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Motorcycle towing deviceRelated Patent Categories: Land Vehicles, Wheeled, Articulated Vehicle, Single End Suspension Of Transported VehicleMotorcycle towing device description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070164536, Motorcycle towing device. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The invention relates to a motorcycle towing device to be connected to a vehicle which has a receiver for accepting a draw bar. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,292 B2 to Estes shows a motorcycle carrier which has a yoke brace leading to the motorcycle frame and which tows the motorcycle backwards and lifts the motorcycle with a hydraulic jack. [0005] U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,996 B1 to Allemang shows a hitch mounted vertical motorcycle stand, used for maintenance, and not intended or used for towing. [0006] U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,401 B1 to LeMay shows a motorcycle carrier, which does not use a trailer hitch, is rigidly attached to the towing vehicle and has a screw driven elevating mechanism and a hinge within the apparatus, with the handle bar yoke being fixedly held. [0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,813 B1 to Cataldo shows a motorcycle towing device for towing a motorcycle backwards. The device includes a jackscrew elevator, hinging pivot bearings and wheel engagement arms. There is no illustration as to how the motorcycle is held securely vertically or how the front-end forks are secured in the device. [0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,012 to Mortimer shows a motorcycle hitch adapter for connecting to a receiver hitch, which has a rigidly attached horizontal channel, only limited vertical adjustability and a laterally mounted horizontal securing bar. The adapter is connected to the receiver at a detrimentally long distance. A less than axle height forward tire channel provides poor wheel control or containment. The non-secured loading ramp, if used as illustrated, would not be removable after motorcycle loading, because the short wheel space available would obstruct the removal of the long pin height. The vertical and parallel running straps, as opposed to a criss-crossing and triangular securement, especially when fastened to a bar which appears to be very lightweight, would seem to be inadequate even for the most lightweight towing. An effective three axis securing system for the tire, wheel and motorcycle front-end is not illustrated or described therein. [0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,339 to Guild shows a motorcycle towing apparatus, which does not use a standard drawbar trailer hitch, but instead a bolt attached through a horizontal plate. Using non-defined securing links leading to the bottom of the forks and long rigid side members secured to the aft of the motorcycle frame, transmits the entire towing, backing, braking and turning loads through the single attachment bolt. [0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,226 to Transchel shows a motorcycle tow hitch, using an up-sloped motorcycle position, loaded by a winch belt attached to a crank driven winch barrel, wound around a tire encircling separate element that encases and secures the tire. The hitch is rigid and not vertically adjustable and no further securing is illustrated or described. [0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,044 to Ranes shows an apparatus for towing motorcycles using a rigid mount without vertical adjustment. A metal wheel clamp with movable prongs is used to secure the front wheel. An adjustable up-sloped ramp is used to help retain the tire. No other securing devices are illustrated or described. [0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,197 to Howes shows a motorcycle towing device using a hydraulic ram operating a pivoting loading ramp with an attached front tire-retaining channel. Laterally radiating support arms are used for support but employ what appear to be flexible restraining straps. Its long length, weight, complexity and non-flexible ramp detract from easy use or true utility. [0013] U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,338 to Mortensen shows a lift and tow motorcycle transporter, using a belt lifted carrier mounted on columns that traverse inside vertical members. No specific manner for securing the motorcycle is illustrated or described in any detail. [0014] U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,560 to Bartholomew shows a motorcycle towing device which is actually described as a trailer. The back wheel or wheels of one or two motorcycles remain on the ground. This creates two flexible connections between the vehicle and the towed motorcycles, making control difficult and backing impossible. No method of securing is illustrated or described. The device has no discernable advantages over a simple trailer. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0015] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a motorcycle towing device, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and which locks a draw bar on the towing device to a receiver on the vehicle in a solid, noise-free and sway-free manner. [0016] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a motorcycle towing device. The device comprises a substantially vertical member and a substantially horizontal member being interconnected for supporting a motorcycle wheel. A draw bar is connected to at least one of the members for insertion into a receiver mounted on a vehicle. The draw bar has a given outer dimension being smaller than an inner dimension of the receiver. A projection is mounted on the draw bar and is movable outwardly beyond the given outer dimension of the draw bar for contacting the receiver. A locking pin is also to be inserted through holes formed in the draw bar and corresponding holes in the receiver. The draw bar is therefore locked to the receiver in such a way as to prevent movement therebetween which normally occurs in prior art devices and rattling of the connection and sway of the towing device caused by such movement. [0017] In accordance with another feature of the invention, the draw bar and the receiver have rectangular cross sections, and the draw bar is divided into a main section and a wedge forming the projection. The wedge is movable outwardly beyond the given outer dimension of the draw bar in two directions for contacting two inner surfaces of the receiver. A bracket is connected at one end to the wedge and has an adjusting screw at another end. The bracket moves the wedge outwardly by turning the screw. [0018] The typical trailer hitch has a lack of fit, wherein large tolerances are permitted in the sleeve fit between the permanently attached vehicle receiver and the common 2'' square draw bar. In normal automotive use, with long, heavy, wide axle trailers, such looseness is acceptable because of the reserve of stability and giant masses involved. The wiggles, wobbles and oscillations caused by the looseness are just heard or felt as clunking or jerking and no adverse energy is imparted to the towed object. [0019] In the single point towing of smaller inline objects (rolling on one tire) those tolerances become giant gaps, and magnify the vibrations and sloppy fit into larger forces, which are transmitted back, through the motorcycle until the oscillations are visible and significant side-to-side swaying and instability occurs. [0020] According to the invention, a bolt or screw driven, bi-directional, dual sided, triangular wedging system is formed in the distal or inserted end of the 2'' square draw bar. This bolt sliding diagonal cut, two sided wedge forcefully locks or form-lockingly connects the draw bar to the receiver in two axes, converting the previously loose separate objects, the receiver and draw bar, into a solid one piece unit which neither causes nor allows any movement, oscillation, lash, or looseness, to be transmitted back through the towed system. The wedge-adjusting bolt is accessible from the front of the hitch for easy use and the wedge is located behind the locking pin, so as not to degrade hitch strength. The motorcycle can now be towed at any speed with rock-like steadiness. [0021] In accordance with a further feature of the invention, there is provided a backing plate integral with the draw bar. The backing plate and the substantially vertical member each have a plurality of holes formed therein permitting vertical adjustment of a combination of the backing plate and the draw bar on the vertical member. The draw bar can be completely drawn into the receiver with virtually no space remaining between the backing plate and the receiver and no intervening mechanism, for reducing lateral sway to a minimum. [0022] These features of the invention are intended to eliminate so-called lateral sway, that is the tendency for the back of the motorcycle to sway constantly back and forth at any speed and worse at harmonic matching speeds. The cause of this phenomenon is the offset or rearward placement of the hitch support point, away from the perfect towing position which would be centered over the rear axle. As the trailer hitch is moved rearward from the axle center, any oscillations in the yaw axis of the vehicle are magnified in the hitch movements, which in turn magnify the lateral movements of the towed object. The importance of pivoting a towed load as close to the driving axle as possible cannot be over emphasized. Continue reading about Motorcycle towing device... Full patent description for Motorcycle towing device Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Motorcycle towing device patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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