GB2074523A - Apparatus for towing a motorcycle - Google Patents

Abstract

A towing apparatus for towing a motorcycle (11) behind a vehicle is in the form of a frame (12) adapted to receive a front wheel (18) of the motorcycle and be secured to structure of the motorcycle, such as footrests (27), there being provided means, such as member (21), for retaining the motorcycle on the apparatus and a hitch arrangement for attachment of the apparatus to a vehicle. The frame can be in two halves telescopic relative to each other. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Trailer for towing a motorcycle This invention relates to a trailer for use in towing a motorcycle behind a car or other vehicle provided with a towing hitch.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and convenient trailer whereby a motorcycle can be towed behind a vehicle.

Accordingly the invention provides a trailer for towing a motorcycle in the form of a frame having: attachment means whereby a front end thereof can be attached to a towing hitch; locating means for locating a front wheel of a motorcycle; and means enabling the frame to be secured to structure of a motorcycle rearwardly of its front wheel to enable the motorcycle to be towed with its front wheel raised from the ground and its rear wheel contacting the ground.

Preferably the frame comprises a pair of parallel longitudinally extending side members united by transverse bars.

The attachment means can comprise a block having a vertical bore to be engaged by a pin of a vehicle hitch and connected to a front end of the frame by a horizontal pivot.

The locating means can comprise a recess formed by the side members and two of the bars.

An inverted U-shaped member can extend upwardly from the frame at the front end of the recess and be pivotable at its lower end, about a horizontal axis. The rear of the frame can have outwardly extending arms for securement to footrests of the motocycle. A rear portion of the frame can be inclined upwardly relative to the rest of the frame to facilitate the loading of a motocycle. Rear ones of the bars can form a ramp surface for the same purpose.

The frame can be in two parts, a front part adapted to receive the front wheel of a motorcycle and a rear part adapted to be secured to structure of the motorcycle, the rear part and front part being arrangeable in different relative positions to accommodate motorcycles of different sizes.

The front part can have a pair of side rails and cross-members defining a wheel-receiving slot and the rear part can have a pair of wider spaced parallel side rails telescopically engaging tubes carried by a cross-member at the rear of the front part. The tubes and rails can be locable relative to each other or free-sliding.

The rear ends of the side rails of the rear part can each have a formation such as a grid for engaging and supporting footrests of a motorcycle. A respective tape can extend between each grid and a winch on the front part, enabling the trailer and a motocycla to be firmly united by securing the tapes to footrests of the motocycle and tightening them to position and secure the grids beneath the footrests.

The trailer can have a ball hitch for attachment to a conventional towing ball. However, this requires that means be provided to prevent tilting of the motorcycle and trailer about a longitudinal axis and such means can be in the form of a member depending from the front of the front part and carrying a fork for engagement with a peg on a bracket beneath a towing ball. Thus, the motorcycle and trailer are prevented from sideways tilting, but pivoting about a vertical axis and limiting tilting about a horizontal transverse axis are still possible.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a first preferred trailer of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the trailer of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the trailer of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of the trailer of Figs. 1 to 3 ready for use; Fig. 5 is a side view of the trailer of Figs. 1 to 4 in use; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a second preferred embodiment of trailer of the invention; Fig. 7 is an enlarged exploded view of part of the front of the trailer of Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a more detailed view of the rear of the trailer of Fig. 6.

A first preferred trailer 10 of the invention is suitable for use in towing a motorcycle, parts of which are indicated generally in Figs. 5 at 11. The trailer 10 comprises a frame 12 having two parallel side members 13 of square-section steel tube united by welded transverse bars. At a front of the frame is attachment means in the form of a block 14 having a vertical bore 1 5 for engaging a pin hitch 1 6 on a towing vehicle and pivotable about a horizontal axle 1 7 extending between the side members 13.

A front half of the frame 12 defines locating means, for a wheel 18 of a motorcycle (Fig. 5), in the form of a recess 1 9 bounded by the side members 1 3 and a pair of spaced-apart bars 20.

The recess 19 is smaller than the diameter of the wheel 1 8. Additionally an inverted U-shaped member 21 extends upwardly from the frame at a front end of the recess 1 9 and is pivotal about an axis 22.

A rear half of the frame 12 has a plurality of the transverse bars 23 and a pair of sideways extending arms 24 each having a handle 25. A rear portion 26 of the rear half is angled relative to the rest of the frame 12.

In use (Figs. 4 and 5) the trailer 10 is first attached by block 14 to a pin of a pin hitch 1 6 and assumes the position shown in Fig. 4. The rear half here forms a ramp up which the front wheel 18 can be pushed and located in recess 1 9. Member 21 is then pivoted to embrace the wheel and secured to it by straps (not shown). The rear of the frame is now raised and arms 24 one similarly strapped or otherwise secured to footrests 27 of the motorcycle 11.

The motorcycle 11 can now be towed safely with its front wheel raised and its rear wheel engaging the ground.

A second preferred trailer 30 of the invention (Figs. 6 to 8) has a frame which has a front part 31 and a rear part 32. Front part 31 comprises a pair of square-section steel tube side rails 33 united by spaced-apart transverse members 34 which have concave edges defining with rails 33 a motorcycle-tyre-receiving slot. The front ends of rails 33 are attached to a hitch arrangement (to be later described) and the rear ends are welded to a cross-bar 35 whose outer ends carry a pair of square section tubular steel sockets 36.

