GB2284188A - Motorcycle with locking stand - Google Patents

Abstract

The motor cycle has a retractable stand and a locking mechanism comprising a latch member for immobilising a member, e.g. the stand itself or a wheel, of the motorcycle. The mechanism is automatically operated by extending the stand towards its operative position. The latch member, is released by use of a key or a combination of digits. The locking mechanism may be in the form of a bolt member and the latch member in the form of a pawl.

Description

MOTORCYCLE WITH LOCKING STAND This invention relates to motorcycles which have locking stands.

Solo motorcycles generally have a stand in order that the machine may be left standing without the need to lean it against something. Although a motor cycle and side car combination will stand up on its own, the centre stand is often still used to prevent the vehicle from running away when parked, since it is not normal to have a parking brake.

Theft of motorcycles is becoming an increasing problem leading to increased insurance premiums. There have been proposals to discourage thefts by providing the stand with a lock so that is can be locked in its down position making it impossible to drive the machine away and more difficult to manhandle it onto or into a lorry. The prior proposals have suffered the disadvantage that it is necessary to take a positive step to lock the stand. This can easily be forgotten.

Against this background, in accordance with the invention, there is provided a motor cycle having a retractable stand and a locking mechanism comprising: a latch member for immobilising a member of the motorcycle and operated by extending the stand towards its operative position, the mechanism including release means for releasing the latch member by use of a key.

In this specification, unless the context dictates otherwise, the term "key" is used generally, both in the sense of a physical key and in the sense of a combination of digits which must be set in order to operate the release means. The digits may be set for example by rotating a dial or cylinders, by pressing keys on a key pad, by operation of a remote transmitter, etc.

In use, when the stand is extended to its operative position, the locking mechanism automatically locks the member so that it cannot be retracted without use of the key. Use of the key may result directly in operation of the release member or, in cases where the cycle has a lifting seat which can be locked in the down position, a release lever may be located beneath the seat so as to be accessible only when the seat is raised.

In a most preferred option, the mechanism locks the stand itself in an extended position.

In a preferred arrangement, the stand is mounted pivotally, as is conventional, and the locking mechanism includes a cam member mounted for pivotal movement with the stand, the cam member having a camming surface for engagement with the stand locking member, the camming surface having a step therein so positioned that when the stand is placed in its operative position, the step is positioned at or beyond the stand locking member so that retraction of the stand is prevented by engagement between the step and the stand locking member.

In order to render manhandling the machine even more difficult, preferably, the locking mechanism is operative to immobilise a wheel and/or the steering.

Locking the front wheel, especially, would render the machine more difficult to move since, if the front wheel is rotatable, the rear of the cycle could be lifted until the stand is clear of the ground, and the machine could then be wheeled around on the front wheel. Locking the steering only may be thought less desirable since that might facilitate such manoeuvring of the machine on its front wheel.

In that arrangement, the locking mechanism preferably comprises a bolt member, means linking the bolt member and the stand so that extending the stand towards its operative position shoots the bolt to lock the wheel and/or steering, and the latch member is operative to latch the bolt in its shot position.

The bolt member is preferably biassed on extending the stand towards its operative position, towards a brake disc on the wheel and aligned radially with a hole therein so that on rotation of the wheel the bolt member engages in the hole preventing further rotation thereof.

So that the locking mechanism cannot be interfered with, it is preferably contained within a frame member of the motor cycle.

Another disadvantage of prior proposals, e.g.

DE 35 15 557, EP-A1 0 211 812 or US 5 114 167, is that the key must be inserted in the region of the stand at or below the bottom of the machine's frame. That requires the user to stoop to an undesirable extent and if the machine is not completely clean can be an unpleasantly dirty task, both of which would tend to discourage use of the lock.

In a much preferred embodiment of the invention, the release means is located so that insertion of the key can be effected at a position remote from the stand. Thus a key hole for a physical key, or a key pad for the entry of a combination of digits, is provided, say, just under the cycle's seat.

