Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to an improved luggage rack
for a motorcycle.
Luggage racks for motorcycles are well known as shown in
United States Patent No 3,850,353 for example. Normally, each of
these known luggage racks are fixed in one position at the rear of
motorcycle, behind the rear wheel axle. In this position, the
rack is far enough away from the driver so as to allow room for
a passenger to ride behind the driver. This location of the luggage
rack can however lead to unstable, and thus dangerous, operation
of the motorcycle when the rack is heavily loaded, there is no
passenger, and the motorcycle is accelerated. The heavy load on
the rack behing the rear wheel axle adds a turning moment about
the rear wheel axle which, during heavy acceleration could lead to
the motorcycle flipping up and back about its rear wheel axle.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a
motorcycle luggage rack which can be moved between a front and a
rear position. In its front position, which is to be used when
there is no passenger, the rack is located where the passenger
would normally sit, thus bringing the load on the rack over the
rear wheels and closer to the center of gravity of the vehicle and
thereby minimizing unstable operating conditions. When a passenger
is to be carried, the rack then can be easily moved baclc to a
normal rear possition locating the load behing the rear wheel axle
and making room for the passenger.
Another object of the present inventionis to provide a
luggage rack of the above mentioned type, which is simple both in
construction and in operation owing to the presence of locking
means on the rack for quickly and accurately locating, and then
locking the same in the front or rear positions.
In accordance with the inventionlthe above objects are
achieved with a motorcycle luggage rack comprising platform means
,
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for carrying luggage and support means spaced below the platform
means for supporting the platform means. The support means com-
prises means for use in connecting the rack to a motorcycle. The
luggage rack also comprises means for movably connecting the plat-
form means to the support means so that the platform means can
move between a rear position and a forward position relative to
the support means. These connecting means include a pair of spaced
apart links extending down from each side of the platform to the
support means, each link being pivotably connected to the platform
means and support means. The luggage rack further comprises locking
means for locking the platform in either position relative to the
support means.
Preferably, the ]ocking means include a lock member forming
part thereof, which is located on each side of the rack. Each
lock member lies adjacent the links and is fixed to one of the
platform or support means. The locking means also includes means for
detachably connecting the lock member to a link in either position
of the platform means.
The invention will now be better understood with reference
to the following non-restrictive description of one embodiment of
a luggage rack accordin,g to the invention, taken in connection with
the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a side view of a motorcycle with a luggage rack
according to the present invention mounted thereon; .-
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the luggage rack shown
in Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a side view of the luggage rack shown in Figs 1
and 2, illustrating the rear and front positions thereof in solid
and dash lines respectively;
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal cross section view of the luggage
rack shown in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a cross-section view taken along line 5-5 of
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Fig. 3; and
Fig. 6 is a side view of a possible variant for the
luggage rack already shown in the same positions on Fig. 3.
The luggage rack 1 which is shown in Fig. 2, first
comprises a plat~orm 3 for carrying luggage thereon. The plat-
form 3 comprises a tubular outer frame member 5 having a generally
U-shaped appearance with spaced-apart cross-bars 7 extending be-
tween the legs 9 of the frame 5. The cross-bars 7 are generally
parallel to the base 11 of the frame 5.
The luggage rack 1 also comprises a support 15 spaced
beneath the platform 3 for supporting the platform. The support
15 comprises a pair of generally parallelsupport arm 17. A
slot 19 is provided at the front end 21 of each arm 17 for use in
attaching the rack to a motorcycle M as shown in Fig. 1. A hole
23 can be provided at the rear end 25 of each arm 17 for further
use in attaching the rack to the motorcycle.
Connecting means movably connect the platform 3 to the
support 15. These connecting means com~rise a pair of spaced-
apart links 31 and 33 extending down from each side of platform 3
to the support 15. The upper ends 35 and 37 of the links 31 and 33
respectively are pivotably connected by pivot members 39 and 41
respectively to the platform 3. More particularly, the upper link
ends 35 and 37 of each link pair are pivotably connected to a
lock memher 43 which is fixed to the leg 9 and extends down the-
refrom to lie adjacent the links 31 and 33. The lower ends 45 and
47 of the links 31 and 33 respectively are pivotably connected by
pivot members 49 and 51 respectively to an arm 17 of the support
15. The two pairs of pivoted links 31 and 33 permit the platform
3 to swing about lower pivot mer,lbers 49 and 51 and upper pivot
members 39 and 41 between front and rear positions relative to
the support 15 while remaining relatively parallel to the latter.
Means are provided for locking the platform 3 in either
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the front or rear positions. These locking means include the lock
member 43 fixed to each leg 9. Each lock member 43 comprises a
generally triangular-shaped plate member the base edge 55 of which
is fixed to the underside of the leg 9 of the frame 5 by welding
or other suitable means. The member 43 extends downwardly, lying
adjacent the links 31 and 33, toward the support arm 17 located
beneath the leg 9. The apex 59 of the member 43 is located about
halfway between the platform 3 and support 15 and a through-hole
61 is provided in the member adjacent the apex 59 as shown in
Fig. 5. Each link 31 and 33 has a through hole 63 and 65 respec-
tively therein approximately midway between its ends. The holes
63 and 65 preferably are threaded. With the platform 3 located in
its rear position, the hole 61 in the member 43 is aligned with
the hole 63 in the rear link 31, and with the platform 3 located
in its front position, the hole 61 in the member 43 is aligned with
the hole 65 in the front link 33. A locking bolt 67, having an
enlarged head 69 and a threaded shank 71, is passed through the
hole 61 in the member 43 and screwed in the hole 63 or 65 in the
link 31 or 33, depending on the position of the platform 3, to lock
the latter in place.
