Safety latch for a tire carrier and improvements therefor

Details Safety latch for a tire carrier and improvements therefor Safety latch for a tire carrier and improvements therefor

1992-10-06

2002-05-21

Matecki, Katherine A. (Department: 3653)

Implements or apparatus for applying pushing or pulling force

Apparatus for hauling or hoisting load, including driven...

Device includes rotatably driven, cable contacting drum

C254S270000, C254S276000, C414S463000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06390452

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to safety devices which maintain a load in a retained position. More specifically this invention finds application for tires which are stored under a vehicle, having been raised to that position by a tire winch, which includes letting out and reeling in a resilient member such as a cable to move the tire from a lowered position to a stored position. A safety device is therefor provided, which ensures the tire remains in the stored position should the resilient member break. This application also relates to a rotary actuator which in a preferred embodiment is embodied with the winch.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A great number of devices exists which raise and lower a load, and specifically a spare tire from a stored position underneath a vehicle to a lowered position for access by an individual. Conventionally the tire carrier may be pinned to the frame by nut and bolt or the like to retain the tire in a raised position, should a resilient member break.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,167 to Kabushiki Kaisha, describes an improved holding device for a spare tire which includes a tire carrier portion suspended from a chain so that a tire is retained in a stored position and is locked in position. The release of the lock is actuated by the rotation of the shaft
9
which causes the disengagement of the lever from the groove of the wheel support member. Therefore rotation of the operating shaft in the appropriate direction is what is required to raise and lower the spare wheel. Further the assembly of the aforementioned device is quite heavy and cumbersome in operation as best seen in
FIGS. 3
,
4
,
9
and
10
thereof. The '167 patent, provides a pawl or spring steel spring
19
which prevents the rotation of the ratchet wheel, as seen in
FIGS. 2
,
6
(
a, b
), and
7
, wherein member
19
forcibly engages the peripheral edge of the ratchet wheel
5
and prevents the rotation of the wheel in the direction which causes release of the chain.
It would therefore be advantageous in one aspect of the invention to provided a positive locking of the wheel in position which is not dependent upon the rotation of the shaft, and the mechanical reliability of all of the interrelated components, which are required for such a mechanism to work. It would also be advantages to simplify the '167 structure considerably so as to provide a simple device which upon rotation of the winch handle releases the locking device in a positive manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,785 to Deuer Manufacturing describes a securing mechanism for a spare tire which is normally disengaged from the carrier of the tire when the tire is in the raised position. Should the cable break locking pins are urged to engage the tire carrier and hold it in a raised position so the tire is not lost. This mechanism includes locking pins which are urged outwardly by springs. Should salt spray over a number of years degrade the quality of response of these pins, it is possible that the device may fail just when it is most needed.
Nowhere within the prior art is there found a simple latching device which is actuated when a cranking device engages a detent portion proximate the winch. In one aspect of the invention no rotation of the shaft is required and the latch is always released prior to rotation of the shaft thereby reducing the load on the latch and simplifying the operation of the mechanism. When the cranking device is disengaged from the detent portion, the latch being resilient biased moves back to its latching position. In another aspect of an improvement of the invention the latch may be release upon rotation of the cranking device using a member which releases the latch upon rotation of the cranking mechanism in a much simplified manner than presently known devices.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provided a safety device for a load carrier which is engaged at all times when the carrier is in the raised position.
It is a further object this invention to provide a safety device for a load carrier which is easy to use and is reliable.
It is a further object of an improvement to the invention to provide a rotary actuator which controls an operating device for a remote mechanism and which operation of the actuator device moves the operating mechanism and preferably the actuator being embodied with a winch mechanism as an add on component thereof or as integral part thereof
Further and other objects of this invention will become apparent to a man skilled in the art when considering the following summary of the invention and the more detailed description of the preferred embodiments illustrated herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a safety mechanism for a winch assembly when storing a load, such as a tire under a vehicle or a boat on a trailer, in a raised or stored position. The invention finds particular application to a spare tire, but those skilled in the art will appreciate the broader benefits of such a structure when used with a winch assembly for other uses such as a boat winch for a trailer or any analogous use wherein it is desirable to secure a load in the raised or stored position.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a safety device for a winch assembly, preferably for a spare tire storage assembly, the assembly including a winch affixed by mounting means proximate a stored position for a load, for example the preferred spare tire, the winch by the operation of handle means lets out and takes up a length of a member (preferably a cable) affixed at one end to the winch and preferably to a reel thereof, which letting out and taking up of the member moves the load, for example the preferred spare tire, installed on a hub, from a locked stored position, preferably under a vehicle, to an unlocked accessible position remote and preferably below the stored position, the safety device comprising a carrier and preferably a tire carrier for carrying the load, for example the preferred spare tire installed on the hub, the carrier including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion for supporting the load, the preferred tire installed on a hub, and the second portion being integral with the first portion and affixed with the other end of the member remote the winch, the second portion of the carrier including a detent portion, (preferably a shoulder), the safety device having engaging means for said handle means, the engaging means for said handle means being affixed with the mounting means proximate the winch and having a preferably hollow portion, the preferably hollow portion of the engaging means having lever means associated therewith, the lever means being moveably affixed with respect to the mounting means, the safety device having resiliently biased latching means moveably affixed with respect to the mounting means, the lever means being interconnected with the latching means and being moveable from a first position when the handle means does not engage the engaging means to a second position whereat the handle means engages the engaging means, the latching means having detent means disposed therewith and moveable with the latching means by the lever means from a third position whereat the load, for example the preferred spare tire, is in the locked position, and the detent means of the latching means engages the detent means of the second portion of the carrier to latch the carrier in the stored position and preclude the loss of the load should the member break, to a fourth position whereat the load, for example the preferred spare tire installed on a hub, is unlatched and free to move by the letting out or taking up of the member by the operation of the winch to and from the accessible position.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a safety device for a spare tire storage assembly, the assembly including a winch affixed by a mounting bracket adjacent a stored position for the spare tire under a vehicle, the winch by the operation of a separate handle lets out and takes up a length of a ca

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