Abstract:
An easily detachable golf bag carrier for a motorcycle has a platform detachably mountable on a specialized foot peg and a cradle detachably mountable on a fastening rail, all of which are preferably chromed. The foot peg has a tongue and a frame with a slot within which a coupling end of the platform may be pinned. The tongue is adapted to mate with existing foot peg mounting brackets on the motorcycle. The fastening rail has mounting holes adapted to mate with existing fender holes in a motorcycle and the cradle has an arcuate arm for embracing a golf bag which is placed on an accessory end of the platform. The fastening rail and cradle have male and female mating members. The platform and cradle may be easily detached and stored, for example in a saddlebag, and the specialized foot peg and mounting rail left in place without detracting from the motorcycle&#39;s functionality or appearance.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a golf bag carrier including a platform which is mountable on a specialized passenger&#39;s foot peg and a cradle which is mountable on a fastening rail attached to a motorcycle. The platform and cradle are easily detachable without unbolting and storable in a saddlebag or the like. The foot peg and fastening rail may be left in place and do not detract from the use, appearance or enjoyment of the motorcycle. 
     2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
     Motorcycling and golfing are not mutually exclusive sports. For those involved in both and on a beautiful day, it would be nice to be able to go golfing and riding and perhaps not incidentally flaunt the fact that the rider does both. But effectively bringing the best of both worlds together has eluded designers of golf bag carriers. 
     It is possible to bungee cord a golf bag on a motorcycle but such attachment is time consuming, dangerous for both rider and other vehicles if the bag becomes detached and does not project a prestige image. In addition, the bungee-corded golf bag gets in the way to carrying a passenger. There are commercially available devices which are better than bungee cords. Many of them attach the golf bag to the rear of the motorcycle where it blocks the license plate and signal lights and is not street legal or requires rewiring. There are also devices that attach to the rear and carry a golf bag high above the rear fender but they affect the balance of the motorcycle. There is a commercially available split golf bag that replaces the saddlebags and is zipped back together for use in golfing. But many golfers already have a stylish golf bag which they prefer to use. 
     What is needed is a stable, side mounted golf bag carrier that mounted in a secure and solid fashion without affecting or offsetting the weight, balance, or alignment of the motorcycle or interfering with the available space for a passenger. In addition, the golf bag carrier should also be easily detachable from mounting means that are left in place on the motorcycle and do not detract from the lines of the motorcycle or its functionality. The present invention provides such a golf bag carrier. 
     In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a golf bag carrier for a motorcycle, the carrier including a platform and a cradle that are easily detachable from a specialized passenger&#39;s foot peg and a fastening rail. It is another object to provide a golf bag carrier wherein the detached platform and cradle are storable in a motorcycle saddlebag. It is also an object to provide a golf bag carrier wherein the specialized passenger&#39;s foot peg and the fastening rail may be left in place and do not detract from the use, appearance or enjoyment of the motorcycle. Other objects and features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
     In accordance with the invention, a golf bag carrier is provided for attachment to the left-hand side of a motorcycle with a saddlebag optionally left in place on the right-hand side. The golf bag carrier in major part includes a platform detachably mountable on a foot peg and a cradle detachably mountable on a fastening rail. 
     The foot peg has a tongue attached to a frame. The tongue is adapted to mate with an existing foot peg bracket on a motorcycle and the frame has top, bottom, side and end walls with a slot formed in one of the sidewalls and a hole passing through the top and bottom walls. The frame is attached to the tongue with a bolt passing through the end walls and threaded into the tongue about which the frame may be pivoted with respect to the tongue. The frame is selectively lockable on the bolt with respect to the tongue for positioning the platform with respect to the ground. 
     The platform has a coupling end slidably receivable in the slot in the frame and an accessory end upon which a golf bag may be placed. There is a hole in the coupling end alignable with the hole passing through the top and bottom walls of the frame when the coupling end is received in the slot in the frame and a hitch pin is inserted through the aligned holes. 
     The cradle has a laterally extending arcuate arm adapted to partly embrace a golf bag and a depending leg attached to one end of the arcuate arm. 
     The fastening rail has spaced mounting holes adapted to mate with existing fender holes in a motorcycle and an upwardly extending arm. The arm of the fastening rail and the leg of the cradle have male and female mating members for detachable mounting of the cradle to the fastening rail. 
     When detached, the platform and cradle may be stored in the right-hand saddlebag, if available and desired, and the specialized passenger&#39;s foot peg and fastening rail left in place where they do not detract from the use, appearance (particularly if chromed) or enjoyment of the motorcycle. 
