Patent ID: 7845895

Claim:
An apparatus for use as a component of a spare tire carrier ( 10 ) attached to an outside surface of a wheeled vehicle, comprising: a ladder frame assembly ( 27 ) having a vertical support member ( 28 a ) and a hinge pipe ( 28 b ) in spaced apart relation, a fixed crossbeam ( 26 ) fixedly attached horizontally to the vertical support member ( 28 a ) and to the hinge pipe ( 28 b ), and a travelling crossbeam ( 25 ) slideably attached to the vertical support member ( 28 a ) and to the hinge pipe ( 28 b ), and a jack ( 12 ) disposed so as to rest on the fixed crossbeam ( 26 ) and so as to push against the travelling crossbeam ( 25 ) when operated so as to be placed in an extended position and thereby raise or lower the traveling crossbeam ( 25 ), and the ladder frame assembly also having a fixed cylindric tubular structure ( 36 ) fixedly attached to the vehicle, wherein the hinge pipe ( 28 b ) is fitted into the fixed tubular structure ( 36 ) so as to be rotatable within the fixed tubular structure ( 36 ); and a carriage ( 14 ) configured to hold a tire, having a proximal end pivotally connected to the ladder frame assembly ( 27 ) via a pivoting mount ( 15 ), and also connected to the travelling crossbeam ( 25 ) by one or more pivoting struts ( 13 ), and also having a distal end free to pivot with respect to the vertical support members ( 28 ) and free to rotate with respect to the one of the vertical support members ( 28 ) fitted into the fixed tubular structure ( 36 ); wherein the traveling crossbeam is mechanically linked to the proximal end of the carriage via the pivoting mount ( 15 ) so that lowering the traveling crossbeam ( 25 ) causes the distal end of the carriage ( 14 ) to pivot about the proximal end in a downward direction, and raising the crossbeam causes the distal end of the carriage to pivot about the proximal end in an upward direction so as to result in the carriage ( 14 ) having a horizontal orientation when the traveling crossbeam ( 25 ) can be raised no further.