Motorcycle hitch assembly

Abstract

A motorcycle hitch assembly couples a motorcycle to a trailer allowing the motorcycle to easily turn a corner. A yoke assembly connected to the motorcycle has a kingpin and a cotter-pin. A tow hitch assembly is mounted to the trailer and has an elongated towing arm with a circular socket with an inner spherical surface and a radial ball mounted on and secured to the kingpin by the cotter pin. The radial ball is supported in the circular socket of the elongated towing arm and has an outer spherical surface engaging the inner spherical surface of the circular socket for rotational movement of the radial ball about the kingpin to allow free movement of the motorcycle in various planes while maintaining the trailer in a fixed plane. The circular socket is a one piece construction or a two piece construction.

Claims

1. A motorcycle hitch assembly for connecting a motorcycle to a trailer, comprising: a yoke assembly for connecting to the motorcycle, the yoke assembly comprising: a mounting plate having an aperture, an upper surface, and a lower surface; an elongated kingpin having a first portion with threads and a second portion with an aperture; a cotter-pin arrangement received in the aperture of the kingpin; a first mounting nut threadably secured to the threads of the first portion of the elongated kingpin and located adjacent to the mounting plate to abut the lower surface of the mounting plate; and a second mounting nut threadably secured to the threads of the first portion of the elongated kingpin and located adjacent to the mounting plate to abut the upper surface of the mounting plate; the first mounting nut and the second mounting nut arranged to securely affix the elongated kingpin in the mounting plate and to extend the second portion of the elongated kingpin upwardly from the mounting plate; and a tow hitch assembly for mounting to the trailer, the tow hitch assembly comprising: a sleeve; an elongated towing arm connected to the sleeve and having a circular socket with an inner spherical surface; a radial ball mounted on the second portion of the elongated kingpin and fixedly secured to the elongated kingpin by the cotter-pin arrangement; the radial ball being rotationally supported in the circular socket of the elongated towing arm and having an outer spherical surface corresponding to and engaging the inner spherical surface of the circular socket of the elongated towing arm for rotational movement, the radial ball having a portion of its outer spherical surface projecting outwardly from the circular socket to provide a surface area for the elongated towing arm to pivot about the outer spherical surface of the radial ball to provide as much as 90 degrees of pivoting of the motorcycle in various planes while maintaining the elongated towing arm of the tow hitch assembly and the trailer in a horizontal plane.

2. The motorcycle hitch assembly of claim 1, wherein the cotter-pin arrangement includes a cotter-pin and a semi-circular hoop member for securely locking the radial ball onto the kingpin.

3. The motorcycle hitch assembly of claim 1, wherein the elongated towing arm comprises a one-piece circular member forming the circular socket.

4. The motorcycle hitch assembly of claim 1, wherein the elongated towing arm comprises at least two semi-circular members forming the circular socket.

5. The motorcycle hitch assembly of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of bolts for connecting the two semi-circular members together as a unit.

6. A hitch assembly for connecting a towing vehicle to a towed vehicle, the hitch assembly, comprising: a yoke assembly for connecting to the towing vehicle, the yoke assembly comprising: an elongated kingpin having an upper portion with an aperture; a cotter-pin arrangement received in the aperture of the kingpin; and a tow hitch assembly for mounting to the towed vehicle, the tow hitch assembly comprising: an elongated towing arm having a circular socket with an inner spherical surface; a radial ball mounted on the elongated kingpin of the yoke assembly and fixedly secured to the elongated kingpin by the cotter-pin arrangement; the radial ball being rotationally supported in the circular socket of the elongated towing arm and having an outer spherical surface engaging the inner spherical surface of the circular socket of the elongated towing arm, the radial ball having a portion of its outer spherical surface projecting outwardly from the circular socket to provide a surface area for the elongated towing arm of the tow hitch assembly to pivot about the outer spherical surface of the radial ball to provide as much as 90 degrees of pivoting of the towing vehicle in various planes while maintaining the elongated towing arm of the tow hitch assembly and the towed vehicle in a horizontal plane.

