CA2739693A1 - Delivery-truck mounted carrying-rack for a delivery-bike - Google Patents

Description

DELIVERY-TRUCK MOUNTED
CARRYING-RACK FOR A DELIVERY-BIKE
Field of the Invention The present invention is a means and method for delivering packages. More specifically, its means is a separable, two-part delivery vehicle comprised of a conventional delivery-truck and a delivery-bike, each part being joined by a carrying-rack which is optimized for efficient deployment of each independently propelled vehicle when and where its propulsion and load carrying characteristics are best suited to local delivery tasks.

Its method is an "Augmented Park and Loop" delivery strategy that takes fullest advantage of the advantages inherent to each vehicle.

Background of the Invention There is a need to find more environmentally benign ways of delivering packages;
deliveries are on the rise due to factors such as internet shopping and with society's addiction to cars results in traffic jams, air pollution, global warming and the depletion of a strategically vital natural resource is becoming and even greater concern.
Cars and trucks are the root cause of resource depletion due to the oil they burn in their engines and the raw materials and oil they consume in their manufacture. Clearly, the most logical way forward is to develop ultra-small, ultra-efficient, low-speed, electric vehicles, and in this particular application, to help merge them into the existing and emerging delivery infrastructures in a practical and efficient manner. The "Delivery-Truck Mounted Carrying-Rack For An Electric Assist Delivery-Bike" invention is a way to address these environmental concerns.

Modern postal services are moving towards the use of the "Park and Loop"
delivery methodology. In "Park and Loop", the delivery-truck driver parks the truck in a strategic location and delivers the mail on foot by walking a loop in the vicinity of the parked truck.

Some features of this methodology are:
o The truck serves as a mobile warehouse and sorting station.
o The truck is available to deliver heavy items.
o The truck can travel long distances to delivery points outside high density areas.
o The truck can pick up parcels from mailbox points.
o The truck travels to a distant main sorting facility at the beginning and end of each day.
o The walking loop is more energy efficient than driving the truck and parking it at each delivery point.
o The parked truck can be left at points of minimum impact which reduces urban traffic congestion and parking problems.

The delivery-bike is in many respects an optimal electric vehicle and a positive enhancement to the "Park and Loop" delivery methodology. Some of the advantages of the delivery-bike may include:
= Physical advantages:
o Due to their very high power to weight ratio, electric bikes have the best energy efficiency of any electric vehicle.
o The electric bike's electric/human power source insures robust operation.
When the battery is depleted or when climbing a steep hill with a full load of cargo, the rider can pedal-assist its motor to insure the job gets done.

o It can be parked almost anywhere.
o It travels at low speeds and is inherently safe.
= Legal advantages o Legislation treats them as bicycles rather than motor vehicles.
o The cost of ownership is significantly lower with no insurance or registration requirements.

2 o They can use the existing bicycle infrastructure (use of reserved bicycle paths and lanes, use of bicycle parking racks) in addition to roadways.

= Delivery advantages:

o The delivery-bike can travel long distances on the back of the delivery-truck via the carrying-rack.
o The delivery-bike can significantly expand the delivery range per delivery-truck parking area.

o The delivery-bike acts as a mini mobile warehouse and sorting station.
o The delivery-bike can carry much larger loads than can be carried on a typical walking loop.

Some disadvantages of the delivery-bike are:

o Its low speed and short range limit its ability to independently carry out a full day of work.

o It cannot carry very large packages for general freight or courier applications.
o The repetitive delivery stops require the rider to dismount and prop up the heavily laden delivery-bike for short term parking.

It would therefore be advantageous to devise a means for improving the typical "Park and Loop" methodology described above by merging the mutual benefits of the vehicles in a harmonious manner to form an improved, hybrid methodology using the "Delivery-Truck Mounted Carrying-Rack For An Electric Assist Delivery-Bike"
invention.
In light of the above-noted vehicle characteristics, it's apparent that a large petroleum-powered delivery-truck and a small electric-powered delivery-bike have the potential to play complementary roles in a hybrid delivery methodology. The two vehicle types would be synergistic if integrated into a single vehicle by rack-mounting the delivery-bike onto the delivery-truck in a manner that it could be transported from place to place on the delivery-truck and then dismounted from the parked delivery-truck at strategically selected

3 spots for local delivery of selected packages. This hybrid vehicle methodology effectively augments the number of modes of transport available to the operator from two (driving and walking) to three (driving, riding and walking). This in turn results in a series of delivery scenarios.

