Installation for lowering a kickstand arranged on a motorcycle

An installation for swinging down a kickstand arranged at a motorcycle which is pivotally connected to the frame and is adapted to be swung down into the parking position by means of at least one swivel cylinder adapted to be acted upon with a pressure medium from a pressure reservoir and pivotally connected, on the one hand, at the frame and at the other, at the kickstand; the pressure reservoir is thereby prestressed by a device arranged at the motorcycle which is actuated during the operation of the motorcycle.

The present invention relates to an installation for lowering a kickstand 
arranged at a motorcycle, which is pivotally connected to the frame and is 
adapted to be swung into the parking position by means of at least one 
swivel cylinder pivotally connected, on the one hand, at the frame, and on 
the other, at the kickstand and acted upon with pressure medium from a 
pressure reservoir. 
Such an installation as disclosed, for example, in the German 
Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,246,594, offers the advantage that the driver is 
able to stand up or prop up the motorcycle nearly without human effort, 
which naturally would be very high with heavy motorcycles. 
The known installation, however, entails the disadvantage that the pressure 
reservoir containing the pressure medium has to be always refilled at a 
filling station. This may be forgotten so that the system does not 
function; on the other hand, a pressure loss is unavoidable as a rule with 
such types of systems after the last filling operation, which may have as 
a consequence, a failure of the installation. However, with a failure of 
the pressure system, a motorcycle equipped with the prior art installation 
can no longer be brought into the parking position or be held in the same. 
It is the aim of the present invention to so construct an installation of 
the aforementioned type that the pressure medium present in the pressure 
reservoir is automatically stressed or pressurized during the driving 
operation. 
The underlying problems are solved according to the present invention in 
that the pressure reservoir or pressure storage device is prestressed by 
an installation arranged at the motorcycle, which is actuated during the 
operation of the engine and/or during the driving operation of the 
motorcycle. 
For example, the exhaust gases, the vacuum of the engine or the dynamic 
pressure resulting during the drive of the motorcycle may serve as energy 
source for the installation prestressing the pressure reservoir or 
pressure storage device. With another particularly preferred embodiment of 
the present invention, the pressure reservoir is prestressed by a pump 
arranged at the motorcycle which is actuated during the inward and/or 
outward spring deflection of the radius arm or of the telescopic fork. 
In addition to avoiding the disadvantages of the prior art installation, it 
is advantageous with the present invention that no additional energy is 
necessary for prestressing the pressure reservoir or pressure storage 
device since, in each case, the energy is utilized which is produced 
during the operation of the engine or during the driving operation of the 
motorcycle. Furthermore, an advantage of the present invention resides in 
that after each operation of the motorcycle, the pressure reservoir has 
always been automatically prestressed. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an 
installation for actuating a kickstand of a motorcycle which avoids by 
simple means the aforementioned shortcomings and drawbacks encountered in 
the prior art. 
Another object of the present invention resides in a kickstand actuating 
installation for motorcycle which obviates the need for refilling the 
pressure storage device at a filling station. 
A further object of the present invention resides in an installation for 
lowering a kickstand of a motorcycle which not only minimizes the danger 
of failure of the installation but additionally is simple in construction 
and reliable in operation. 
A still further object of the present invention resides in an installation 
for motorcycle kickstands of the type described above which utilizes 
already existing energy produced during the operation of the motorcycle to 
prestress the pressure storage device.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals are used 
throughout the various views to designate like parts, a motorcycle 
illustrated in FIG. 1 is equipped with a kickstand generally designated by 
reference numeral 1 which is pivotally connected to the frame 2. A swivel 
cylinder 3 is used to swing or pivot the kickstand 1 from the driving 
position A, indicated in dash lines, down into the parking position B, 
shown in full lines, which swivel cylinder is pivotally connected, on the 
one hand, with its piston rod 3' at the frame 2 and, on the other hand, 
with its cylinder housing at the kickstand 1. 