7. The hitch assembly of claim 6, wherein the cotter-pin arrangement includes a cotter-pin and a semi-circular hoop member for securely locking the radial ball onto the kingpin.

8. The hitch assembly of claim 6, wherein the elongated towing arm comprises a one-piece member forming the circular socket.

9. The hitch assembly of claim 6, wherein the elongated towing arm comprises at least two members forming the circular socket.

10. The hitch assembly of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of bolts for connecting the at least two members together as a unit for retaining the radial ball in the circular socket of the elongated towing arm.

11. The hitch assembly of claim 6, wherein the yoke assembly further comprises a nut arrangement for securing the elongated kingpin to the yoke assembly.

12. A motorcycle hitch assembly for connecting a motorcycle to a trailer, comprising: a yoke assembly for connecting to the motorcycle and comprising an elongated kingpin; and a tow hitch assembly for mounting to the trailer and comprising an elongated towing arm with a ball and socket assembly; the ball of the ball and socket assembly having a spherical surface and being supported by the kingpin for rotation in the socket of the ball and socket assembly, the ball having a portion of its spherical surface projecting outwardly from the socket to provide a surface area for the elongated towing arm to pivot about the spherical surface of the ball to provide as much as 90 degrees of pivoting of the motorcycle in various planes while maintaining the elongated towing arm of the tow hitch assembly and the trailer in a horizontal plane.

13. The motorcycle hitch assembly of claim 12, further comprising a nut arrangement for mounting the kingpin to the yoke assembly.

14. The motorcycle hitch assembly of claim 12, wherein the ball has an axial aperture which receives the kingpin for mounting of the ball to the kingpin, and further comprising a cotter pin arrangement having a leg received in the aperture of the kingpin and a hoop for securing the ball to the kingpin.

15. The motorcycle hitch assembly of claim 12, wherein the elongated towing arm of the tow hitch assembly comprises a one piece construction forming the socket of the ball and socket assembly.

16. The motorcycle hitch assembly of claim 12, wherein the elongated towing arm of the tow hitch assembly comprises a two-piece construction forming the socket of the ball and socket assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective elevation view illustrating a motorcycle towing a trailer using a motorcycle hitch assembly of the invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of the motorcycle hitch assembly of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the motorcycle hitch assembly of FIG. 2.

(5) FIG. 4 is an enlarged, schematic top view of a first embodiment for the elongated towing arm of the tow hitch assembly of the invention with a circular aperture retaining a radial spherical ball.

(6) FIG. 5 is an enlarged, schematic, exploded top view of a second embodiment for the elongated towing arm of the tow hitch assembly of the invention with a circular aperture retaining a radial spherical ball.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) Referring to the drawings, the invention will now be described in more detail.

(8) FIG. 1 illustrates a motorcycle hitch assembly 10 for connecting a motorcycle 20 to a trailer 30. Motorcycle hitch assembly 10 comprises a yoke assembly 50 having spaced-apart legs 52, 54 connected to motorcycle 20 through suitable means not shown but known to those skilled in the art; and a tow hitch assembly 170 mounted to the trailer 30, more about which is discussed herein below.

(9) Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, yoke assembly 50 comprises a mounting plate 70 to which supports legs 52, 54 (FIG. 1) are attached through suitable means. As clearly shown in FIG. 2, mounting plate 70 has a first end 72, a second end 74, an upper surface 76, a lower surface 78 and an aperture 80 extending through the thickness of mounting plate 70 from the upper surface 76 to the lower surface 78. Yoke assembly 50 further comprises a kingpin 90 which extends in aperture 80 of mounting plate 70 in in upward fashion. Kingpin 90 is mounted in mounting plate 90 via a mounting nut assembly comprising a first mounting nut 92 and a second mounting nut 94. First mounting nut 92 is threadably secured to the threads of the first portion 96 of the elongated kingpin 90 and abuts against the lower surface 78 of the mounting plate 70. Second mounting nut 94 is threadably secured to the threads of the first portion 96 of the elongated kingpin 90 and abuts against the upper surface 76 of mounting plate 70. A washer element 98 is arranged against second mounting nut 94.