Various carrier racks have been devised that enable typical bicycles, motorcycles and other human transporters such as the SEGWAY HT to be transported. The common type of "bicycle carrier" that connects to a vehicle via a trailer hitch is adequate for carrying relatively light weight conventional bicycles designed solely to transport a rider and possibly some lightweight saddlebags. These common bicycle carriers are not built to withstand the additional weight of an electric assist bicycle which is designed to transport a rider, some cargo, batteries and a motor. Additionally, they require that the bicycle be lifted from the ground onto the carrying rack and that the bicycle be secured onto the carrying rack by clamps and straps. Motorcycle carriers such as proposed by Chereda (US

4,032,167), are not designed to support a bicycle tire in the motorcycle wheel track which is too wide to securely hold a bicycle tire. The motorcycles are held in place by clamping the motorcycle tires onto the wheel track. The motorcycles are transported on a trailer which is towed behind a truck. This makes the overall size of the truck even bigger and makes parking more difficult. It is overly cumbersome for carrying a single electric assist bicycle, especially in a delivery "Park and Loop" application where speed of mounting and dismounting, parking and general efficiency is required. Other prior art carriers are as proposed in Fraer et al. (US 7,318,541) where a SEGWAY Human Transporter is stored and carried on the back of a truck. The storage rack includes ramps by which a SEGWAY
may be driven from the ground, up the ramp and onto a storage rack where it is secured in place for transportation. The storage rack is designed to be permanently fixed to the back of a vehicle such as a delivery truck or van. This patent, assigned to the United States Postal Service, proposes using the SEGWAY in combination with a US Postal Service truck or van on their conventional "Park and Loop" delivery routes where it is intended to be used to reduce the walking element in the loop and thereby lower delivery person fatigue. The cargo capacity and range of the SEGWAY is insufficient to be used in an augmented "Park and Loop" scenario, such as that described in Scenario 4, below. The truck mounted storage rack is designed specifically for a SEGWAY and is not capable of carrying a much more versatile and desirable delivery-bike which can carry significantly more cargo and is faster than a SEGWAY. This eliminates the possibility of an "Augmented Park and Loop" delivery methodology (described in Summary of the Invention, below) which is an objective of the present invention.

To achieve this objective, the "Delivery-Truck Mounted Carrying-Rack for an Electric Assist Delivery-Bike" and the delivery-bike are optimized to enable quick deployment of the delivery-bike and optimal ease of use by incorporating specific features.
A pedal mounted stand will be mounted onto the delivery-bike so it may be used in an ergonomically efficient way when stopping to make deliveries in the "Augmented Park and Loop". The prior art pedal mounted bicycle stand (US 6,237,929) is not suitable for this application as it is designed for a conventional bicycle. It is not capable of holding up an electric assist bicycle as the front wheel of the electric assist bicycle cannot be sufficiently turned to stop it from moving forward and falling off the stand. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an effective pedal-mounted stand suitable for use with a delivery-bike.

It is the general goal of the present invention to provide a hybrid delivery vehicle that can enable the delivery-truck driver to mount and dismount a delivery-bike to their delivery-truck. For efficiency, the carrying-rack must enable extremely easy and quick to mount and dismount the delivery-bike from the delivery-truck, otherwise the driver may not use the delivery-bike and the environmental and other gains will not be attained. It is a further goal that this carrying-rack be easily adaptable to securely mount various sizes and shapes of delivery-bikes. It is a further goal to provide cargo-carrying modules that are easily transferred from the delivery-truck to the delivery-bike as needed. It is a further goal to provide a portable map display that aides the delivery-truck driver/rider to efficiently

5 deploy the most efficient means of transport for the immediate delivery tasks at hand. It is a further goal that this informatics aid to navigation and route scheduling also include means for insuring more efficient deliveries to sites where the recipient's signature is required. It is a further goal to provide a computerized system that incentivises the driver/rider to favour making deliveries using the delivery-bike, thereby maximizing the social benefits of the present invention.