     The invention summarized above comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated by the subjoined claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       In the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated, corresponding reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a rear view of a motorcycle with a golf bag carrier in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation of the golf bag carrier in use on a motorcycle; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective partially exploded view of the rear of a motorcycle showing the attachment of a fastening rail in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective partially exploded view of the rear of a motorcycle showing the attachment of a platform in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the golf bag carrier shown detached from a motorcycle; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective exploded view of a fastening rail in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective exploded view of a specialized foot peg in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective assembled view of the fastening rail shown in  FIG. 6  with a cradle in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective exploded view of the foot peg shown in  FIG. 7  being attached to a fastening rail attached to the frame of a motorcycle; and, 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a second fastening rail and a second cradle in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference character, reference numeral  10  refers to a golf bag carrier in accordance with the present invention. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a golf bag  12  is mounted on the left hand side of a motorcycle  14  with golf bag carrier  10 . 
     In major part, golf bag carrier  10  includes a platform  16  detachably mountable on a specialized passenger&#39;s foot peg  18  and a cradle  19  detachably mountable on a fastening rail  20  adapted to mate with existing fender holes as more particularly described below. As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a rear portion of motorcycle  10  includes a passenger&#39;s seat  22 , a foot peg mounting bracket  24 , a rear wheel  26 , a rear fender  28 , bolts  30  in the existing fender holes, right and left signal lights  32 , a tail light  34 , a license plate frame  36 , a suspension link  38  and a suspension strut  40 . 
     As best seen in  FIG. 7 , specialized foot peg  18  includes a tongue  42  and a frame  44 . In the form illustrated, foot peg mounting bracket  24  is a pair of mounting ears. It will be understood, however, that foot peg mounting bracket may be any well-known type of clamp or foot peg attaching means. As illustrated, tongue  42  has a transverse bore hole by means of which tongue  42  is pivoted on a hinge pin  46  (shown in  FIG. 9 ) between mounting ears of bracket  24 . The forward ends of mounting ears of bracket  24  are rounded  48  such that foot peg  18  may be folded upwardly for storage or pushed upwardly on a turn if the motorcycle is banked steeply on a turn but is stopped by frame  44  against a squared off portion  50  of mounting ears of bracket  24  from folding downwardly past horizontal. Frame  44  includes top  52 , bottom  54 , side  56  and end walls  58 . A slot  60  is formed in one of side walls  56  and a hole  62  passes through top and bottom walls  52  and  54 . A bolt  64  is passed through end walls  58  for attaching frame  44  to tongue  42  which is tapped for receipt of a threaded end of bolt  64 . When bolt  64  is loosened, frame  44  may be rotated about bolt  64  with respect to tongue  42  to adjust the angle that frame  44  makes to the ground for use as described below. When frame  44  is at a desired angle, bolt  64  is tightened in tongue  42  such that frame  44  is locked in position. As security, a locking nut  66  may be provided on bolt  64  as further assurance that frame  44  does not rotate on bolt  64 . 
     Platform  16  includes a coupling end  68  which is slidably receivable through an open end of slot  60 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 7 , coupling end  68  is in the form of a partially disc shaped head  70  which may be coated with a plastic film to stop vibration and to protect the finish. A hole  72  is provided in coupling end  68  which is alignable with hole  62  in top and bottom walls  52  and  54  and through which a hitch pin  74  is passed for connecting platform  16  to specialized foot peg  18 . Hitch pin  74  may be a detent pin with a spring loaded ball to avoid accidental release and may be attached to a lanyard such that it is not separated from platform  16  when platform  16  is unpinned from specialized foot peg  18 . Turning to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a longitudinal shank  76  connects coupling end  68  to a support end  78  of platform  16 . Support end  78  includes a base on which golf bag  12  can ride and a railing structure  80  extending peripherally around a portion of base to provide a degree of confinement. Base of support end  78  has a radial dimension slightly larger than that of the radial dimension of a conventional golf bag. With continuing reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , base of support end  78  may be provided with cutouts  82  which in addition to being decorative, reduce the weight of platform  16 . Decorative cutouts  82  may also provided in railing  80  for similar reasons. It will be understood that while base of support end  78  is illustrated as circular along railing  80 , base of support end  78  could also be constructed in a rectangular, hexagonal or the like shape to accommodate a variety of different articles for transportation. 
     For motorcycles  10  where the existing passenger foot peg is mounted high on the frame, it may be necessary to attach a bracket  84  as shown in  FIG. 9  on a portion of a frame  86  that runs along the bike for attachment of specialized foot peg  18 . 
     Cradle  19  as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 8  includes a laterally extending arcuate arm  88  which is adapted to loosely embrace golf bag  12 . Arcuate arm  88  like base of support end  78  has a radial dimension slightly larger than that of the radial dimension of a conventional golf bag. A securement  90  ( FIG. 5 ) such as a positive locking, quick release buckle is attached to the end of arcuate arm  88  as for example through slots  92  provided in cradle  19  and fastening rail  20  to strap the upper end of a golf bag standing on platform  16  in cradle  19 . Cradle  19  like coupling end  68  and railing  80  may be provided with decorative cutouts  82 . A strap  94  ( FIG. 5 ) may be provided for interconnecting cradle  19  and platform  16  as secondary means to ensure the support of platform  16  in specialized foot peg  18 . In the form illustrated in  FIG. 5 , strap  94  may be threaded through cutouts  82  in cradle  19  with the ends of strap  94  provided with hooks  96  for attachment to cutouts  82  in railing  80 . 
