Abstract:
The leverage device is intended to be installed on motorcycle stands that currently use a hex head machine screw for width adjustment. It consists of a) a female hex portion to mate with the hex head of the machine screw, b) a lever portion to be actuated by the user and c) a flat bottom to keep it captive to the machine screw. The device allows the user to loosen the screw slightly for width adjustment then re-tighten it without the use of tools. The low profile device is installed on the motorcycle stand to become a permanent part of the stand, unlike a wrench that is separate.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to motorcycle stands. More particularly, this invention pertains to a method of adjusting a motorcycle stand from side to side to accommodate various widths of motorcycles. The invention requires no tools to operate and securely fixes the motorcycle stand at the desired width. 
         [0002]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , there is shown a rear motorcycle stand  5  used for raising the rear of a motorcycle  2  off the ground for maintenance. A rear motorcycle stand raises the rear of the motorcycle high enough off the ground for maintenance including rear wheel removal while keeping the motorcycle oriented vertically as viewed from the front or rear. Most rear motorcycle stands consist of a main chassis  10  with an upright structural member  12  on each side. On top of each structural member  12  rests a top support  14  that engages the motorcycle swing arm near the rear axle. The top supports  14  often have accommodations for width adjustment  16 . 
         [0003]    One common prior art method for width adjustment  16  involves a square tube  18  permanently fixed to the upright structural member  12 . A slightly smaller square tube  20  or square solid member is part of the top support  12  that includes a support plate  21  for engaging the motorcycle swing arm. The smaller square member  20  is allowed to move side-to-side with respect to the larger square tube  18 . The larger square tube  18  has a female threaded member permanently affixed to it. A screw  22  penetrates the threaded member that can be tightened against the smaller square member  20  to prevent side-to-side motion of the top support  14  to accommodate the width of the motorcycle. Typically, a knob  24  is integrated into the screw allowing width adjustment to be made without tools. A disadvantage of this method is that a loose fit often exists between the larger square tube and smaller square member. This results in a top support that does not securely hold the motorcycle. Pit Bull brand motorcycle stands have used the same method of width adjustment since 1994. Since that time, several other brands have used the same method. The Pit Bull method utilizes a vertically oriented hex head machine screw  26  threaded into the top of the upright structural member  12  to hold the top support  14  in position. To facilitate width adjustment and prevent the top support  14  from rotating, the top support  14  consists of two parallel bars  28  that fit around a raised guide (shown in  FIG. 6 ) on the upright structural member  12 . To adjust width, the screw  26  is loosened slightly and the top support  14  is slid to the desired position and then the screw  26  is re-tightened. 
         [0004]    The Pit Bull system has two advantages over the square tube system. First, the top support is held very securely once the screw  26  is tightened. Second, the outboard placement of the hex head machine screw allows the top support to be adjusted to a wider position. A disadvantage of the Pit Bull system is that a wrench is required to loosen and re-tighten the bolt. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is a leverage device that allows the hex head machine screw to be loosened and re-tightened using hand force only. The device allows complete width adjustment of a rear stand with no tools. Its shape conforms to the hexagonal-shaped head of the machine screw and has a protruding lever for hand actuation. it has a flat bottom with a through-hole that allows the screw head to retain it. It is a permanent part of the stand yet can be retrofitted to existing stands with no further alterations. If additional torque is desired, such as for a user with no desire to adjust the width of his motorcycle stand, the device can be over-ridden with a wrench or other leverage device. It is low profile so it does not interfere with operation of the stand. Since it is an integral part of the motorcycle stand, it does not have to be retrieved for use and therefore cannot get lost. 
         [0006]    The present invention has potential for wide spread applications in that it can be incorporated wherever it is desirable to tighten and loosen a screw without the use of tools. Other details and advantages of the present system are apparent in the following description, accompanying drawings and the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    A fuller understanding of the foregoing may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a motorcycle on a prior art rear motorcycle stand; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a prior art method of width adjustment for a rear motorcycle stand; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a prior art motorcycle stand; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view showing the relationship of the present invention to a rear motorcycle stand; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5A  is a top perspective view of the leverage device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5B  is a bottom perspective view of the leverage device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5C  is a perspective view of the leverage device, hex head screw and washer placed in an assembly configuration; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 6A and 6B  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention shown in an assembled configuration 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a view showing a large wrench used to exert additional force to invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a view showing a small wrench used to exert additional force to invention; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a view showing a screwdriver used to exert additional force to invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    The present invention is new device for use on rear motorcycle stands as configured under the brand Pit Bull and in use since 1994. Referring now to  FIGS. 4 through 6B , the invention is a leverage device  50  that allows the motorcycle stand to be adjusted without tools. The leverage device  50  is a retro-fit device that installs around the hexagonal sides  30  of a hex head  32  machine screw  26 . The leverage device  50  is uniquely tailored to meet the needs of the motorcycle stands in two ways. First, the device  50  has a low profile in that it does not extend taller that the screw head. The low profile design is necessary to allow clearance between the motorcycle and the motorcycle stand. Second, it has a lever  60  intended for rotations of ⅛ to ¼ turns. A relatively long lever would not be ideal for applications requiring continuous rotations due to limited side clearance but suits itself well to the specific motorcycle stand designs since only short strokes are needed to loosen/tighten the top support screw. 