The swivel cylinder 3 which is acted upon by pressure oil and is effective 
as pressure cylinder is fed from a pressure reservoir or pressure storage 
device 4 of any known construction fixedly arranged on the frame, which, 
in its turn, is fed by a pump 5 mounted at the frame 2. The pump 5 is 
provided with a transmission lever 5' that is pivotally connected with a 
radius arm 6. The radius arm 6 which is pivotally connected at the frame 2 
and is adapted to pivot up and down, oscillates during the driving 
operation of the motorcycle and thereby actuates the pump 5 which sucks-in 
the pressure oil from a pressure medium tank or sump 15 schematically 
illustrated in FIG. 4, and feeds the same by way of a pressure line 7 to 
the pressure reservoir or pressure storage device 4 and from the latter to 
the swivel cylinder 3 under interconnection of a pressure limit valve 8, 
of a throttle 20 and of a control valve 9. Similarly, the pump 5 may also 
be actuated by the front telescope fork 11 or possibly also by a rear 
telescoping fork or by a shock absorber of the motorcycle. In the lefthand 
portion of FIG. 1 a pump 21 is shown wherein a transmission lever 22 is 
pivotally connected with the telescope fork 11 which oscillates during the 
driving operation. The drive connection of the pump 5 may be constructed 
disconnectible so that the pump may be selectively rendered inoperable, 
for example, during longer motorcycle drives. It is also possible by the 
use of conventional means to construct the drive connection of the pump 
disconnectible in dependence on the maximum pressure of the pressure 
medium. 
As shown in FIG. 2, a compression spring 12 is arranged on the piston rod 
3' of the swivel cylinder 3, which is supported, on the one hand, at the 
frame 2 and, on the other, at the cylinder housing of the swivel cylinder 
3. The kickstand 1 is loaded by the compression spring 12 both in its 
driving position designated by reference character A as also in the 
parking position designated by reference character B. The respective end 
positions of the kickstand 1 is limited by abutments 13 and 14. The 
kickstand 1 consists of two girder members 10 which are connected with 
each other by two transverse connecting members 10' disposed one above the 
other. 
The pivot axis of the kickstand 1 at the frame is designated in FIG. 2 by 
a, the point of pivotal connection of the swivel cylinder 3 on the side of 
the frame by b and the point of pivotal connection of the pivot cylinder 3 
at the kickstand 1 by c. An ideal connecting line d exists between the 
pivot axis a of the kickstand 1 and the point of pivotal connection b of 
the swivel cylinder 3 on the side of the frame. With a swung-up kickstand 
1, i.e., disposed in the driving position A, the point of pivotal 
connection c lies above the connecting line d. It is achieved by this 
measure that the kickstand 1 is held in the driving position A by the mere 
spring action of the compression spring 12 directed, on the one hand, 
against the point of pivotal connection b and, on the other, against the 
point of pivotal connection c, whereby the girder members 10 each abut at 
an abutment 13. 
The kickstand 1 is displaced into the parking position B in that it is 
pivoted down or swung out from the driving position A initially by muscle 
power up to a point slightly beyond the connecting line d; if the point of 
pivotal connection c of the pivot cylinder 3 which thereby pivots about 
the pivot axis a along a circular arc is congruent with the connecting 
line d, the pivotal connection system consisting of the parts 1, 3, and 3' 
is thereby in the dead-center position; until the dead-center position is 
reached, the compression spring 12 is compressed. After passing the 
dead-center position in the direction toward the road surface, the 
kickstand 1 is now swung or pivoted down automatically up to about the 
area of the road surface owing to the spring force of the compression 
spring 12 which now becomes effective. 