6 Summary of the Invention The present invention is a means and method for delivering packages in an urban environment.

Means:
The invention's delivery means is comprised of a conventional delivery van or truck (hereinafter referred to as the "delivery-truck"), a bicycle configured with a robust rear cargo rack for carrying said packages (hereinafter referred to as the "delivery-bike") and a delivery-truck mounted carrying-rack configured for efficient mounting and transportation of said delivery-bike along an urban delivery route. In its preferred embodiment, the delivery-bike includes an electric assist drive-train for improved overall delivery performance, however the present invention is equally applicable to either a peddle only bicycle or an electric assist bicycle. When the delivery-bike is docked onto the carrying-rack, the two vehicles form a two-part hybrid vehicle that can be quickly separated to enable the driver/rider to perform what is hereinafter referred to as the "Augmented Park and Loop" delivery methodology (described further below). The ease and speed with which the delivery-bike can be either docked or undocked with its delivery-truck is critical to the viability of this methodology. Therefore, in the invention's preferred embodiment, said delivery-bike and said carrying-rack are each specially built to include matching fixtures which optimize the speed and ease with which the operator can perform docking tasks.

The means of the invention is a carrying-rack for a delivery-bike, said carrying-rack being affixed to an end of a delivery-truck. Said carrying-rack is comprised of a: close-fitting, horizontal tire-track affixed parallel to said delivery-truck end; a close-fitting tire-ramp hinged to one end of said tire-track; and a close-fitting tire-catch affixed to the other end of said tire-track such that that when said delivery-bike is rolled up said ramp and its front wheel is engaged into said tire-catch, said hinged ramp can be swung up and locked

7 onto said rear cargo rack to secure said delivery-bike for transport with said delivery-truck.
The delivery-bike's rear extremity includes an upper and lower contact point positioned to simultaneously engage against said tire-ramp when the delivery-bike's front wheel is levered forward to fully seat within its front tire-catch, whereupon said upper contact point is latched onto its contact point on said ramp to securely dock said delivery-bike onto said delivery-truck. Undocking is accomplished by freeing said ramp from its upper rear latch point, swinging it to the ground and then backing the delivery-bike down the ramp for use independent of its delivery-truck.

The delivery-bike carrying-rack is affixed to said delivery-truck such that it provides clearance between the two vehicles when docked. Said carrying-rack may be welded or bolted to an end of said delivery-truck, however to facilitate its rapid mounting and for ease of transfer between various delivery-trucks, its mounting means may include a horizontal bar for insertion into the standard square aperture of a common truck-mounted receiver hitch. To enable a heavily laden delivery-bike to be mated to its delivery-truck without any relative motion over rough roads, said horizontal mounting bar may include a mechanism for expanding it inside of said hitch receiver to rigidly affix said carry-rack to said delivery-truck.

When docked in the above manner, the delivery-bike is restrained from rolling forward on its carrying-rack by its front tire bearing onto said tire-catch and from rolling backwards by its rear tire bearing onto said raised and locked tire-ramp. The delivery-bike is restrained from lateral movement by six contact points onto said carrying-rack. To provide additional lateral support, the delivery-bike may be attached to a stabilization post affixed to said carrying-rack by means of a stabilization flange fixture affixed to the crank spindle of the delivery-bike, which is configured for engagement into a notch formed in said stabilization post.

