Patent Publication Number: US-8118281-B1

Title: Tire lifting assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     The disclosure relates to tire lifting devices and more particularly pertains to a new tire lifting device for assisting a person in lifting a tire when a tire is being positioned on or removed from a wheel hub. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a support base that includes an upper section and a pair of legs is attached to and extending downwardly from the upper section. A pole is elongated and has a first end and a second end. A bracket includes a central member and a pair of arms that are attached to opposite ends of the central member. The arms extend in a same direction with respect to each other and are orientated perpendicular to the central member. The first end of the pole is attached to the central member and is equally spaced from the arms. The pole extends away from the central member in an opposite direction with respect to the arms. A tire support is attached to and extends between the arms. A tire is positionable on the tire support and lifted when the pole is positioned on the base support and the second end of the pole is moved downward. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective in-use view of a tire lifting assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective expanded view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a side in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a top in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, a new tire lifting device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the tire lifting assembly  10  generally comprises a support base  12  including an upper section  14  and a pair of legs  16  that are attached to and extend downwardly from the upper section  14 . The support base  12  has a height between 4 inches and 12 inches. The upper section  14  is elongated and has a first end  18  and a second end  20 . Each of the first  18  and second  20  ends of the upper section  14  has one of the legs  16  attached thereto. Each of the legs  16  includes a vertical support  22  having an attached end  24  attached to the upper section  14  and a distal end  26  with respect to the upper section  14 . The legs  16  each include a horizontally orientated member  28  attached to an associated distal end  26 . The horizontally orientated members  28  are elongated and orientated perpendicular to the upper section. The upper section  14  is cylindrically shaped. 
     A pole  30  is elongated and has a first end  32  and a second end  34 . The pole  30  includes a plurality of sections removably coupled together, such as by threaded couplers, to allow a length of the pole  38  to be selectively altered. The pole  30  has a maximum length greater than 3 feet and may comprise a telescopic pole. 
     A bracket  36  includes a central member  38  and a pair of arms  40  that are attached to opposite ends of the central member  38 . The arms  40  extend in a same direction with respect to each other and are orientated perpendicular to the central member  38 . The first end  32  of the pole  30  is attached to the central member  38  and is equally spaced from the arms  40 . The pole  30  may include a break  42  adjacent to the bracket  36  to separate the bracket  36  from a majority of the pole  30  so that only a length of the pole  30  less than 3 inches is attached to the bracket  36 . The pole  30  extends away from the central member  38  in a generally opposite direction with respect to the arms  40 , though an angle formed between the arms  40  and the pole  30  from a lateral perspective as shown in  FIG. 4  may be between 160 degrees and 175 degrees. A distance between the arms  40  is between 9 inches and 24 inches. 
     A tire support  44  is attached to and extends between the arms  40 . A tire  60  is positionable on the tire support and lifted when the pole  30  is positioned on the base support  12  and the second end  34  of the pole  30  is moved downward. The tire support  44  includes a plate  46  that has a top side  47 , a bottom side  48 , a front edge  49 , a rear edge  50 , a first lateral edge  51  and a second lateral edge  52 . The top side  47  is concavely arcuate from the first lateral edge  51  to the second lateral edge  52 . The tire support  44  also include as pair of sleeves  54 . Each of the first  51  and second  52  lateral edges has one of the sleeves  54  attached thereto. Each of the arms  40  is removably extendable into one of the sleeves  54  to support the plate  46  between the arms  40 . 
     In use, a user of the assembly  10  assembles together the pole  30 , bracket  36  and tire support  44  as described above and as shown in the Figures. The tire support  44  is slid under a tire  60  and the second end  36  of the pole  30  moved downward to lift the tire  60  either for positioning it on a hub or removing it from a hub. The tire  60  may rest against the central member  38  for stabilizing purposes. The pole  30  only rests on, but is not attached to, the upper section  14  so that it can slide to move the tire  60  toward or away from the hub. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure.