Abstract:
Wheel covers are removably attached to a spoked wheel vehicle to provide, identity, protection, illumination and audible sound for safety and pride of ownership. The wheel covers are shaped as disks placed on opposite sides of a wheel. Fasteners on each disk engage the spokes of the wheel to secure the wheel covers in place.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to wheel covers, particularly for wheels that are exposed on both sides. These wheel covers are distinguished from decorative wheels which support the weight of the vehicle. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   Decorative hubcaps have been a part of automotive design for a long time. Both original equipment and accessory equipment include choices of many different shapes and materials for wheel covers. In the automotive field, the decorative covers are fitted to the outer side of the wheel so that the design is presented to the external viewer. Since the inner side of the wheel is hidden from view there is no reason for decoration. In larger wheeled vehicles, with drum or disc brakes, the inner side of the wheels require a large volume of air for cooling and inside decorative wheel covers would obstruct the air flow. Usually, the decorative covers are friction fitted onto the wheel rim by flexible tabs capable or maintaining a connection at highway speeds and the various shocks of road conditions. Further, the wheel covers normally do not provide for a central axle aperture but some covers use the wheel lugs for attachment. 
   Some wheeled vehicles have exposed wheels with both the inner and outer sides of the wheels easily seen by a viewer and the braking system is located or constructed so that air circulation through the wheels is not a necessity. Such vehicles may have multiple wheels ie., four or more, three, two or one and may be powered manually or by motor. In this class of vehicles are motorcycles, bicycles, tricycles, off-road vehicles, mopeds, and others. In the manually powered vehicles, though not limited thereto, the wheels are spoked for reduction of weight. 
   In racing bikes, the wheels are made of lightweight materials and may be solid to lessen wind resistance. Lightweight wheel covers can serve the same purpose for standard bicycles, with conventional spoked wheels, affording a margin of extra speed for the same physical effort. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,962 teaches the use of wheel covers mounted on a bicycle wheel to provide protection for the rider to avoid becoming entangled in the spokes of the wheels. The wheel covers are mounted on both sides of the wheels and snapped together by a series of snap fasteners extending through the spokes. The covers may also increase visibility of the vehicle by having a coating that is reflective, phosphorescent, or decorative. 
   The decorative hubcaps and wheel covers serve to give the vehicle a distinctive appearance which not only serves to quickly identify the vehicle but provides the owner with pride of ownership and attracts attention. 
   SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
   These smaller vehicles have the disadvantage of size and visibility to both pedestrians and drivers of larger conveyances. They also offer dangers to the riders from exposed moving parts. 
   Therefore, an objective of this invention is the provision of wheel covers to be mounted on opposite sides of a wheel and fastened together through the wheel for distinctive appearance and safety. 
   Another objective of the invention is to provide an electrical lighting system for the wheel covers to illuminate the location of the vehicle. 
   A further objective of the invention is to provide a fastening integrated with the wheel cover. 
   Yet another objective of the invention is to provide a shock absorbing and compressed fastening to secure the wheel cover in place. 
   A still further objective of this invention is to provide a wheel cover that generates an audible sound. 

   
     SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  shows a cross section of a wheel with the wheel covers of this invention in place; 
       FIG. 2  shows a side view of a wheel cover of this invention; 
       FIG. 3  shows a cross section on line  3 — 3  of  FIG. 1  of a fastener and shock absorber; 
       FIG. 4  shows a fastener and shock absorber partially in section; and 
       FIG. 5  shows a free wheeling spinner mounted on the wheel cover. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   A wheel  10  is shown, in  FIG. 1 , with a tire  11  mounted on a rim  12 . The wheel  10  has a hub  14  which rotates about an axle  15 . Spokes  16  extend from the hub  14  to the rim  12  to provide rigidity and shape to the wheel  10 . Conventionally the spokes  16  diverge from the smaller diameter hub  14  toward the larger diameter rim  12  at a uniform angle. The sloping distance between adjacent spokes provides a wedging effect for attachment of fasteners  17 . Also conventionally, some spoked wheels have more than one set of spokes which may cross each other about the circumference of the rim, for example, spokes may extend from one end of a hub to the opposite edge of the rim in an alternating pattern. Such spoke arrangements would provide an even greater number of attachment points. For purposes of illustration only and not limitation, one set of spokes is shown in the drawings. 
   The wheel covers  18  and  18 ′ have an inner surface  19  that faces the spokes of the wheel and is hidden from the external viewer. The fasteners  17  are attached on one side  20  to the inner surface  19  by suitable connection, such as molding, adhesives, brads, clips, threaded screws, etc. The fasteners  17  have protruberences  21  to engage the spokes of the wheel in such a manner to secure the wheel cover during operation of the vehicle. The protruberences may be somewhat stiff but resilient so that some frictional or linear force is exerted between the protruberences and the spokes. The resilience of the fasteners also acts as a shock absorber when the vehicle is moving over uneven terrain. The resilience of the fasteners also permits removal of each wheel cover without disassembly or destruction of the device or vehicle. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the protruberences may have wedge shaped fingers  22  which will grasp the spokes of a wheel when the wheel cover is pressed upon the wheel. Other shapes are possible including hook shaped fingers that are flexed as the hook portion goes through the spokes and then springs back to grasp the spokes. The fasteners  17  can also have a stronger connection by including a bore  23  through some of the fasteners which can be aligned with bores in other fasteners in the opposite disk so that disks on both sides of the wheel are connected by bolts  24  and nuts  25 . The heads of the bolts and the nuts are formed, covered or otherwise altered to form part of the distinctive outer surface of the wheel covers. 
   The distinctive outer surfaces  26 ,  26 ′ of the wheel covers  18 , 18 ′ are to be seen by the external viewer for attracting attention to the location of the vehicle as a safety measure for the rider. To attract the attention of pedestrians and drivers of other conveyances, the distinctive outer surface may have vibrant colors, or shapes that may provide optical illusions, or both. It is also possible to provide the wheel covers with illumination and audible sound generation. 
   In  FIG. 2 , a wheel cover  18  is illustrated with several of the features which may be present alone or in any combination on any wheel cover. Radial slots  27  can extend from the area of the central aperture  28  toward the outer periphery  29 . These slots  27  may be constructed to produce audible sound during rotation of the wheel. Another structural feature may be the interrupted circumferential slots  30  which may be spaced at different distances from the central aperture  28 . 
   An array of electric lights  31  may be attached to the outer surface and operated by a battery pack  32  mounted on the wheel cover. Of course, these lights may be the same or different colors and may operate continuously or blink in a random or serial fashion. 
   In  FIG. 5  the wheel cover  18  has a spinner  33  rotatably mounted in the central aperture  28 . The spinner may be in the form of a propeller with a twist in the elongated arms  34  and  35 . During movement of the vehicle, the spinner  33  will react to the air flow by the wheel cover to spin independently of the rotation of the wheel cover. Obviously, the spinner will continue to turn after the vehicle has come to a stop. The hub  36  of the spinner may be channel shaped with flanges on the inner and outer surfaces and carry bearings within to engage the central aperture  28 . Other conventional rotary connections ma be employed. 
   To increase the visibility, the distinctive outer surface may be polished medal for a mirror-like finish, or coated with an iridescent paint that appears to changes colors during rotation, or coated with a vibrant primary color or mixture. The wheel covers are thin disks which may be made of any lightweight material, such as plastic, fiberglass, metal, wood or the like. The distinctive outer surface may be applied by lamination, paint, impregnation, or the like. 
   A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrated embodiment but only by the scope of the appended claims.