In this position takes place the hydraulic actuation of the swivel cylinder 
3 and therewith the further pivotal movement of the kickstand 1 into its 
parking position B. A schematic diagram of the hydraulic system is 
illustrated in FIG. 4. The control valve 9 actuated by means of a 
pushbutton switch 23 or the like--which is appropriately arranged at the 
handlebar of the motorcycle--remains during the actuation of the 
push-button switch in the shifting position I and after the release 
thereof returns automatically back into the shifting position II. If the 
control valve 9 is in this shifting position II, then the pressure oil 
supplied as mentioned hereinabove by the pump 5, is fed by way of the 
pressure line 7 into the pressure reservoir or pressure storage device 4 
whose compressible energy-storing means--a gas or a mechanical spring--is 
prestressed thereby up to a maximum pressure. In case this maximum 
pressure is exceeded as a result of a continuing actuation of the pump 5, 
the pressure limit valve 8 which may possibly be constructed adjustable, 
responds and the pressure oil can flow back by way of the return line 16 
into the pressure medium tank or sump 15. However, it is also feasible 
within the scope of the present invention to actuate the control valve 9 
by a control contact which, in its turn, cooperates with the swivel 
cylinder 3 when pivoting down. 
In the shifting position I of the control valve 9, the pressure reservoir 
or storage device 4 is in communication with the pressure space 3" of the 
swivel cylinder 3 by way of the pressure lines 7 and 7' so that the piston 
rod 3' is extended in the direction E by the pressure oil present in the 
pressure reservoir or storage device 4 and fed into the pressure space 3" 
by the prestressed energy-storing means thereof, and therewith the 
kickstand 1 is pivoted into the parking position B, whereas a check valve 
17 interconnected in the pressure line 7 closes in the direction toward 
the pump 5. The end position of the downward pivot movement of the 
kickstand 1 is limited by the abutment 14. 
A refill suction line 18 leading to the pressure medium sump 15 terminates 
in the pressure line 7' leading from the control valve 9 to the pressure 
space 3" of the swivel cylinder 3, and is provided with a check valve 19 
opening in the direction toward the pressure space 3". The refill suction 
line 18 enables fresh oil to be sucked-in out of the pressure medium sump 
15 by the vacuum resulting in the pressure space 3" of the swivel cylinder 
3 when the kickstand 1 pivots down between the dead-center position of the 
pivotal connecting system and the area of the road surface, whereby 
considerably smaller pressure losses result due to the by-pass of the 
control valve 9 and the kickstand 1 can be swung out or pivoted down 
somewhat more effortlessly. 
The pivoting movement of the kickstand 1 from the parking position B into 
the driving position A takes place in a known manner by muscle power, 
whereby the motorcycle is most appropriately pushed so far in the driving 
direction until the kickstand 1 is swung or pivoted into the area of the 
road surface plane; thereupon, the kickstand 1 is pivoted or swung up by 
muscle power up to the area of the dead-center position of the pivotal 
connecting system, whereby the compression spring 12 is continuously 
compressed. With an upward pivoting of the kickstand which takes place 
beyond the dead-center position of the pivotal connecting system, the 
spring force of the compression spring 12 which was stored during the 
preceding upward pivoting movement of the kickstand 1, commences to 
unstress or release, whereby the kickstand 1 is pivoted by the spring 
force up to its end position limited by the abutment 13 and is retained in 
this position during the driving operation of the motorcycle always 
spring-loaded. During the upward pivoting movement of the kickstand 1, the 
piston rod 3' of the swivel cylinder 3 is displaced in the direction of 
arrow F, and the pressure oil present in the pressure space 3" is 
expelled, which flows back into the pressure medium sump 15 by way of the 
lines 7' and 16. 
In case of failure of the hydraulic actuation of the swivel cylinder 3, the 
kickstand 1 can be pivoted into the parking position B by muscle power in 
the usual manner. 
Within the scope of the present invention, air may also be used as pressure 
medium for actuating the swivel cylinder. The installation according to 
the present invention can also be installed into already existing 
motorcycles with slight expenditures in work and costs. 
While I have shown and described only one embodiment in accordance with the 
present invention, it is understood that the same is not limited thereto 
but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to those 
skilled in the art, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the 
details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes 
and modifications as are encompassed by the scope of the appended claims.