Abstract:
The present invention relates to an assembly for a trailer hitch for motorcycles that allows for easy attachment and an unobtrusive profile. The hitch assembly includes two (2) support ribs connected to the motorcycle frame and a cross piece to which a ball hitch is attached. The hitch assembly attaches to the frame of the motorcycle, regardless of whether the rear fender is a bob tail, a conventional fender or a low retro style; whether the wheel is a fat tire or not; and whether there are side bags or turn signals or not. The hitch assembly does not use supports mounted to the exterior of the wheel or hub. Further the hitch assembly in some embodiments can be installed such that it is not visible except for the ball hitch hanging down from the particular fender far enough to attach and detach a trailer tongue. In one embodiment the ball hitch is removably attached. The invention also addresses the potential height disparity between the ball hitch and the trailer tongue.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to an assembly for a trailer hitch for motorcycles that allows for easy attachment of the hitch and an unobtrusive profile. The invention addresses both the hitch assembly on the motorcycle and the potential height disparity between the ball and the trailer tongue.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Motorcycle enthusiasts are concerned about maintaining the clean lines and classic form of their vehicles. Motorcyclists take pleasure in the freedom and exhilaration that riding the highways bring. Trailers are occasionally needed or wanted to carry extra gear, such as for traveling or camping. Towing a trailer with a motorcycle is well known. However, to enable the attachment of a trailer, a hitch must be mounted to the motorcycle. Unfortunately, such hitches detract from the flowing lines and sleek impression of the motorcycle.  
           [0003]    Prior means for attaching hitch assemblies to a motorcycle have generally been to secure such hitches to the frame, rear struts, rear hub, or other substantial support location, or to a combination of these locations, by an exterior tube frame with bolts and nuts. The mounting process often requires significant disassembly of components or removal of the rear wheel. This is a major undertaking and thus, once such hitches are installed, they are not easily removed and become de facto permanent extensions to rear wheel and fender assemblies. As the majority of time a motorcycle is used it is not pulling a trailer, the unused hitches become unsightly, undesirable accessories.  
           [0004]    These hitches, which are quite prominent and highly visible, generally extend rearward from the attachment points on the motorcycle around the rear wheel and/or fender in a yoke-like form. They are even more unsightly and incongruous with bob tail or short fender motorcycles. Common hitches extend significantly beyond and below the fender. For low fender configurations, hitches must wrap around the fender to reach supportive attachment points and are therefore very obvious and unsightly as well.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The object of the present invention is to provide a trailer hitch for a motorcycle which does not detract from the aesthetics of the fender and rear end of the motorcycle. In one embodiment, the attachment points for the trailer hitch are located inside and underneath the rear fender. This allows the hitch assembly to be nested under and inside the rear portion of the fender as well and thus it is not readily visible. In other configurations, such as with fat tires where there is little extra room under the fender, the attachment points may be on the outside of the rear fender, however the hitch is designed to follow the contours of and blend with the fender.  
           [0006]    Specifically the hitch assembly attaches to the frame horn of the motorcycle as it rises up over the rear wheel. The hitch assembly is compatible with multiple fender styles such as conventional, bob tail, or a low retro style. Further, the hitch assembly may be designed to accommodate saddle bags and turn signals as well. Notably, the hitch assembly does not attach to or require support from the wheel or hub.  
           [0007]    In the case of a motorcycle with a short or “bobtail” fender, the connection of the hitch to the tongue of a trailer may be assisted through the use of a goose neck extension. The goose neck extension allows for proper attachment between the trailer and the motorcycle at the ball hitch or other hitching mechanism point by keeping the trailer tongue at the proper height such that the trailer maintains a level orientation. In other types of fenders, the assembly places the ball hitch at the right height.  
           [0008]    In an alternate embodiment of an under the fender hitch, the ball hitch or other hitching mechanism can be removed when not in use, thereby masking any external appearance of a trailer hitch assembly as it is hidden under the fender. In this version, the ball hitch is removably attached to the trailer hitch assembly by a pin and lock pin assembly. When not in use, the ball hitch is removed, leaving only the original fender visible. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one version of a motorcycle hitch assembly for a bobtail style fender with top notches to accommodate turn signals.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a perspective, cut-away view of the rear of a motorcycle with a version of the hitch assembly for a bobtail style fender installed inside of the fender.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rear of a motorcycle with a version of the hitch assembly for a bobtail style fender installed inside of the fender.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second version of a motorcycle hitch assembly with a removable ball hitch.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 is a perspective, cut-away view of a second version of a motorcycle hitch assembly with a removable ball hitch installed inside of the fender.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second version of a motorcycle hitch assembly with a removable ball hitch installed inside of the fender.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 a  is a side view of a motorcycle with the hitch assembly installed and the trailer attached.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a hitch assembly such as, shown in FIG. 7. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]    The rear fender  26  of a motorcycle, as shown for example in FIG. 1, is generally mounted to both the two fender struts  30  and the frame horn  28 . The frame horn  28  is that part of the motorcycle frame which extends behind the seat and up and over the rear wheel. As the frame horn rises, it splits like a yoke with two members spaced apart across the width of the wheel. The fender  26  is normally mounted on the interior of the frame horn  28 , between these yoke members of the frame horn  28 , and the fender struts  30  are mounted on the exterior of the frame horn  28 , one on each side of the motorcycle. The fender struts  30  can be chrome-plated pieces which cover the structural steel of the frame horn  28 . The fender  26  and the fender struts  30  are bolted to the frame horn  28  by bolts running through all three, sandwiching them together.  
