Angle-measuring gauge for motorcycles and the like

• US 7,089,674 B1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Burton D. Hendon
• Original Assignee: Burton D. Hendon
• Inventors: Hendon, Burton D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCALL, ERIC SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US11/116,584
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 73/17.5, 73/7, 73/8, 73/9, 731/04, 731/05, 701/1, 701/4, 701/37, 701/38, 333/28, 333/30, 33/1.M, 33/1.N
• US Class Current: 33/330
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/005 specially adapted for use in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/12 by using a single pendulum plumb lines G01C15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/14 movable in more than one direction

Abstract

An angle measuring guide includes a housing having a plurality of monolithically formed walls and an annular opening formed within selected ones of the walls. The rear wall has a planar surface for being directly mated with the motorcycle. A transparent lens is monolithically formed with the housing and directly connected thereto. A buoyant member is situated within the opening and the cavity. A predetermined quantity of high viscous fluid is contained within the opening and the cavity such that the fluid freely flows therebetween and supports the buoyant member at a free and suspended position during operating conditions. The buoyant member includes a stationary weight member connected to a bottom portion thereof and thereby anchors the buoyant member while allowing the buoyant member to freely rotate about one or both of the x-axis and y-axis.

Claims

1. A measuring device for determining terrain slopes while operating a motorcycle, said measuring device comprising:

a housing having a plurality of monolithically formed walls sized and shaped for being removably attached directly to a selected portion of the motorcycle, said housing further having an annular opening formed within selected ones of said walls in such a manner that the opening extends rearwardly from a front one of said walls and terminates anterior to a rear one of said walls;

a transparent lens monolithically formed with said housing and directly connected thereto, said lens covering an entire surface area of the opening and spaced forwardly of said rear wall, said lens protruding away from said housing and defining a cavity in fluid communication with the opening;

a buoyant member situated within the opening and the cavity, said buoyant member having surface indicia printed thereon for illustrating a plurality of degree-measuring markers defined about an x-axis and a y-axis, said buoyant member having a reference line registered at equilibrium when said housing is aligned with the x-axis and y-axis respectively; and

a predetermined quantity of high viscous fluid contained within the opening and the cavity such that the fluid freely flows therebetween and supports said buoyant member at a free and suspended position during operating conditions;

wherein said buoyant member includes a weight member connected to a bottom portion thereof and thereby anchors said buoyant member while allowing said buoyant member to freely rotate about one or both of the x-axis and y-axis, the rotation about one of the x-axis and y-axis results from application of a torque to another of the x-axis and y-axis when said buoyant member is spinning so that said measuring device offers considerable opposition depending on an angular momentum of any torque that would change the direction of the axis of spin.

2. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein said buoyant member has a spherical shape and said degree-measuring markers travel parallel to each other about an outer surface of said buoyant member, said degree-measuring markers having annular shapes and ranging between +90 and −

90 degrees.

3. The measuring device of claim 2, wherein said spherical buoyant member further rotates about a z-axis when torque is applied thereto.

4. The measuring device of claim 2, wherein said reference line is stationary and centrally registered about an equator of said spherical buoyant member and is aligned with a zero degree marker of said degree-measuring markers when said measuring device is maintained at equilibrium.

5. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein said buoyant member has a disc shape, said degree-measuring markers being oriented along an annular path and ranging between zero and 180 as well as zero and −

180 degrees.

6. The measuring device of claim 1, wherein said reference line is mobile and pivotal and centrally connected to said buoyant member, said weight member being directly connected to said pivotal reference line in such a manner that said pivotal reference line rotates about a fulcrum axis when said housing is biased from equilibrium.

7. A measuring device for determining terrain slopes while operating a motorcycle, said measuring device comprising:

a housing having a plurality of monolithically formed walls sized and shaped for being removably attached directly to a selected portion of the motorcycle, said housing further having an annular opening formed within selected ones of said walls in such a manner that the opening extends rearwardly from a front one of said walls and terminates anterior to a rear one of said walls;

a transparent lens monolithically formed with said housing and directly connected thereto, said lens covering an entire surface area of the opening and spaced forwardly of said rear wall, said lens protruding away from said housing and defining a cavity in fluid communication with the opening;

