Carrier for three-wheel motorcycle

A carrier assembly or rack for use on a three-wheel motorcycle, particularly on a three-wheel, all-terrain vehicle. The carrier includes a pair of leg members having one end attached to the foot rests and the other end attached to a generally U-shaped article support section with a pair of spaced side members having support means extending between them. A brace means is attached to the upper part of the motorcycle frame and also to one or more points of the article support means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
While three-wheel motorcycles have been commercially available for some 
time, their principal use has been generally the same as for conventional 
two-wheel motorcycles. Generally, they have been used primarily for 
transporting a driver and a passenger on streets and highways. These 
motorcycles are not generally suitable for use in fields or wooded areas 
because their small diameter tires can become easily mired in muddy 
terrain. 
Recently there has become available three-wheel motorcycles made especially 
for off-road and highway use. These motorcycles are equipped with extra 
large width, low pressure tires so that they can readily support their own 
and the passengers' weight in very muddy, soft or sandy terrain without 
becoming stuck. Thus, these motorcycles can easily cross very rugged or 
muddy open fields, hills, or heavily wooded even or uneven terrain. 
One of the principal uses made of the so-called All Terrain Vehicles 
(ATV's) or three-wheel motorcycles is on camping or hunting trips. In 
either or both of these uses, it is very desirable or, in fact, necessary 
to transport camping equipment to the camping site and to bring the game, 
such as deer, back from the woods. Unfortunately, most of the available 
three-wheel, all-terrain motorcycles do not provide any carrier for 
transporting camping equipment and/or game into and out of the camping 
and/or hunting site. 
In addition to the need for a carrier for articles on these vehicles, they 
also suffer from other disadvantages. In traveling through heavy 
underbrush, the riders' legs are exposed to thorn and briar bushes and 
vines while underway. Also, when climbing steep terrain, even though these 
vehicles have a low center of gravity, it is possible to turn them over 
sideways or tip them over backwards. Additionally, some models have an 
integrally formed fiberglass rear wheel cover-seat-shroud assembly which 
is easily broken if the rear of the vehicle hits a tree, rock or other 
obstacle. 
Thus, it can be seen that there is a genuine need for a rugged, strong 
carrier suitable for mounting on the rear of present three-wheel, 
all-terrain motorcycles. Such a carrier is needed for both the transport 
of camping and hunting equipment and game and also to provide an added 
degree of protection to the rider when traveling over bushy or steep 
sloping terrain. 
SUMMARY OF THE INENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier for a 
three-wheel motorcycle that provides a rugged frame to support camping 
equipment and/or game. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a carrier for a 
three-wheel motorcycle that can be readily fabricated from economical 
materials and easily attached to the vehicle. 
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a carrier 
for a three-wheel motorcycle that protects the rider from injury and the 
vehicle from damage when traveling through rugged and uneven terrain. 
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are achieved in a 
carrier assembly for attachment to the frame of a three-wheel motorcycle 
which includes a pair of opposed, spaced apart, upwardly extending leg 
members. The lower ends of the leg members are adapted for coupling to a 
lower portion of the motorcycle frame intermediate the front and rear 
wheels. A generally U-shaped article support section having a pair of 
spaced apart side members is attached to the upper end of the leg members 
and extends horizontally to the rear of the motorcycle and has article 
support means extending between the side members. Brace means are attached 
to the upper part of the frame at one of its ends and at one or more 
points to the U-shaped article support section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
As seen in FIG. 1, the carrier assembly of the present invention, 
designated generally by the numeral 10, is attached to and projects to the 
rear of a three-wheel motorcycle, designated generally by the numeral 11. 
While the carrier assembly of the present invention is adapted for use on 
any number of three-wheel motorcycles, the motorcycle depicted in FIG. 1 
in phantom is a Honda All Terrain Cycle (90 cc. engine). The motorcycle is 
equipped with a front steering wheel 12 and two rear wheels 13 (only one 
of which is shown) all of which carry large, low pressure tires 14 which 
have a wide tread that prevents the motorcycle from getting stuck or mired 
down in muddy or sandy terrain. The front steering wheel support yoke 15 
has attached thereto handlebars 16 and a front fender 17. The front and 
rear wheels are mounted on a main frame, only a central lower portion 18 
and a rear upper portion 19 being shown. The frame supports the gas tank 
20 and engine 21. The frame also supports the integral seat-shroud member 
22 which serves also as the rear fenders for the motorcycle. The 
seat-shroud member 22 snaps on and off the motorcycle frame for easy 
access to the engine and rear transmission of the motorcycle. 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings, the carrier assembly 10 
of the present invention in the embodiment illustrated includes a pair of 
upwardly and rearwardly extending, opposed, spaced apart leg members 
23--23. Each leg member includes an outwardly and upwardly inclined lower 
portion 23a and an upwardly inclined upper portion 23b. The lower portion 
23a of each leg member terminates in a bracket 24 that is attached by a 
bolt to the foot rest 25, which is, in turn, attached to the lower central 
portion 18 of the motorcycle frame. 