         [0018]    The frame horn  28  does not extend all the way to the end of the fender  26  or back of the wheel. The fender struts  30  and fender  26  are generally attached to the frame horn  28  by several bolts closer to the seat. The fender  26  and fender struts  30  may be further connected by additional bolts where these parts extend beyond the tip of the frame horn  28 .  
         [0019]    The subject invention is a trailer hitch assembly  10  for a motorcycle which attaches to the normal frame horn  28 /fender  26 /fender strut  30  assembly. The trailer hitch assembly  10  is attached to the frame horn  28  at least one point. The frame horn  28  provides the primary support for the towing capacity of the trailer hitch assembly  10 . The hitch assembly  10  may be attached to the frame horn  28  with the same bolts or other common fasteners used to attach the fender  26  and fender struts  30 .  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 shows a first embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 1 shows the invention in practical application on a motorcycle. The motorcycle trailer hitch assembly  10  is comprised of two (2) substantially parallel side ribs  12  for attaching to the frame horn  28  and fender struts  30  of the motorcycle. At the rear most part of the hitch assembly  10  is a hitch base  16  to which a ball hitch  18  or other hitching mechanism is installed to mate with the tow bar attachment means of a trailer. The hitch assembly  10  may be made from structural steel or other suitable material that is able to withstand the vibration and weight bearing of the towing of motorcycle trailers.  
         [0021]    The hitch base  16  may be an extension of the side ribs  12 , and thus of unitary construction, or of separate construction incorporating a cross piece welded to each side rib  12  or attached by any suitable means such as rivets, removable pins, bolts or screws. FIG. 2 shows additional support for the hitch base  16  in the form of welded corner supports  14 .  
         [0022]    The hitch assembly  10  of this first embodiment may be mounted either underneath the fender  26  or on the outside of the fender  26  on top of the fender strut  30 . FIG. 1 shows a side view of the rear of a motorcycle incorporating an under the fender  26  hitch assembly  10 . FIG. 3 shows a top view, with the top of the fender  26  and fender strut  30  cut away to expose the frame horn  28 , the side rib  12 , the fender  26  and the fender strut  30 . In the depicted configuration, the fender strut  30  on one side of the motorcycle is connected to the frame horn  28  and the fender  26  by six standard bolts. The hitch assembly  10  is attached by utilizing three of the five bolts already present on the motorcycle.  
         [0023]    The hitch assembly  10  of FIG. 2 includes a forward notch  20  for each side rib  12  which fits around and engages the corresponding bolt shaft at the frame bolt position  32  as in FIG. 4. This bolt is already used to attach the fender  26  and fender strut  30  to the frame horn  28  at the frame bolt position  32 . This same attachment would occur on the opposite side of the motorcycle with the second side rib  12 . The forward notch  20  is formed such as to slip around the bolt at the frame bolt position  32  into a space between the head of the bolt and the underside of the fender  26  for an internal mount, or between the fender strut  30  and the nut on the bolt in an external application, when the bolt is loosened. It is intended that the bolt need not be entirely removed, but merely that the forward notch  20  be slipped into the spacing created when the bolt is loosened.  
         [0024]    The top notch  22  in each of the side ribs  12  is similarly attached either underneath the fender  26  or on top of the fender strut  30  depending on preference at tail light position  34  sliding top notch  22  into a similar spacing, created when the bolts at tail light positions  34  are loosened. This is again done without the necessity of removing the bolts. The top notches  22  may be wide enough as in FIG. 1 to accommodate in a fender strut  30  mounting, in addition to the bolts, side turn signal supports and their wiring that are sometimes installed at tail light position  34 . For motorcycles without side turn signals in tail light position  34 , the top notches  22  may be more narrow to merely fit around the bolts as in FIG. 4.  
         [0025]    In some configurations for side turn signals, the side turn signal supports may fully invoke the use of the bolts at tail light position  34 . In this case, the rear-most bolt connecting the fender  26  and fender strut  30  at strut bolt position  36  should be used to support the hitch assembly  10 . For this purpose, there is a rear hole  24  within in each side rib  12 , aligned with strut bolt position  36  for attachment at that point. Ideally, in all installations of the hitch assembly  10 , the rear hole  24  will be bolted to the fender  26  and fender strut  30  for added support. A hole rather than a notch is used in the hitch assembly  10  at the strut bolt position  36  to provide added stability to the mounting system of the hitch assembly  10 . Although this may require the entire removal of a bolt, this is not a major undertaking because the bolt at the strut bolt position  36  is easily accessible at the end of the fender  26  and the frame horn  28  does not extend this far.  
