1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to mounting brackets used to secure objects to the handlebars and racks of all terrain vehicles, motorcycles, snowmobiles, personal watercraft and the like.
2. Prior Art
Present day all terrain vehicles, motorcycles, snowmobiles and personal watercraft all have many operating controls and operator assistance items mounted on the handlebars thereof. Thus, brake fluid reservoirs and brake operating levers may be mounted on the handlebars. Even craft such as personal watercraft that do not have brake fluid reservoirs and brake levers mounted thereon have throttle levers and are often equipped with clutch controls, shift levers, rear view mirrors and other control and operating structures as may be considered necessary. Various types of clamps have been provided in the past to facilitate mounting of article holders on ground and watercraft. Nevertheless, there has remained a need for a mounting bracket suitable for use on tubular surfaces, as well as flat surfaces.
It has also been recognized that it is often desirable to carry articles on the handlebars and/or front or rear decks of the identified craft. Thus a mounting bracket must be usable for attachment to round tubing, such as is commonly used for handlebars and for attachment to flat bars commonly used to form front or rear decks.
Consequently, principal objects of the invention are to provide a mounting bracket that is economically produced, easily used, and useful with a wide variety of land and watercrafts to support and secure a large number of articles to the craft.
Another object is to provide a mounting bracket that can be used individually to secure items, such as rear view mirrors, antennas, flags, etc. in place.
Still another object is to provide an easily mounted bracket that can be used, in pairs, with article holders to secure articles to a craft. Another object is to provide a bracket that can be attached to a ground traveling or water traveling craft and that will allow diverse mounting of an article holder secured to the bracket. It is also an object to provide a mounting racket that will easily support a pair of spaced apart article holders to better hold articles on a craft.
Principal features of the invention include an elongate body having a threaded bore extending into one end thereof.
A V-notch is formed adjacent to a bottom end of the elongate body. The V-notch is formed in a flat face of the elongate body. A pair of holes are formed centrally of the flat face and each extends through the elongate body, from the face to the back of the body. One of the holes is positioned between the V-notch and an adjacent end of the body. The other hole is an interiorly threaded central hole and is positioned at the opposite side of the V-notch.
Still another hole is positioned adjacent to an opposite end of the body. This hole also extends through the body from the front face to the back and transversely through the threaded bore extending into the end of the body.
The elongate body preferably has a non-circular and preferably square cross-sectional configuration, with each of the front face and the back being flat and each of the sidewalls connecting the front face and back being flat. The corners of the top and bottom ends are preferably beveled to prevent catching of the corners on structures with which the mounting bracket is used. The non-circular configuration allows a channel member to fit over the body member and to be secure against rotation. A bolt may be passed through the channel member into either threaded hole or bore in the body member.
Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from the following detailed description and claims.
In the illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention, the mounting bracket is shown generally at 10. Mounting bracket 10 includes an elongate body 12 having a square cross-sectional configuration.
Body 12 includes a front flat face 14 having a V-notch 16 formed into the front face 14 and in one end of the body. V-notch 16 includes slanted flat faces 18 and 20 extending from the front face 14 and joining at a juncture 22.
A threaded bore hole 24 extends into the opposite end of body 12 and a hole 26 extends from front face 14 through the body 12 and through the bore hole 24 at the other end of the body 12.
Another hole 30 extends through body 12 from front face 14 to the back 32 and is positioned between V-notch 16 and the other end 34 of body 12.
A center bore 40 is threaded and extends through the body 12 from front face 14 to the back. Bore hole 40 is positioned intermediate the holes 26 and 30.
A U-shaped hasp 50 has spaced apart straight legs 52 and 54 interconnected by a bent central section. The legs 52 and 54 are spaced apart and sized to extend through the holes 26 and 30.
Hasp 50 is sized to straddle a tubular structure, such as a handlebar of an ATV, shown generally at 58.
Threaded holes 24 and 30 are sized to receive a threaded base 60 of an article holder, shown generally at 62.
Holes 30 and 40 are sized to allow full insertion of a leg 52 or 54 of hasp 50.
Holes 26 and 30 are sized to allow bolts 56 to pass through to secure the body 12 and a structure such as a front or rear deck of an ATV, a portion of which is shown at 64, to be secured by nuts 66.
A load distribution plate 70 is provided, if necessary, to secure the body 12 in place to receive an article holder.
A channel member 74 includes a pair of legs 76 and 78 interconnected by a web 88. At least one hole is provided through the web 88 for insertion of a bolt 84 that will thread into hole 40. A knob 86 is preferable provided on bolt 84 to facilitate turning of the bolt.
The mounting bracket 10 of the invention will secure an article holder 62 to a flat surface as shown in
The threaded shank 60 of article holder 62 is threaded into hole 40 of body 12 and is ready to support articles positioned in the article holder. While a particular article holder 62 is shown, it will be apparent that other suitable article holders could as well be threaded into the hole 40 of body 12.
The mounting bracket 10 may alternatively secure article holder 62 to a tubular member 58 as shown in
The shank 60 of article holder 62 is threaded into hole 24 of body 12. The article holder 62 is then positioned to receive and hold an article positioned therein. As previously noted, an article holder other than the illustrated article holder 62 can be threaded into and secured to the body 12.
The mounting bracket 10 may also include the elongate channel member 74 as a means of mounting a pair of spaced apart article holders 62.
In
The body 12 is bolted to a flat surface of member 64 and the channel member 74 is positioned over the body and is secured in place by bolt 84, threaded into hole 40 of the body member 12.
The channel member 74 may also be mounted on the end of body member 12 having hole 24 therein. As shown in
In using the single article holder 62 attached by a mounting bracket 10, a pair of such arrangements are often used to support an article between single article holders.
With a pair of article holders on a mounting bracket, the pair can support an article placed between them. Alternatively, with a pair of mounting brackets, each having a pair of article holders secured thereto, a pair of articles can be carried by positioning each article to extend between one article holder on a mounting bracket and an article holder on the other mounting bracket.
Although a preferred embodiment of my invention has been herein described, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is by way of example and that variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter I regard as my invention.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4607772 | Hancock | Aug 1986 | A |
4666110 | Prouty | May 1987 | A |
6484913 | Hancock et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
6588637 | Gates et al. | Jul 2003 | B2 |
6945441 | Gates et al. | Sep 2005 | B2 |
20040108348 | Barnes | Jun 2004 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20060169192 A1 | Aug 2006 | US |