guide pin on each of said side portions engaging in a respective one of said cam slots.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the means for securing said hitch plate to said side bumper portions includes a wedge socket formed on said side bumper portions and a pair of wedge members formed on said hitch plate and engageable in said sockets, and means for locking said wedge members in said sockets.

10. A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein a retainer clip is integrally formed on one of said side portions of said bumper for engaging with a portion of said hitch plate to secure said hitch plate in elevated horizontal position.

11. A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said hitch plate includes a generally flat horizontal plate having a plurality of bores extending vertically therethrough to receive a trailer ball and safety chains detachably connected therein.

12. A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said hitch plate includes a vertical wall for supporting a license plate and a license plate light secured thereto for illuminating the license plate supported on said vertical wall.