Quick-release clamping mechanism

A clamping system for removably securing a windshield to fork tubes of a motorcycle, comprising:

• a left-hand clamping mechanism configured to clamp to a left-hand fork tube;
• and
• a right-hand clamping mechanism configured to clamp to a right-hand fork tube;
• wherein each of the left-hand clamping mechanism and the right-hand clamping mechanism comprises:
• a mount including a curved latch having an inner concave surface with a resilient pad, a mount knuckle, and a slot;
• a clamp including upper and lower clamping segments, each having an inner concave surface with a resilient pad, an inner knuckle pivotally connected to the mount knuckle by a first pivot pin, and an outer knuckle;
• a lever including upper and lower arms, each having a fulcrum knuckle pivotally connected to the outer knuckles of the clamp by a second pivot pin, and a follower knuckle positioned between the fulcrum knuckle and an outer edge of the lever;
• and
• a hook including a hook knuckle pivotally connected to the follower knuckles of the lever by a third pivot pin, and a catch having a curved end wall;
• wherein the mount of the left-hand clamping mechanism includes a pair of arms extending from the curved latch, each arm including a mating surface configured to engage a left-hand side of the windshield and a threaded boss configured to receive a bolt to attach the arms to the left-hand side of the windshield;
• wherein the mount of the right-hand clamping mechanism includes a pair of arms extending from the curved latch, each arm including a mating surface configured to engage a right-hand side of the windshield and a threaded boss configured to receive a bolt to attach the arms to the right-hand side of the windshield;
• wherein each of the left-hand clamping mechanism and the right-hand clamping mechanism is movable to an engaged state around the corresponding fork tube by rotating the clamp, the lever and the hook relative to one another about the first, second and third pivot pins and engaging the curved end wall of the hook with the slot of the curved latch;
• and
• wherein each of the left-hand clamping mechanism and the right-hand clamping mechanism is movable from the engaged state to a fully clamped state secured to the corresponding fork tube by rotating the outer edge of the lever about the second pivot pin toward the clamp, thereby drawing the third pivot pin and the hook knuckle toward the clamp and compressing the resilient pads of the curved latch and the clamp against the corresponding fork tube.

A method of securing a removable windshield to fork tubes of a motorcycle, comprising:

• attaching a left-hand clamping mechanism to a left-hand side of the windshield;
• attaching a right-hand clamping mechanism to a right-hand side of the windshield;
• pushing the left-hand clamping mechanism onto a left fork tube such that a resilient pad affixed to a curved latch of the left-hand clamping mechanism engages one side of the left fork tube;
• pushing the right-hand clamping mechanism onto a right fork tube such that a resilient pad affixed to a curved latch of the right-hand clamping mechanism engages one side of the right fork tube that faces the one side of the left-fork tube;
• rotating a clamp, a lever and a hook of the left-hand clamping mechanism counter-clockwise around the left fork tube to engage a curved end wall of the hook with a slot formed through the curved latch of the left-hand clamping mechanism;
• rotating a clamp, a lever and a hook of the right-hand clamping mechanism clockwise around the right fork tube to engage a curved end wall of the hook with a slot formed through the curved latch of the right-hand clamping mechanism;
• rotating the lever of the left-hand clamping mechanism clockwise about a pivot pin toward the clamp, thereby drawing an end of the hook toward the clamp and compressing the resilient pad of the curved latch and a resilient pad affixed to the clamp against the left fork tube;
• and
• rotating the lever of the right-hand clamping mechanism counter-clockwise about a pivot pin toward the clamp, thereby drawing an end of the hook toward the clamp and compressing the resilient pad of the curved latch and a resilient pad affixed to the clamp against the right fork tube.