         [0026]    On some motorcycles, the fender strut  30  may not extend the full length of the fender  26  and therefore the hitch assembly  10  may be merely attached to the fender  26  at strut bolt position  36 . This attachment to the fender  26  may be accomplished with suitable common attachment means, including bolts with lock nuts or other anti-loosening means.  
         [0027]    As noted, the first embodiment of the hitch assembly  10  can be mounted on the inside of the fender  26  as in FIG. 2 or on the outside of the fender strut  30 . When the side ribs  12  are mounted inside the fender  26 , other than the hitch base  16  and the ball hitch  18 , no portion of the hitch assembly  10  is readily visible (See FIG. 1). When the side ribs  12  are mounted on the fender strut  30  they may be made to match the width, color and form of the fender strut  30  so as to easily blend with the natural look and lines of the motorcycle.  
         [0028]    The second embodiment of the hitch assembly as shown in FIG. 5 incorporates a removable hitch base  38 . This embodiment would generally be used in an inside the fender  26  configuration on motorcycles with conventional or low retro-style fenders  26  (see FIG. 7). When not in use, the hitch base  38  can be easily removed and the hitch assembly  10  would not be readily viewable as it is substantially hidden under the fender  26  as seen in FIG. 5. The removable hitch base  38  is not limited, however, to longer fenders, and may also be used with short bobtail fenders of the type in FIGS. 5 and 1.  
         [0029]    For conventional fenders  26  as in FIG. 7, the side ribs  12  of the hitch assembly  10 , FIG. 8, are longer than shown in the first embodiment of FIG. 2, with the rear portion extending and curving downward further behind the rear wheel to reach to the lowest point of the tail of the fender  26 . For low retro-style fenders, the side ribs  12  must be longer and extend even further as in FIGS. 7 and 8.  
         [0030]    To accommodate a removable hitch base, the hitch assembly incorporates a vertical hitch plate  42  instead of a horizontal hitch base  16 . The hitch plate  42  may be an extension of the side ribs  12 , and thus of unitary construction, or of separate construction incorporating a cross-piece welded to each side rib  12  or attached by any suitable means such as rivets, removable pins, bolts or screws. Mounted on the hitch plate  42  is a hitch plate mount  44 , which in the preferred embodiment is of square channel steel construction well known in the industry. One side of the square channel hitch plate mount  44  is attached to the hitch plate  42  in a vertical orientation.  
         [0031]    Upon the removable hitch base  38  is similarly mounted a hitch base mount  40  of square channel steel construction. One end of the hitch base mount  40  is attached to the removable hitch base  38  such that the square channel of the hitch base mount  40  rises in a vertical orientation. The hitch plate mount  44  and the hitch base mount  40  may be attached to the hitch plate  42  and removable hitch base  38 , respectively, via conventional such as with bolts, pins  46  or other fasteners, or if permanency is desired, via riveting, welding or other assembly.  
         [0032]    The square channel of the hitch base mount  40  is of slightly shorter perimeter such that it may easily slide into the square channel of the hitch plate mount. The removable hitch base  38  can then be securely connected to the hitch plate via one or more bolts, pins  46  or other similar attachment means. When the removable ball mount  38  is attached as shown in FIG. 5, it extends down below the tail of the fender, FIG. 1, and is available for attachment to the ball socket on the tongue of the trailer, FIG. 1. When not in use, removal of the removable hitch base  38  results in the remainder of the hitch assembly being hidden from view under the fender  26 .  
         [0033]    In installations on bobtail fender  26  motorcycles such as in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ball hitch  18  may be significantly higher than the ball socket on the tongue of the trailer. Generally, the trailer tongue should be kept level with the ground to maintain a good connection between the ball hitch  18  and the ball socket and prevent the rear of the trailer from scraping the ground. In order to attach the tongue of the trailer to the ball hitch  18  and maintain a strong connection and freedom of turning and movement, an extension piece  48  such as in FIG. 6 may be needed.  
         [0034]    In a preferred embodiment, the extension piece  48 , as shown on FIG. 6, is of square channel steel construction well known in the industry. The lower end  52  connects to the tongue. The upper end  50  then attaches to the ball socket for normal connection with the ball hitch  18 . Attachment means between the lower end  52  and the tongue of the trailer are conventional such as with bolts, pins  46  or other fasteners, or if permanency is desired, via riveting, welding or other assembly. The angle of incline of the gooseneck extension  48  is an acute angle, preferably between 30 and 60 degrees (30°-60°), and the length and height may vary depending on the particular combination of motorcycle and trailer.