ATV/Motorcycle Lockdown Apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for securing a personal transport vehicle (PTV) such as a motorcycle or ATV on a truck bed or the ground includes a pair of handlebar struts each adjustable to a length fixable by a first key lock, an upper hook lockable by a second key lock to a handlebar of a PTV, a lower hook securable to an anchor member fixed to a truck or the ground, by a third key lock, and a cross-lock arm adjustable to a length fixable by a cross-lock arm key lock. Each cross-lock arm has at one end a swivelable hook attachable to a PTV, and at the other end a fixed hook for engaging an eye plate of the strut. A pair of struts is used to secure a single PTV using a pair of cross-lock arms or a pair of PTV's joined by a single cross-lock arm.

1 . An apparatus for securing in an upright position on a support surface a pair of personal transport vehicles of a type including motorcycles and All Terrain Vehicles (ATV's), said apparatus comprising;
 a. at least a first elongated strut which includes;
 I. a first, upper straight beam member, 
 ii. a first, upper attachment assembly at a first, upper end of said upper beam member for releasably engaging a member of a personal transport vehicle, 
 iii. a second, lower beam member telescopically adjustably attached to a lower portion of said upper beam member, and 
 Iv. a second, lower attachment assembly at a second, lower end of said lower beam for releasable attachment to an anchor structure fixable with respect to a support surface, and 
   b. at least a first cross-lock arm having at first and second ends thereof first and second attachment assemblies releasably engageable to structural members of a pair of adjacent vehicles.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said strut is further defined as including a strut-length adjustment key lock to secure against unauthorized alteration a telescopically adjusted length of said strut. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said strut is further defined as including a strut upper attachment key lock for securing said upper attachment assembly of said strut to a structural member of a vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said strut is further defined as including a strut lower attachment key lock for securing said lower attachment assembly thereof to an anchor structure. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said first attachment assembly at said first, upper end of said strut is further defined as including an upper hook hookable onto a handlebar of a vehicle. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said first attachment assembly at said first upper end of said strut is further defined as being swivelably adjustable with respect to an elongated beam portion of said strut. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said second, lower attachment assembly at said lower end of said strut is further defined as including a lower hook which has a tang insertable into a perforation through an anchor structure. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said cross-lock arm is further defined as including a telescopic adjustment mechanism which enables adjustment of a span length between said first and second ends of said arm. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said cross-lock arm is further defined as including a cross-lock arm key lock to secure against unauthorized alteration of said span length between said first and second ends of said cross-lock arm. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said first attachment assembly at said first end of said cross-lock arm is further defined as including a first hook hookable onto a component of a vehicle to be supported. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said first hook is further defined as being swivelably attached to an end of a longitudinally elongated beam portion of said cross-lock arm. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said first attachment assembly at said first upper end of said strut is further defined as being swivelably adjustable with respect to an elongated beam portion of said strut. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein said strut is further defined as including a locking mechanism for immobilizing said swivelable adjustment. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said strut is further defined as including an intermediate attachment structure lactated between said first and second ends of said strut, said intermediate attachment structure being adapted to engage one of said first and second cross-lock arm attachment assemblies. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said intermediate attachment structure of said strut is further defined as including an interconnection attachment point adjustment mechanism for longitudinally adjusting with respect to said strut a longitudinal position for engagement with said cross-lock arm attachment assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein said interconnection attachment point adjustment mechanism of said strut is further defined as including a collar longitudinally translatably attached to said strut and secureable at a selected longitudinal location relative to said first and second ends of said strut, said collar having protruding therefrom a first fastener element for engagement with a second fastener element protruding from an end portion of said cross-lock arm. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein said first fastener element is further defined as including a perforated eye. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein said second fastener element is further defined as including projection engageable through said eye. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein said second fastener element is further defined as including a perforated eye. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein said first fastener element is further defined as including a projection engageable through said eye. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein said interconnection attachment point adjustment mechanism of said strut is further defined as including a longitudinally elongated plate which protrudes from said strut, said plate having disposed transversely through a thickness dimension thereof a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart perforations, a selected one of which is engageable by a projection from an end portion of said cross-lock arm. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 14  further including a second said strut. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus and of  claim 18  further including a second said cross-lock arm whereby a first said strut and interconnected cross-lock arm is useable to support a first side of a personal transport vehicle and a second said strut and interconnected cross-lock arm is useable to support a second side of a personal transport vehicle. 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus for securing in an upright position on a support surface a personal transport vehicle of a type which has laterally spaced apart, left and right handlebars, said apparatus comprising;
 a. a pair of first and second elongated handlebar struts, each of which includes,
 I. a first, upper straight beam member, 
 ii. a first, upper attachment assembly at a first, upper end of said upper beam for releasably engaging a handlebar receipt cup, 
 iii. a second, lower beam member telescopically adjustable to a lower portion of said upper beam member, and 
 iv. a second, lower attachment assembly at a second, lower end of said lower beam for releasable attachment to an anchor structure fixable with respect to a support surface, and 
   b. a handlebar locking arm comprising,
 I. a pair of angle beam members having inner longitudinally aligned and telescopically arranged straight longitudinal sections, each angle member having at an outer end thereof a downwardly angled upright leg, 
 ii. a locking mechanism for retaining said upright legs of said angle members parallel and spaced apart at a fixed distance, and 
 Iii. a handlebar receipt cup attached to an outer end of each upright leg of said locking arm, each said handlebar receipt cup having a hollow, generally cylindrical shape including a laterally, outwardly disposed blind bore adapted to insertably receive a handlebar grip, and an outer bulkhead which has protruding laterally outwardly therefrom an attachment member for engagement by said upper attachment assembly of said handlebar strut. 
   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24  wherein at least one of said handlebar receiver cups is further defined as being swivelably attached to a said upright leg of said handlebar locking arm. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25  wherein said bulkhead attachment member of said handlebar receiver cup is further defined as having a perforation for insertably receiving a projecting member of said handlebar strut attachment assembly.