8 In a preferred embodiment of the carrying-rack, dual stabilization posts are provided: one on either side of the tire-track each stabilization post being equipped with a horizontal ram having a conical end facing inward and coaxial with its opposing ram. Said opposing cones are axially adjustable for engagement into corresponding conically concave fixtures affixed to the crank spindle of said delivery-bike. When said delivery-bike is positioned on said tire-track and when each conical ram is clamped into its adjacent crank spindle fixture, the vehicle is rigidly immobilized with respect to the carrying-rack. Ram actuation may be by threaded adjustments through said stabilization posts or by a quick-release toggle-clamping mechanism on one post that compresses the crank spindle against it opposing threaded ram (i.e. the delivery-bike's crank spindle is effectively held as it would be while being machined in a lathe).

In this "lathe-centers" gripping embodiment of the carrying-rack, the hinged tire-ramp no longer needs to be affixed to the rear of the delivery-bike because the only contact points between the carrying-rack and the delivery-bike are the front and rear tires within the tire-track and the left and right conical rams onto the left and right ends of the delivery-bike's crank spindle. Therefore, to store said tire-ramp during transport, a spring biasing mechanism that automatically retains the ramp vertical is provided or else the tire-ramp may be detached from its tire-track and stored on a separate carrying bracket.

Since the delivery-bike's preferred embodiment includes an electric assist drive-train for improved overall delivery performance, occasional charging of the electric delivery-bike will be required. An automatic charging contact switch may therefore be provided which engages a truck mounted battery charger onto said delivery-bike's batteries whenever said tire-rack is raised into a locked vertical position. The batteries on the delivery-truck have a sufficient capacity such that the delivery-truck's batteries cannot be drained during overnight charging when the delivery-truck is parked.

9 While using the delivery-bike for deliveries, frequent stop and start parking cycles may be required. To minimize parking effort and to maximize productivity, the delivery-bike may utilize a pedal-mounted prop stand with coordinated braking means.
Means are proposed that may be retro-fitted to existing brake levers and that may include an electrical switch used as a safety feature.

The cargo capacity of the delivery-bike may be augmented by pulling a cargo-trailer. In a preferred embodiment, a compact single wheel cargo-trailer could be conveniently stored onto the carrying-rack.

Method:
The invention's delivery method is hereinafter referred to as the "Augmented Park and Loop" methodology wherein the delivery-truck carries all packages destined for points within a wide geographic area and its driver continuously analyzes traffic conditions and the nature of upcoming local package delivery sites to determine and choose which one of four delivery scenarios provides the most efficient mode of transport to complete the local delivery tasks at hand:

Scenario 1 - The driver parks the delivery-truck with its delivery-bike docked onto the carrying-rack close to one of a series of spatially diverse final delivery locations and then walks that individual parcel directly to its final destination (this is the typical "courier" delivery scenario).
Scenario 2 - The driver parks the delivery-truck with its delivery-bike docked onto the carrying-rack at a convenient location in the vicinity of a series of adjacent delivery destinations and then offloads the appropriate small packages into a pouch that they then use to deliver them door-to-door on foot (this is the traditional "Park and Loop" postal delivery scenario).

to Scenario 3 - The driver parks the delivery-truck at a convenient location, dismounts its delivery-bike and then uses it to make a series of local package deliveries that would otherwise be performed using the "courier"
scenario described above. If the delivery-truck's parking site is strategically chosen with respect to both traffic conditions and delivery locations then this scenario will be more cost-effective, efficient and environmentally sound than Scenario 1.

Scenario 4 - The driver parks the delivery-truck, dismounts the delivery-bike and then uses it to perform one or more "local delivery sub-loops" in which the delivery-bike is parked at strategic spots from which the rider departs on foot to carry out Scenario 2. If the parking locations for both the delivery-truck and the delivery-bike are well chosen, this scenario will be the most cost-effective, efficient and environmentally sound scenario.

The driver's mental analysis described above may be augmented by the use of computerized algorithms which identify which delivery scenario provides optimal delivery performance. This typically involves processing of the digital inventory of packages to be delivered to evaluate the average distance between delivery sites to the average speed of local traffic, thereby clustering groups of packages into those that are more efficiently delivered by the delivery-bike and those that are more efficiently delivered by the delivery-truck. Automated mapping programs such as "Googlemaps" are used to display the data points to the driver/rider using a mobile internet display device such as an "Apple iPhone".