(10) As best shown in FIG. 3, kingpin 90 has a second or upper portion 100 with an aperture 102 extending along a transverse axis of kingpin 90, which receives a cotter-pin arrangement 104 which has a leg 103 and a hoop 105, more about which is discussed herein below. Upper portion 100 of kingpin has a smooth outer surface whereas the first portion 96 of elongated kingpin 90. The first mounting nut 92 and the second mounting nut 94 are arranged to securely affix the elongated kingpin 90 in mounting plate 70 and to extend the upper portion 100 of the elongated kingpin 90 upwardly from the mounting plate 70.

(11) Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, tow hitch assembly 170 is mounted to trailer (FIG. 1). Tow hitch assembly 170 comprises a sleeve 106; an elongated towing arm 114 connected to sleeve 106; and a radial ball and socket assembly 116 arranged at end 118 of elongated towing arm 114. As shown in FIG. 1, sleeve 106 is connected to a Y-assembly 108 of trailer 30 via bolt assemblies 110, 112 which are received in apertures 120, 122 of sleeve 106 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. As best shown in FIG. 3, the radial ball and socket assembly 116 comprises a circular socket 124 with an inner spherical surface 126. Radial ball 128 has an outer spherical surface 130 corresponding to and engaging the inner spherical surface 126 of circular socket 124. It is to be appreciated that the inner spherical surface 126 of circular socket 124 is structured to fixedly retain radial ball 128 therein while allowing radial ball 128 to freely rotate within circular socket 124.

(12) As best shown in FIG. 3, radial ball 128 also has two diametrically opposed flat surfaces 130, 132 and an aperture 134 extending from flat surface 130 to flat surface 132. It is to be appreciated that radial ball 128 is mounted on the upper portion 100 of the elongated kingpin 90 and fixedly secured to the elongated kingpin 90 by the cotter-pin arrangement 104. This is achieved by raising elongated towing arm 114 above elongated kingpin 90 such that the aperture 134 of radial ball 128 is aligned with upper portion 100 of kingpin 90 and then elongated towing arm 114 is lowered such that upper portion 100 of kingpin 90 is received in aperture 134 of radial ball. Once this is done, leg 103 of cotter-pin arrangement 104 is inserted into aperture 102 of kingpin 90 and hoop 105 of cotter-pin arrangement 104 is swiveled downwardly to secure cotter-pin arrangement 104 in aperture 102 of kingpin 90. In effect, radial ball and socket assembly 116 with elongated towing arm of tow hitch assembly 170 is attached to yoke assembly 50 connected to motorcycle 20.

(13) In order to release tow hitch assembly 170 from yoke assembly 50, cotter-pin arrangement 104 is removed from aperture 102 of elongated kingpin. Elongated towing arm 114 is raised high enough such that radial ball 128 clears upper portion 100 of elongated kingpin 90 and elongated towing arm 114 of tow hitch assembly 170 may be placed on the ground. This construction of the invention is such that tow hitch assembly 170 can be attached and detached easily relative to the motorcycle by only one person.

(14) The outer spherical surface of radial ball 128 engages the inner spherical surface 126 of circular socket 124 of the elongated towing arm 114. This rotational movement of radial ball 128 allows free movement of the motorcycle in various planes while maintaining the elongated towing arm and the trailer in a fixed plane. That is, when the motorcycle 20 is pivoted or leaning from one side to the other, radial ball 128 is moved with the movement of the motorcycle while the elongated towing arm 114 remains in a fixed horizontal position relative to the ground or road.

(15) As best shown in FIG. 5, the end of elongated towing arm 114 is comprised of two semi-circular members 113 and 115. This construction is better shown in FIG. 5 which show semi-circular member 113 and semi-circular member 115 bolted together by bolts 117 and 119, which are received in apertures 117a, 119a, respectively. As is apparent, semi-circular members 113 and 115 form circular socket 124 for rotatably supporting radial ball 128.

(16) FIG. 4 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention. As shown, the end of elongated towing arm 114 is comprised of one member 121 having circular socket 124 for rotatably supporting radial ball 128.

(17) While the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present invention without deviating there from. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications to come within the spirit and scope of the invention.