Each socket 36 slidably accommodates a square-section side rail 37 of rear frame part 32.

Rails 37 are united by a rear transverse member 38 and each has adjacent its rear end a grid 39.

Rai!s 37 and sockets 36 can be locked together by locking screws or pinch bolts (not shown) or by each having a plurality of spaced apertures engageable by a removable pin to lock them in any of a plurality of relatively longitudinally spaced configurations. This possibility is also not illustrated.

Carried on each socket 36 is a ratchet-operated winch 40 to which is attached a tape 41 whose free end is formed into a tightenable loop 42 and which passes through a respective grid 39 when in use. The winches 40 are interconnected by an axle 43 and each has a non-circular peg 44 engageable by an operating handle (not shown).

The arrangement is that when one of the pegs 44 is turned the two winches 40 tighten or slacken in unison, but when the other peg 44 is turned that winch 40 only operates. This enables the trailer to be levelled when being attached to a motorcycle.

The front ends of rails 33 (Fig. 7) have apertures 45 which mount a pin 46 which passes through an aperture 47 in a cross-piece 48 of a Tshaped hitch head 49 whose limb terminates in a conventional ball-hitch socket 50. The pin 46 enables the body of the trailer 30 to pivot relative to the hitch head 49. Depending from the cross piece 48 is an L-shaped member 51 having a fork 52 in the end of its lower limb, which in use, engages a pin 53 upstanding from a lower limb 54 of a bracket 55 secured behind the conventional ball hitch 56 on a towing vehicle. A U-shaped safety bolt 57 is engaged in an apertured boss 58 in member 50 and biassed by a spring 59 on a longer limb 60 thereof to a position where its shorter limb 61 closes the fork 52.This prevents the fork 52 from leaving the pin 53 inadvertently but still permits slight movment about a horizontal transverse axis to accommodate road-induced vibration and movement.

To attach a motorcycle to the trailer 30 the hitch is first engaged and the rear of the trailer 30 rests on the ground. The front wheel of a motorcycle is then introduced between rear rails 37 and caused to enter the slot between rails 33.

It can be strapped thereto if desired. The grids 39 are then arranged approximately beneath the footrests of the motorcycle, sockets 36 locked relative to rails 37, and loops 42 are engaged with the footrests of the motorcycle. The winches 40 are then turned in unison to raise the trailer until the grids 39 are drawn firmly into engagement with the footrests of the motorcycle, any asymmetry being accommodated by turning the other of the winches 40 independently. When both tapes are taught, the trailer 30 and motorcycle are firmly united and the motorcycle can be towed with its rear wheel resting on the ground.

The invention is not limited to the precise details of the foregoing embodiment and variations can be made thereto within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (19)

1. A trailer for towing a motorcycle in the form of a frame having; attachment means whereby a front end thereof can be attached to a towing hitch; locating means for locating a front wheel of a motorcycle; and means enabling the frame to be secured to structure of a motorcycle rearwardly of its front wheel to enable the motorcycle to be towed with its front wheel raised from the ground and its rear wheel contacting the ground.

2. A trailer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame has a pair of parallel longitudinal side members united by transverse bars.

3. A trailer as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the attachment means comprises a block having a vertical bore to be engaged by a vehicle pin hitch and pivotally connected to the frame by a horizontal pivot.

4. A trailer as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the attachement means comprises a partspherical ball-hitch engaging socket, means being provided to prevent tilting of the trailer about a longitudinal axis.

5. A trailer as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means includes a member depending from the front of the trailer and carrying a fork which can engage a pin provided beneath a ball hitch of a towing vehicle.

6. A trailer as claimed in claim 5, wherein a spring-loaded locking bolt is provided on the member to prevent its accidental disengagement from the pin.

7. A trailer as claimed in any of claims 4 to 7, wherein the socket is provided in the limb of a Tshaped member whose cross-piece is pivotally connected to the frame of the trailer.

8. A trailer as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the locating means comprises a recess formed by the side members and two of the bars.

9. A trailer as claimed in claim 8, wherein an inverted U-shaped member extends upwardly from the frame at the front end of the recess and is pivotable at its lower end, about a horizontal axis.

10. A trailer as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the rear of the frame has outwardly extending arms for securement to footrests of a motorcycle.

1 A trailer as claimed in claims, 8, 9 or 10, wherein a rear portion of the frame is inclined upwardly relative to the rest of the frame to facilitate the loading of a motorcycle, rear ones of the bars forming a ramp surface for this purpose.

12. A trailer as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the frame is in two parts, a front part having said locating means for receiving a front wheel of a motorcycle and a rear part, longitudinally movable relative to the front part, adapted to be secured to structure of the motorcycle.

13. A trailer as claimed in claim 12, wherein the front part has a slot between side rails.

14. A trailer as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein the rear part has side rails connected together towards or at their rear and slidably received in sockets carried by the front part.

1 5. A trailer as claimed in claim 14, wherein the socket and rails can be locked together.

1 6. A trailer as claimed in any of claims 12 to 15, wherein a pair of winches are provided, each carrying a ligament which can be attached to the motorcycle to secure it to the trailer.

1 7. A trailer as claimed in claim 1 6 wherein the winches are interconnected in such a way that they can be operated in unison or individually.

1 8. A trailer as claimed in any of claims 14 to 1 7, wherein the rear of each side rail of the rear part has a formation such as a grid for facilitating attachment of the trailer to a motorcycle.

19. A trailer for use in towing a motorcycle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 or 6 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.