Instead of using a locking bolt 67, a nut, lock washer
and bolt assembly may be used to lock the platform means in either
position with the holes 63 and 65 left unthreaded. r
Advantageously, the luggage rack 1 further comprises
stop means for locating the platform 3 in either its front or rear
position. These stop means include a first rib or flange element
75 extending inwardly from the inner surface 77 of each plate
member 43. The rib 75 is angled to lie on the inside side edge
79 of the rear link 31 when the platform 3 is in its rear position
with the hole 61 in the member 43 aligned with the hole 63 in the
link 31. The stop means also include a second rib or flange element
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81 extending inwardly from the inner surface 77 of each plate
member 43. The rib 81 is angled to lie on the inside side edge
83 of the front link 33 when the platform means 3 is in its front
position with the hole 61 in the member 43 aligned with the hole
65 in the link 33 (see Figs 4 and 5).
In use, the luggage rack 1 is mounted on a motorcycle M
by attaching the front ends 21 of the support arms 17 to the motor-
cycle frame through bo]ts 87 attaching the motorcycle shock absor-
bers 89 to the frame as shown in Fig. 1. The bolts 87 pass through
the slots 19 in the arms 17. The middle portions and/or the rear
ends 25 of the arms 17 can also be attached by suitable bolts and
brackets (not shown) either to the frame or to the rear licence
plate mounting bracket secured onto the mudguard 91 of the motor-
cycle depending on the motorcycle structure. When riding alone
on the motorcycle, the rider would move the platform 3 forwardly,
to its front position, up slightly and over the rear portion of the
seat 93 so as to locate any load on the platform means closer to
the center of gravity of the motorcycle. The platform 3 is moved
to its forward position by unscrewing the locking bolts 69 out of
the holes 63 in the rear links 31 to unlock the platform and when
swinging it forwardly about its pivot members 49 and 51 until
the front stop ribs 81 on the stop plates 43 about the inside
edges 83 of the front links 33 to limit the movement. When this
occurs, the platform 3 is in its desired forward position with the
holes 61 in the plates 43 now aligned with the holes 65 in the
front links 33 so that the locking bolts 69 can be screwed into the
holes 65 through the holes 61 to lock the platform in its front
position.
If a passenger is also to ride on the motorcycle, the
platform 3 is moved to its rear position, the rear stop ribs 75
locating the platform in its rear position where it is locked in
place.
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If desired, a back rest 101 can be mounted on the platform
3. The back rest 101 includes a back pad 103 mounted on a tubular
framc 105. The fraMe 105 has two legs 107 extending rearwardly
from its bottom portion. The legs 107 preferably are sized and
spaced to slicie into the opell etlds 109 of t~)e arms 9 oE the plat-
form frame 5. Suitable means, not shown, can lock the legs 107
in place within the arms 9. Preferably, the position of the back
rest 101 can be adjusted relative to the platform means 3 and the
back rest can be locked in place in any adjusted position.
~ hile the lock members 43 have been shown as being mounted
on the platform, they can also be mounted on the support. Also,
while the stop elements 75 and 81 have been shown as being part
of the lock members 43, they can be mounted separately from the
lock members 43, on their own support members on either the platform
or the support.
As can been seen on the Figures, the links 31 and 33
movably connecting the platform 3 to the support 15 an slightly
bent at approximatively mid-length, that is at the same level as
the apex 59 of the member 43 is located. This particular feature -~
advantageously gives an additional versatilityto the luggage rack
1 since it allows it to be used with any kind or shape of motorcycle
seat 93. Indeed, depending on the orientation given to thel front,
bent link 33, the platform 3 when located in its front position
may be at the same level as, or at a higher level than when located
in its rear position. If both links 31 and 33 are similarly bent
and orientated in the same direction as in particular shown in
Fig. 3, the platform 3 will stay in its front position where it
stands above the seat 93, at a higher level than in its rear
position where it stands behing the seat because of the dissymetry
of the links. This arrangement can be used Eor example when the
rear portion 94 of the seat 93 is raised and high. On the
other hand, if both links 31 and 33 are similarly bent lent in-
versely orientated with resp~c. to each other as shown in Fig. 6,
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the platform 3 with stay in its front position at the same level
as in its rear positionbecause of the perfect symmetry of the
links. This arrangement can be used when the rear position 94 of
the seat 93 is not too much raised.
To allow easy transformation of the luggage rack 1
from one possible arrangement of the links to the other one, the
pivot members 41 and 51 of the front linlcs 33 may advantageously
consist of easily removahle bolts and nuts to allow the consummer to
interchange himself the orientation of the front links 31 with
respect to the rear links 31.