     Fastening rail  20  as seen in  FIGS. 4-5 ,  6  and  8  is elongated with spaced mounting holes  98 , preferably elongated, such that fastening rail  20  may be mounted on various motorcycles  10  wherein the spacing of saddlebag mounting bolts  30  may differ. While fastening rail  20  is illustrated as straight, it will be understood that it may be curved to fit the shape of the fender for some motorcycles  10 . Bolts  30  which normally are used to mount saddle bags may be exchanged for longer bolts such that fastening rail  20  may be mounted on fender  28  and left in place with a sufficient length of bolts  30  left to mount the saddlebags without removing fastening rail  20 . Fastening rail  20  includes a generally upwardly extending arm  100  including a slot  102  ( FIG. 8 ) into which a downwardly extending leg  104  ( FIG. 8 ) of cradle  19  is received for removable attachment of cradle  19  to fastening rail  20 . 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 6 , arm  100  terminates with a U-shaped aperture  106  which is sandwiched between plates  108  to form slot  102  in the form of a pocket. The inside of plates  108  may be lined with plastic  110  ( FIG. 6 ), a lower end of which may be notched  112  to drain any water that may accumulate in slot  102 . Plastic  110  keeps leg  104  ( FIG. 8 ) from being scratched and the joint from rattling. 
     Motorcycle  10  as shown in  FIGS. 1-4  is a cruiser and fastening rail  20  is designed for use on cruisers. Other fastening rails such as fastening rail  20 ′ shown in  FIG. 10  may be used when motorcycle  10  is a sportster or the like. For use with fastening rail  20 ′, the placement of slot  102 ′ is reversed such that the male and female mating members are reversed. Upwardly extending arm  100 ′ (male member) is received in slot  102 ′ which is provided in the form of a pair of grooves (female member) in depending leg  104 ′ of modified cradle  19 ′. If motorcycle  10  has a sissy bar and includes a member shaped like arm  100 ′ of fastening rail  20 ′, cradle  19 ′ may be detachably mounted to the sissy bar in the same manner. 
     Specialized foot peg  18 , platform  18 , cradle  19  ( 19 ′) and fastening rail  20  ( 20 ′) are preferably laser cut from steel and chromed to provide a highly polished, attractive appearance. It will be understood, however, that other metals and in some instances plastics may be used and may even be preferred as resistive to corrosion or the like. 
     In use, a left saddlebag, if present, is removed from motorcycle  10  and fastening rail  20  installed on bolts  30  and secured in place with nuts  114  as shown in  FIG. 3 . If desired, longer bolts are substituted for bolts  30  such that the saddle bag may be reattached to motorcycle  10  without removing fastening rail  20 . 
     The original passenger foot peg is removed and specialized foot peg  18  installed as shown in  FIG. 7 . With platform  16  attached to specialized foot peg  18  with hitch pin  74 , frame  44  is rotated on bolt  64  such that support end  78  of platform  16  is spaced a desired distance above the ground such that it is unlikely to touch the ground on a turn. Once frame  44  is positioned, bolt  64  and locking nut  66  (if present) are tightened. Strap  94  (if provided) is passed through cutouts  82  in cradle  20  and hooks  96  attached to cutouts  82  in railing  80  a shown in  FIG. 5 . Golf bag carrier  10  is thus made ready for placement of golf bag  12  on platform  16  and for tightening of securement  90  around the upper end of the bag as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . During a ride, if platform  16  touches the ground on a turn, specialized foot peg  18  will pivot upwardly carrying platform  16  with it. 
     Upon reaching a destination (e.g., the golf course), securement  90  may be released and golf bag  12  removed from golf bag carrier  10 . Hitch pin  74  may be pulled and platform  16  removed and cradle  20  lifted out of slot  102  in arm  100  of fastening rail  20 . Platform  16  and cradle  19  may then be stored in the right saddlebag which may be locked. 
     With platform  16  and cradle  19  stored in the right saddlebag, motorcycle  10  may be ridden in the usual manner with specialized foot peg  18  serving as a passenger foot peg. If theft is not a worry and the driver has no passenger, platform  16  may remain attached to specialized foot peg  18  and pivoted up such that it is parallel to a longitudinal axis of motorcycle  10  and motorcycle  10  operated in the usual manner. 
     It is believed that the use of fastening rail  20 ′ and cradle  19 ′ will be apparent from the above-mentioned description of the use of fastening rail  20  and cradle  19 . From the above, it is also believed clear that golf bag carrier  10  may be engineered to fit securely on the side of various models of motorcycles and used to haul other elongated cargo such as bag chairs and fishing, hunting or camping gear. 
     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.