The upper ends of leg members 23--23 are attached to or integrally formed 
with the opposed, rearwardly extending side members 26--26 of the 
generally U-shaped support section, designated generally by the numeral 
27, of the carrier or rack 10. The U-shaped support section 27 includes a 
transverse rear or bottom cross member 28 and a plurality of spaced apart, 
upper cross members 29 extending between and attached to the side members 
26--26. The rear or bottom cross member 28 may be integrally formed with 
the rear or bottom ends 26a of the side members 26--26 or separately 
formed and attached thereto by welding. The upper cross members 29 are 
conveniently attached at each of their ends to the side members 26--26 by 
welding. Instead of separate upper cross members 29, the article support 
surface of the carrier or rack can be made by attaching semi-rigid, 
expanded, metal mesh or perforated or solid metal sheeting to the side 
26--26 and rear 28 members of the carrier. 
As seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, the support section 27 of the carrier or rack is 
supported above the seat-shroud member 22 by means of a brace structure, 
designated generally by the numeral 30. The brace structure includes a 
pair of spaced apart strut members 31--31 having their forward ends 
attached to the upper rear portion 36 of the frame by means of a bolt 32 
or other suitable means received in sleeve 37. If desired, additional 
strength and rigidity may be provided to the brace structure by attaching 
brackets 33--33 adjacent the ends of the strut members and bolting their 
ends to the frame or other suitable anchoring means. As seen more clearly 
in FIGS. 3 and 4, the strut members are attached at these rear ends by a 
strut cross member 34 welded thereto or integrally formed therewith. The 
brace structure also includes four vertical leg members 35 having their 
lower ends attached to strut members 31--31. Two of the leg members 35 
have their upper ends attached to the underside of bottom cross member 27 
and the other two leg members have the upper ends attached to the 
underside of the upper cross members 29, all attachments by welding. The 
brace structure portion of the carrier or rack provices a means of 
rigidity supporting the load-carrying portion of the carrier above the 
seat-shroud member of the motorcycle so that no weight of the carrier or 
its load is imposed on the shroud structure which in the case of the Honda 
ATV is made of a fiberglass reinforced plastic which can fracture if any 
substantial load is placed thereon. Also, the brace structure permits the 
easy removal and attachment of the seat-shroud structure while the carrier 
or rack is mounted on the motorcycle. 
While the before described brace structure is a preferred design, it is 
understood that other embodiments may function equally as well. For 
example, a single strut member may be used instead of two and only one 
vertical leg member used instead of two. Also, the leg member can be an 
integral part of the rear portion of the strut member merely by bending it 
upwardly a sufficient distance to assure that the carrier does not 
restrict installation and removal of the seat-shroud structure to the 
motorcycle. 
The carrier of the present invention may be formed from any suitable 
material. One of the preferred materials is rectangular, preferably 
square, metal tubing. Another preferred material is round metal tubing. 
The tubing may be of any suitable metal, for example, iron, steel or 
aluminum or their alloys. If a lighter weight carrier is desired, the 
tubing can be made from a suitable plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride or 
ABS. Both of the materials are readily commercially available in the form 
of pipe or conduit in suitable diameters and wall thicknesses. 
The carrier can be fabricated from metal tubing by bending the tubing to 
form the leg members, side members and rear cross member as a unit from a 
single piece of tubing. Alternatively, these members may be formed from 
rectangular tubing by notching and welding to form the necessary bends. 
The upper cross members can be attached by welding, or using "T" coupling, 
or bolting to the side members. The brace structure can also be formed by 
bending or notching and welding the tubing to form an integral structure, 
or a combination of bending and welding, if desired. The carrier can also 
be fabricated from solid metal rods by bending, welding, fastening by nuts 
and bolts, or any combination thereof. 
To fabricate the carrier from plastic tubing, the tubing can be shaped by 
heating and bending to form portions of the carrier and other components 
can be attached by use of "T" or "L" coupling solvent welded to the pipe 
sections to complete the carrier. 
From the foregoing, there can be seen that the present invention provides 
an economical, easily constructed carrier for a three-wheel motorcycle 
that can be readily attached and detached to the vehicle. Further, the 
carrier of the present invention provides a strong load-carrying platform 
for carrying camping and hunting gear into rugged terrain having no roads 
by use of an economical all-terrain motorcycle as opposed to the use of 
four-wheel-drive vehicles which can only be used where there are existing 
camping or hunting roads cut through the terrain. Further, the present 
carrier is highly useful for transporting game such as deer or similar 
heavy animals after the kill since the ATV's can be usually driven 
directly to the hunting location. Additionally, the design of the carrier 
protects the riders' legs and clothing from tears made by briars, thorns 
and bushes when traveling through heavy underbrush by the leg members 
23--23 since the rider's legs are received in the space provided between 
the leg members and the motorcycle body. Further, the present carrier also 
protects the rider from injury if he accidentally overturns the vehicle, 
either by turning on its side or by tipping it backward in rough terrain. 
The carrier also protects the plastic seat-shroud assembly when used on 
those ATV's having such a construction. 
It is understood that various changes and modifications may be made to the 
carrier of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the 
invention which may come within the scope of the claims.