Spinner (wheel)

Spinner

A spinner is a type of hubcap that spins independently inside of a wheel itself when the vehicle is in motion, and continues to spin once the vehicle has come to a stop. Being an attachment to the car's wheel, spinners operate by using one or more roller bearings to isolate the spinner from the wheel, allowing it to turn while the wheel is at rest. The spinner's own momentum helps it overcome what little friction is transmitted through the bearing. When the car is in motion, the small amount of friction transmitted through the bearing sets the spinner in motion. Spinners were popular within the hip-hop community of the United States and are gradually fading out of vogue in popular culture.

Invention

In October 1992, a United States wheel spinner patent was filed by American inventor James (J.D.) Gragg from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who conceived and invented the original free-spinning spinner in the late 1980s. The American Tru Spinners Wheel Enhancer spinner patent United States Patent #5,290,094 was issued on March 1, 1994, making it the first free-spinning wheel spinner patent of its kind with foreign patents to follow, Patent #187,015 issued in October 1997. Gragg has over 100 inventions and has built many versions of spinning wheels including one that spun for over 18 minutes and Triple-Spinner with 27 different spinning mode capabilities and Holographic Tru-Spinners. Many imitation versions were made and sold. In 2003, Davin Wheels was issued a U.S. patent #6,554,370 for a non-adaptable spinning wheel only version called the continuous motion wheel.

Introduction to market

American Tru-Spinners originally introduced its patented free-spinning wheel spinner in 1994 back when Tru-Spinners were only on an exclusive selected group of "Custom and Concept Cars", this is when Tru-Spinners were first viewed by the public and others saw the concept and then proceeded to pirate the technology. Tru-Spinners is known to be the leader in the field{being the first and longest spinning times}} of the "Spinning Wheel Technology" with documented spin tests by ABC, ESPN and CBS cameramen that stayed in motion for over 18 minutes and also has versions with multiple-spinners that have 27 different spinning mode capabilities and Holographic Tru-Spinners. The Tru-Spinner was so popular worldwide that the illegal pirating was on a massive scale and consideredTemplate:By Whittier Law School of California of whom was siting the case with others to be the largest case of patent infringement in legal history.Template:James (J.D.) Gragg then hired Dr.Charles Bryant-Abraham, OAA, author and a PhD. in linguistics from the University de Montreal as CEO of International Tru-Spinners to assist American Tru-Spinners forming a legal team in the United States and took 12 of the largest manufacturers, distributors and retailers into the U.S. Federal Courts of the Southern District of California, San Diego Division and the U.S. Federal Courts of the Eastern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, where American Tru-Spinners prevailed in 100% of it's cases for Patent Infringement & Trademark where Permanent Injunctions were issued against all the defendants. The awards are confidential as requested by the U.S. Federal Courts. Then over one-million U.S. Patents later, Davin Wheels introduced a non-adaptable wheel only version at the Los Angeles Auto Show. When Davin Wheels was unable to obtain a booth at the Auto Show, they were invited to join another vendor at the show, NBA star Latrell Sprewell's Sprewell Racing. Coincidentally, Sprewell is a Milwaukee native. For this reason, spinners are sometimes also called "Sprewells", although Sprewell has stated that he was not the inventor of Sprewells.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom has anti-spinners — the "RR" logo in the center of the hub is mounted on a spinner with an offset weight designed to ensure that the logo is always the right way up when the car is parked similar to one of Tru-Spinners spinning modes. The hubometers used on large trucks and buses that appear to run stationary as to count their miles, are actually enclosed and float in a liquid with anti-freeze as to be functional in severe low temperatures without freezing..

Popularity

Spinners were popularized by the 2003 Three 6 Mafia single "Ridin' Spinners" featuring Lil' Flip, and other popular songs by T.I., Nelly, Lloyd Banks, Chingy, Jadakiss, G-Unit, 50 Cent, Master P, DJ Quik, Redman, Baby, Twista, Dem Franchize Boyz, and Big Tymers. Multiple music videos have featured the use of spinners. Spinners have also been features in television shows such as MTV's "Cribs," ESPN's "The Life," BET's "How I'm Living," and "NBA Inside Stuff." Spinners have been further popularized by many celebrities who use them including, Latrell Sprewell, Hulk Hogan, Shaquille O'Neal, Busta Rhymes, Donovan McNabb, and Allen Iverson.

The monster truck Escalade and Annihilator use spinners specially designed for their large wheels and to take the large amounts of abuse.

Historical

1967 AMC wheel cover with spinner

The term spinner hubcaps has been in use since the 1950s, but describes a different item from those used today.

These classic spinner caps feature a rigidly mounted propeller-like center element, usually with two or three projecting "blades", intended to simulate the knock-off hubs that were used on vintage racing vehicles and classic sports cars.

These spinner hubcaps were most often an optional appearance upgrade to the standard equipment hubcaps or full wheel covers that attached to stamped steel wheels.

These hubcaps were the inspiration for a Detroit-area R&B/soul group, The Domingoes, to rename themselves The Spinners in the late 1950s. A second-tier Motown act in the 1960s, the Spinners would go on, in the early 1970s, to score a string of hits in the Philly soul style.

See also

• Custom wheel
• Donk
• Hubcap

References

4. U.S. Patent #5,290,094 issued March 4, 1994Tru Spinners 5. ^Foreign Patent #187,015 October 27, 1997 U.S. Patent #5,290,094