a buoyant member situated within the opening and the cavity, said buoyant member having surface indicia printed thereon for illustrating a plurality of degree-measuring markers defined about an x-axis and a y-axis, said buoyant member having a reference line registered at equilibrium when said housing is aligned with the x-axis and y-axis respectively; and

a predetermined quantity of high viscous fluid contained within the opening and the cavity such that the fluid freely flows therebetween and supports said buoyant member at a free and suspended position during operating conditions;

wherein said buoyant member includes a stationary weight member connected to a bottom portion thereof and thereby anchors said buoyant member while allowing said buoyant member to freely rotate about one or both of the x-axis and y-axis, the rotation about one of the x-axis and y-axis results from application of a torque to another of the x-axis and y-axis when said buoyant member is spinning so that said measuring device offers considerable opposition depending on an angular momentum of any torque that would change the direction of the axis of spin.

8. The measuring device of claim 7, wherein said buoyant member has a spherical shape and said degree-measuring markers travel parallel to each other about an outer surface of said buoyant member, said degree-measuring markers having annular shapes and ranging between +90 and −

90 degrees.

9. The measuring device of claim 8, wherein said spherical buoyant member further rotates about a z-axis when torque is applied thereto.

10. The measuring device of claim 8, wherein said reference line is stationary and centrally registered about an equator of said spherical buoyant member and is aligned with a zero degree marker of said degree-measuring markers when said measuring device is maintained at equilibrium.

11. The measuring device of claim 7, wherein said buoyant member has a disc shape, said degree-measuring markers being oriented along an annular path and ranging between zero and 180 as well as zero and −

180 degrees.

12. The measuring device of claim 7, wherein said reference line is mobile and pivotal and centrally connected to said buoyant member, said weight member being directly connected to said pivotal reference line in such a manner that said pivotal reference line rotates about a fulcrum axis when said housing is biased from equilibrium.

13. A measuring device for determining terrain slopes while operating a motorcycle, said measuring device comprising:

a housing having a plurality of monolithically formed walls sized and shaped for being removably attached directly to a selected portion of the motorcycle, said housing further having an annular opening formed within selected ones of said walls in such a manner that the opening extends rearwardly from a front one of said walls and terminates anterior to a rear one of said walls, said rear wall having a planar surface for being directly mated with the motorcycle;

a transparent lens monolithically formed with said housing and directly connected thereto, said lens covering an entire surface area of the opening and spaced forwardly of said rear wall, said lens protruding away from said housing and defining a cavity in fluid communication with the opening;

a buoyant member situated within the opening and the cavity, said buoyant member having surface indicia printed thereon for illustrating a plurality of degree-measuring markers defined about an x-axis and a y-axis, said buoyant member having a reference line registered at equilibrium when said housing is aligned with the x-axis and y-axis respectively; and

a predetermined quantity of high viscous fluid contained within the opening and the cavity such that the fluid freely flows therebetween and supports said buoyant member at a free and suspended position during operating conditions;

wherein said buoyant member includes a stationary weight member connected to a bottom portion thereof and thereby anchors said buoyant member while allowing said buoyant member to freely rotate about one or both of the x-axis and y-axis, the rotation about one of the x-axis and y-axis results from application of a torque to another of the x-axis and y-axis when said buoyant member is spinning so that said measuring device offers considerable opposition depending on an angular momentum of any torque that would change the direction of the axis of spin.

14. The measuring device of claim 13, wherein said buoyant member has a spherical shape and said degree-measuring markers travel parallel to each other about an outer surface of said buoyant member, said degree-measuring markers having annular shapes and ranging between +90 and −

90 degrees.

15. The measuring device of claim 14, wherein said spherical buoyant member further rotates about a z-axis when torque is applied thereto.

16. The measuring device of claim 14, wherein said reference line is stationary and centrally registered about an equator of said spherical buoyant member and is aligned with a zero degree marker of said degree-measuring markers when said measuring device is maintained at equilibrium.

17. The measuring device of claim 13, wherein said buoyant member has a disc shape, said degree-measuring markers being oriented along an annular path and ranging between zero and 180 as well as zero and −

180 degrees.

18. The measuring device of claim 13, wherein said reference line is mobile and pivotal and centrally connected to said buoyant member, said weight member being directly connected to said pivotal reference line in such a manner that said pivotal reference line rotates about a fulcrum axis when said housing is biased from equilibrium.