Vehicle wheel cover

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention provides a combined wheel cover and mounting device which addresses many of the deficiencies of the prior art.
In accordance with the invention, a wheel cover and mounting device provides secured and consistently centered means for attachment of wheel covers for dual-wheel type vehicles, a combination which is easy to install and remove; which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture; readily adaptable to a variety of dual wheel sizes; an arrangement which has a minimum of parts and that can accommodate the presence of an axle odometer.
The arrangement according to the invention requires no tools to remove or install the wheel cover after the initial installation of the mounting device and the design of the cover is such that some ventilation is provided for the hub well and adjacent brake areas.
The mounting device is not affected by the removal or installation of the dual wheel itself.
The invention is directed to the combined wheel cover and mounting device for large size vehicles with dual wheels and the cover is a disc that is preferably flat or nearly so and the body of which is composed of any suitable material though preferably of a thermal plastic synthetic resin.
The diameter of the cover is sufficient to cover the portion of the wheel well in which the wheel nuts and hub are located.
The outer surface of the wheel cover is intended to provide some aerodynamic improvements to reduce air turbulence caused by deep-dish dual wheels with a consequent improvement in fuel mileage.
The cover, when mounted, nests within the outer rim portion of the dual wheel and the mounting device is detachably secured to the vehicle hub, at one end, and is releasably secured, at its other end, to the inner surface of the wheel cover in such a manner as to maintain that securement under all operating conditions.
In common with many wheel covers, the periphery of the cover will engage the outer flange of the dual wheel rim.
The length of the legs of the mounting device are designed so that the inner surface of the wheel cover engages the mounting device and the wheel rim flange simultaneously so as to provide a rigid attachment of the cover to the wheel