Lift and tow motorcycle transporter

• US 5,366,338 A
• Filed: 05/03/1993
• Issued: 11/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ernest P. Mortensen
• Original Assignee: Ernest P. Mortensen
• Inventors: Mortensen, Ernest P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner, Frank E.
• Application Number:
  US08/055,551
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 414/463, 414/563, 414/592, 414/426, 414/427, 414/428, 414/540, 414/462, 414/466, 280/482, 187/9 R, 254/2 R, 254/4 R, 254/4 C, 254/DIG. 4, 224/273, 224/42.26, 224/42.12, 224/42.21, 224/42.06, 224/42.03 A, 224/42.03 B
• US Class Current: 414/563
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/07 for carrying road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/125 by supporting only part of the vehicle, e.g. front- or rear-axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 9/06 at vehicle front or rear rear luggage compartments within vehicle extensible externally of the vehicle body B60R5/041
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/924 Vehicle attached carrier for bicycle or motorcycle

Abstract

This tow bar is designed for lifting the front wheel and towing a two-wheeled automotive vehicle on its rear wheel and is removable for storage. Primarily, it consists of a top section that has a tongue for fastening to the trailer hitch on the towing vehicle and a lifting device for lifting the bottom section which contains a cradle for the front wheel on the vehicle that is to be towed and the bottom section is secured to the top section by means of uprights that traverse inside the vertical members or masts on the top section.

Claims

1. A motorcycle towing device comprising:

a) a top section having,

1) a tongue secured to a trailer hitch of a towing vehicle,

2) at least one mast having a bottom end and a top end, said bottom end securely attached to said tongue, said at least one mast extending vertically up from said tongue,

3) a hand winch attached to said top end of said at least one mast, and,

4) a winch strap having a first end and a second end, said first end attached to said hand winch such that said hand winch extends and retracts said winch strap; and

,

b) a bottom section having,

1) at least one upright having a bottom end and a top end, said at least one upright traversing inside said at least one mast of said top section, and,

2) cradle means attached to said bottom end of said at least one upright for supporting a front wheel of the motorcycle, said second end of said winch strap attached to said cradle means for lifting and lowering said bottom section, said cradle means having,

A) two horizontal rails attached to said at least one upright,

B) at least one spacer attached between said two horizontal rails and forming a cradle for a front wheel of said motorcycle,

C) two vertical pull rods having a top end, a middle portion and a bottom end, said bottom end attached to one of said two horizontal rails, and

D) a cross bar attached to said top ends of said two vertical pull rods and attached to said second end of said winch strap.

2. The motorcycle towing device according to claim 1 further comprising,

a) at least one locking pin,

b) at least two locking apertures formed in said at least one upright and said least one mast such that when said bottom section is in a raised position, said locking apertures a line permitting said at least one locking pin to pass through said locking apertures of said at least one mast and said at least one upright.

3. The motorcycle towing device according to claim 2 further including at least one diagonal support rod, said at least one diagonal support rod having a first end and a second end, said first end attached to said middle portion of one of said vertical pull rods and said second end attached to one of said two horizontal rails.

4. The motorcycle towing device according to claim 3 further including trailer hitch locking means for securing said tongue to a class III trailer hitch.

5. The motorcycle towing device according to claim 4 wherein said trailer hitch locking means includes,

a) a hitch locking aperture formed in said tongue, and,

b) a hitch locking pin moveable through said locking aperture.

6. A towing apparatus for two wheeled vehicles comprising:

a) a bottom section means for supporting one wheel of a two wheeled vehicle, said bottom section means having,

1) a cradle portion having,

A) two horizontal rails attached to said at least one upright,

B) at least one spacer attached between said two horizontal rails and forming a cradle for a front wheel of the two wheeled vehicle,

C) two vertical pull rods having a top end, a middle portion and a bottom end, said bottom end attached to one of said two horizontal rails, and,

D) a cross bar attached to said top ends of said two vertical pull rods, and,

2) at least one upright;

b) lifting means engaged with said cradle portion at said cross bar for raising and lowering said bottom section means; and

,

c) top section means for attaching to a towing vehicle and for supporting said lifting means, said top section means having at least one mast wherein said at least one upright of said bottom section means traverses inside said at least one mast of said top section means.

7. The towing apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said lifting means includes at least one diagonal support rod means connected between said middle portion of one of said pull rods and said cradle portion of said bottom section for providing support to said cradle portion.

8. The towing apparatus according to claim 7 further including at least one locking pin means for securing said at least one upright of said bottom section means to said top section means when said bottom section means is in a raised position.

9. The towing apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said top section means includes a tongue for attaching said top section means to a trailer hitch of said towing vehicle.

10. The towing apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising a tongue locking pin means for securing said tongue to said trailer hitch.

11. The towing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said lifting means includes a hand winch attached proximate to a top of said at least one mast, said hand winch having a winch strap connecting said hand winch to said cross bar.

12. A towing apparatus for towing a two wheeled vehicle comprising:

a) a towing vehicle;

b) said two wheeled vehicle; and

,

c) a towing device attached to the rear of said towing vehicle, said towing device having,

1) a bottom section means for supporting a front wheel of said two wheeled vehicle, said bottom section having,

a) a cradle portion having

A) two horizontal rails attached to said at least one upright,

B) at least one spacer attached between said two horizontal rails and forming a cradle for a front wheel of said two wheeled vehicle,

C) two vertical pull rods having a top end, a middle portion and a bottom end, said bottom end attached to one of said two horizontal rails, and

D) a cross bar attached to said top ends of said two vertical pull rods, and,

b) at least one vertical upright attached to an end of said cradle portion,

2) a lifting means for raising and lowering said bottom section, said lifting means engaging said cradle portion at said cross bar and,

3) a top section means for supporting said lifting means and for securing said towing device to said towing vehicle, said top section means having,

a) a tongue secured to said towing vehicle, and

b) at least one vertical mast having a top and a bottom, said bottom attached to said tongue and said top secured to said lifting means.

13. The towing apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said lifting means is comprised of,

a) a hand winch attached to said at least one vertical mast and having a winch strap,

b) said cross bar attached to said winch strap.