The release means may have a crank member which is linked to the stand locking member inside the frame and which is operated by insertion and rotation of a physical key to withdraw the stand locking member.

Preferably the release means also operates an ignition switch so as to withdraw the stand locking member when the switch is closed.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross section through a frame member of a motor cycle embodying the invention and showing a lock mechanism; Figure 2 is a cross section taken at right angles to that of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross section of a mechanism to lock a wheel of the cycle; and Figure 4 is a detailed cross section showing another mechanism to lock the wheel.

Referring to the drawings, a motor cycle has a frame member 2 from which a centre stand 4 is pivoted about pivot pin 6. In Figure 1, the stand 4 is shown extended, by pivotal movement in an anticlockwise direction to its operating position in which further pivotal movement is prevented by engagement with a stop 8.

To retract the stand it must be pivoted clockwise.

To prevent movement the stand is immobilised by a latch member in the form of a pawl 10 which is pivotally mounted at one end 12 in the frame member 2. The pawl 10 is biassed towards an operative position against a stop 14 by a helical spring 16.

The pawl engages a cam member in the form of a spur 18 which is mounted for movement with the stand 4, being formed integrally therewith. A stiffening rib 19 for the spur and the spur itself together provide a camming surface 20 having a part 20a and a step 20b. The step could be provided by a hole or notch in the surface (not shown).

There could be several steps in the manner of a ratchet.

As shown, when the stand is more or less in its operating position, the surface part 20a moves beyond engagement with the pawl 10 so that it is urged by the spring against the stop 14. In this position the other end 22 of the pawl engages the step 20b of the camming surface 20 preventing the stand from the clockwise pivotal movement which would be necessary in order to retract.

In order to retract the stand, release means in the form of a key operated mechanism 24 is situated in the frame member 3 well above the stand so that insertion of a key in its keyhole 26 is not impaired or made unpleasant by the grime and oil which may collect in lower areas around the stand. Insertion of a suitable key and rotation thereof rotates a crank 28 clockwise. A link in the form of a rod 30 is pivotally connected at one end to the crank and at the other end to the pawl 10 so that rotation of the key lifts the pawl clear of the step 20b freeing the stand to rotate clockwise.

Once the stand has rotated sufficiently, the pawl can be released and will bear against the part 20a of the camming surface 20 where it will not hinder movement of the stand in either direction. The part 20a of the surface thus provides means for preventing the stand locking member from assuming its locking position, without use of the release means.

The stand can thus be fully retracted and reextended as desired until the part 20a of the camming surface passed the end of the pawl when it will again assume the position illustrated so locking the stand.

Conveniently, the key mechanism 24 may also operate an ignition switch so that in the position in which the ignition is on, the pawl is withdrawn. As is conventional, removal of the key is not possible in the on position. When the vehicle is parked, it does not matter whether the ignition is switched off before the vehicle is put on its stand or after. If the vehicle is switched off beforehand, the pawl is released and engages the part 20a of the camming surface 20 until this passes the end 22 as described. If the stand is lowered before the ignition is switched off, the rod 30 holds the pawl 10 out of the way of the spur 18.

When the ignition is then switched off, the spring 16 urges the pawl directly to the position shown.

In order to allow the key to be returned to the off position, corresponding to locked stand, before the stand is lowered, there must be lost motion provided between the key and the pawl. This may be provided between, say, the crank 28 and the key, or between the link and the pawl and so on.

Lowering the stand 2 also operates a mechanism which immobilises a wheel. Links 32 are pivotally connected, at one end, to the eccentric bosses 34 on the stand and, at the other end, to respective arms 36. The arms 36 are pivotally mounted in the frame member 2 at 38 and between them support a bar 40 formed integrally therewith. The bar 40 is thus raised an lowered in the frame member 2 by raising and lowering the stand 4.