         [0020]    The leverage device  50  is defined by having a device head  54  and a device lever  52  extending or radiating from the device head in a substantially straight plane. The leverage device  50  includes a substantially flat bottom portion  56 , which permits the device  50  to be captive relative to the screw  26 , such that the bottom portion  56  has limited relative rocking motion in relation to the top section of the top support  14  and more specifically to the two of the two parallel bars  28  (as shown in greater detail below). Extending from the bottom portion  56 , the leverage device  50  includes side walls  58  that form a channel  60  along the device lever  52  and form a enclosed head space  62  around the device head  54 . At the distal end of the device lever  52  there is an opening  64  formed, the use thereof is described in greater detail below. The enclosed head space  62  has an interior wall profile  66  that is shaped to engage or lock against the hex head  32  of the machine screw  26 , such that rotation of the leverage device  50  will rotate the screw  26  in either a locking or unlocking direction. A hole  68  is positioned in the bottom portion  56  about the device head  54  to permit the threaded section  34  of the screw  26  to pass there through such that the screw can operate normally. When inserted through the hole  68  the hex head  32  rests within the enclosed head space  62  and the threaded section  34  will be permitted to engage the threaded section  13  of the upright structural member  12 . 
         [0021]    A flat washer  70  is preferred under the bottom portion  56  of the leverage device  50  to prevent it from galling with respect to the top support  14  of the motorcycle stand. 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  the leverage device  50  is shown secured with the hex head screw to the top support  14 . As noted herein, a user can tighten and loosen the hex head screw by rotating the leverage device. This is due to the fact that the device arm extends a predetermined length such that a user is able to rotate the device head. Rotation as small as about ⅛ to ¼ turn can be accomplished and is in most circumstances all that is needed for loosening and tightening the hex head screw. 
         [0023]    A tool can be used in conjunction with the present invention to exert additional force, if desired. There are three different ways to apply additional force to the device as shown in  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  9  as described. First, a large wrench  100  fits around the device head  54  of the leverage device  50 ; second, a smaller wrench  110  fits around the device lever  52  of the leverage device  50 ; and third, a screwdriver  112  or similar leverage device fits between the side walls  58  in the channel  60  of the device lever  52 . 
         [0024]    As provided by one or more of the embodiments described herein there is provided in one example a motorcycle stand, having a base  10  and a pair of support members  12  connected to and extending outward from the base. Each support member  12  has an adjustable bracket  14  connected thereto by a hex head screw  26 . The adjustable brackets  14  include a u-shaped portion and a support plate  21  perpendicularly connected to one end of the u-shaped portion. The u-shaped portion includes two elongated rectangular shaped members  28  spaced apart from and parallel to one another to permit the threaded portion  34  of the hex head screw  26  to slide there-through for engagement with a threaded portion  13  in the support member  12 . Thus the loosening of the hex head screw  26  permits the adjustable bracket  14  to slide laterally towards or away from each other. The improvement in the motorcycle stand  5  comes from the inclusion of a leverage device  50 . 
         [0025]    The leverage device is positioned between a portion of the hex head screw and the adjustable bracket. The leverage device is defined to include a device head and a device arm extending from the device head. Side walls around peripheries of the device head and device arm form an enclosed head space around a portion of the device head and form a channel along the device arm. The side walls have at least an opening at the end of the device arm distal to the device head. The enclosed head space having an interior wall profile shaped to engage against an exterior surface of a portion of the hex head screw, such that rotation of the enclosed head space will rotate the hex head screw. In additional thereto, the device arm may further radiate from the device head in a substantially straight plane. In other aspects, the device head and device arm may include a substantially flat bottom portion such that the leverage device is captive relative to the adjustable bracket. The flat bottom may further include a hole positioned in the flat bottom portion about the device head permitting the threaded portion of the hex head screw to pass there through for engagement with the threaded portion in the support member. Furthermore, the side walls around the device head may extend to a height less than a height of a top portion of the hex head screw. In other aspects, the interior wall profile of the enclosed head space of the device head may include up to six different engagement positions wherein each engagement position sets the device arm at a different extended position from the hex head screw. 
         [0026]    In yet another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a leverage device for use with a hex head screw. The device includes a device head and a device arm extending from the device head. Side walls extend around peripheries of the device head and device lever to form a female hex enclosure around a portion of the device head and to form a channel along the device arm. The side walls may have at least an opening at the end of the device arm distal to the device head, The device head and device arm each include a flat bottom portion with a hole positioned in the flat bottom portion about the device head permitting a threaded portion of the hex head screw to pass there through for engagement with an external threaded member for securing the hex head screw to such external threaded member. The female hex enclosure has an interior wall profile shaped to engage against an exterior surface of a portion of the hex head screw, such that rotation of the enclosed head space will rotate the hex head screw. In other aspects, the device arm extends a predetermined length such that a user is able to rotate the device head about ⅛ to ¼ turn for loosening and tightening the hex head screw. 
         [0027]    From the foregoing and as mentioned above, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concept of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific methods and apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.