Land vehicles: wheels and axles – Wheel – With wheel cover
Utility Patent
1998-12-21
2001-01-02
Morano, S. Joseph (Department: 3617)
Land vehicles: wheels and axles
Wheel
With wheel cover
C301S037109, C411S910000
Utility Patent
active
06168243
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wheel cover protective devices and, more particularly, to a cable having annular means on one distal end for attachment to a lug nut and a cap on the other distal end which is attached to the cable after inserting said cable through an opening in the wheel cover and a locking c ring attached to the cable on the other side to keep the wheel cover firmly attached to the distal end of the cable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other hubcap locking devices designed to prevent removal or loss of a hubcap. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 3,336,771 issued to Selleck on Aug. 22, 1967.
Another patent was issued to Mack, Jr. on Sept. 26, 1989 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,084. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,342 was issued to Marchiori on Nov. 13, 1990 and still yet another was issued on Apr. 6, 1993 to McClary as U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,287.
While these hubcap locking devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention discloses a wheel cover locking device which includes a flexible cable having one end attached to the wheel cover of a car and the other end of the cable attached to and around the wheel lug of the wheel of the car. The end of the cable which is attached to the wheel lug includes an annular fitting for being bolted onto the lug bolt by the lug nut. The other end of the cable passes through and is attached to the wheel cover by means which secure it to the hubcap. This prevents the wheel cover from being removed from the car without totally destroying the wheel cover or, at the minimum, making a large and noticeable hole in the wheel cover which would detract from its street value and thereby discourage theft of the wheel cover.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a hubcap locking device to prevent the loss or theft of said hubcap.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hubcap locking device having a fitting which attaches annularly to a lug nut.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a hubcap locking device having a cable which prevents the hubcap from being removed from the vehicle by means of theft or accident.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a hubcap locking device having a cable which attaches to the lug nut annular fitting.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a hubcap locking device having a cable which passes through a small opening in the exterior surface of the hubcap having a small cap-like fitting to maintain the position of the cable to the outside of the hubcap. Yet another attachment is made to the annular fitting located underneath the lug nut.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a hubcap locking device having a locking c ring attached on the opposite side of the hubcap to keep the cable from traveling through the hubcap opening.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a means for locking the hubcap to the lug nut of the wheel to prevent loss by means of accident or theft.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2695195 (1954-11-01), O'Day
patent: 3336771 (1967-08-01), Selleck
patent: 4116490 (1978-09-01), Huff et al.
patent: 4171851 (1979-10-01), Scruggs
patent: 4480513 (1984-11-01), McCauley et al.
patent: 4618299 (1986-10-01), Bainbridge et al.
patent: 4869084 (1989-09-01), Mack, Jr.
patent: 4969342 (1990-11-01), Marchiori
patent: 5011231 (1991-04-01), Weber
patent: 5018794 (1991-05-01), Oliver
patent: 5199287 (1993-04-01), McClary
patent: 5370486 (1994-12-01), Plummer
Bellinger Jason R.
Kroll Michael I
Morano S. Joseph
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