The bar 40 is formed with conventional receptacles 42 for the nipple ends 44 of four Bowden cables only one of which is shown at 46. A plate 48 in the frame member 2 is provided with bosses 50 to receive cable adapters 52 for each of the cables. Each cable adaptor has a shank 52b which is received slidable by a respective boss 50. A lost motion spring 53 acts between the plate 48 and a head 52a of the adapter 52 to urge the head away from the plate. Lost motion is thus provided between the movement of the bar 40 and the movement of the other end of the cable, to reduce the need for adjustment of the cable and to allow the common movement imparted to a plurality of cable ends to operate devices at the other ends of the cables which require different amounts of travel.

A wheel locking mechanism 60, shown in section in Figure 3, has a body member 61 located so as to receive in a slot 63 a brake disc 62 of the wheel, the hub of which is illustrated in part at 64. This (the other end) of the inner of the cable 46 is terminated in a nipple 66 which is received by one arm 68 of a bell crank arrangement. The outer of this end of the cable is terminated in a ferrule 69 which is trapped in a canilure in the body member 61. This prevents access being gained to the inner by pulling the outer from the body member 61. The arms 68 and 70 of the bell crank are pivoted separately at 72 in the body member and are linked by a compression spring 74. A return spring 76 ensures that when the stand 4 is up, the bell crank returns to the position illustrated. A bolt 78 is slidable in a bore 80 in the body member 61 and has a cross bore 82 which receives a ball end of the arm 70 so that rotation of the arm about the pivot 72 slides the bolt in the bore. The springs 74, 76 and 53 are rated so that the return spring 76 and the link spring 74 are compressed before the lost motion spring 53.

Lowering thestand 4 retracts the nipple 66 end of the cable rotating the arm 68. The motion of the arm 68 is transmitted to the arm 70, so extending an end of the bolt 78 from the bore 80, until the bolt engages the disc 62.

The disc has one or more holes 86 therethrough, which may be conventional. The wheel locking mechanism is so positioned that rotation of the wheel will align the or one of the holes with the bolt 78 which is suitably dimensioned to be urged through the hole 86 into a blind hole 88 in a part of the body member 60. Further rotation of the wheel is thus prevented. A similar arrangement may be used to immobilise the steering.

An alternative arrangement is shown in Figure 5.

Here the ferrule 69 is secured in the body with a roll pin 71 and the arm 70 carries the bolt 78 at its end. The hole is blind and the spring 74 is a torsion spring. This arrangement may be used similarly to immobilise either a wheel or the steering.

Claims (11)

1. A motor cycle having a retractable stand and a locking mechanism comprising: a latch member for immobilising a member of the motorcycle and operated by extending the stand towards its operative position, the mechanism including release means for releasing the latch member by use of a key.

2. A motor cycle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the latch member is operative to latch the stand in its extended position.

3. A motor cycle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stand is mounted pivotally, and wherein the locking mechanism includes a cam member mounted for pivotal movement with the stand, the cam member having a camming surface for engagement with latch member, the camming surface having a step therein so positioned that when the stand is placed in its operative position, the step is positioned at or beyond the latch member so that retraction of the stand is prevented by engagement between the step and the latch member.

4. A motor cycle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the locking mechanism is operative to immobilise a wheel and/or the steering.

5. A motorcycle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a bolt member, means linking the bolt member and the stand so that extending the stand towards its operative position shoots the bolt to lock the wheel and/or steering, and the latch member is operative to latch the bolt in its shot position.

6. A motor cycle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bolt member is biassed on extending the stand towards its operative position, towards a brake disc on the wheel and aligned radially with a hole therein so that on rotation of the wheel the bolt member engages in the hole preventing further rotation thereof.

7. A motorcycle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the locking mechanism is contained within a frame member of the motor cycle.

8. A motorcycle as claimed in claim 7, including release means located so that insertion of the key can be effected at a position remote from the stand.

9. A motorcycle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the release means has a crank member which is linked to the latch member and which is operated by insertion and rotation of a physical key to release the latch member.

10. A motorcycle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the release means also operates an ignition switch so as to release the latch member when the switch is closed.

11. A motor cycle as substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.