To encourage drivers to take the trouble to maximize their use of the (more socially responsible) delivery-bike, a computerized incentive system may be implemented that tracks deliveries made by both modes of transport and awards a cash bonus's to the driver each time they elect to perform "Augmented Park and Loop" delivery that utilizes the delivery-bike Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is the Figure 11 shown in my Canadian application for "Versatile Parking Stand For A Cargobike.

Figure 2 is the Figure 12 shown in my initial Canadian application application for "Versatile Parking Stand For A Cargobike Figure 3 is similar to Figure 1 however the delivery-bike is a smaller version than that shown in Figure 1 and it is also shown mounted onto the front of a large delivery-truck.
Figure 4 is similar to Figure 2 however both the delivery-truck and the delivery-bike are smaller versions than those shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 illustrates the points of contact between the delivery-bike and the carrier rack which restrain relative movement.

Figure 6 illustrates a supplementary "stabilization post" which provided additional lateral support for the delivery-bike.

Figure 7 illustrates how a fixture affixed to the crank of the delivery-bike engages into a notch on the stabilization post.

Figure 7b illustrates an embodiment that utilizes dual stabilization posts to immobilize the delivery-bike's crank spindle Figure 7c is view onto the carrying-rack of Figure 7b that has some parts removed for improved clarity of the clamping mechanism.

Figure 7d illustrates a preferred embodiment of the carrying-rack that utilizes a "toggle-clamp" to more easily affix the delivery-bike to the carrying-rack.

Figure 7e view onto the carrying-rack of Figure 7d that has some parts removed for improved clarity of the clamping mechanism as well as the fixation to a standard trailer hitch.

Figure 7f illustrates an elongated delivery-bike gripped by a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7g illustrates the carrying-rack of Figure 7f reconfigured to move the affixed elongated delivery-bike somewhat forward.

Figure 7h illustrates an embodiment of the carrying-rack that that uses a rotational joint to enable tilting of the tire-track such that it can temporarily serve as a tire-ramp.

Figure 8 illustrates various cargo bins that may be used to facilitate transfer of packages from the delivery-truck to the delivery-bike and from the delivery-bike to their final destinations.

Figure 9 illustrates a single-wheeled trailer used to augment the carrying capacity of the delivery-bike.

Figure 10 illustrates how the trailer of Figure 9 may be stored onto the carrier rack when not in use.

Figure 11 illustrates how cargo can be stored onto either side of the trailer shown in Figure 9.

Figure 12 illustrates the means for the attaching the carrier rack to the delivery-truck Figure 13 illustrates a latching a locking mechanism for securing the tire-ramp to the delivery-bike.

Figure 14 illustrates an alternate latching a locking mechanism for securing the tire-ramp to the delivery-bike.

Figure 15 illustrates a means for automatically recharging the batteries of an electrically assisted delivery-bike.

Figure 16 illustrates a pedal-mounted prop stand that enables rapid stop-start delivery cycles.

Figure 17 illustrates the support geometry and functional principal of the prop stand shown in Figure 16.

Figure 18 illustrates details of a retro-fitted parking brake lever mechanism that enables operation of the pedal-mounted stand shown Figure 17.

Figure 19 illustrates further details of the brake lever conversion mechanism shown in Figure 18.

Figure 20 illustrates the various components of a kit for adding pedal-mounted stands to a delivery-bike.

Detailed Description Figure 1 is identical to the Figure 11 shown in my Canadian application filed on May 6 2011 entitled "Versatile Parking Stand For A Cargobike". Its Detailed Description text is:
Figure I1 illustrates an embodiment of my versatile parking stand that includes carrier rack 35 affixed to a conventional delivery truck 34 such that cargobike 1 can be efficiently transported along the truck's delivery route and deployed as needed over a wide area. The same person drives truck 34 and rides cargobike 1; said cargobike being disembarked only when making local package deliveries when doing so is more efficient than making those same deliveries using said truck. In congested urban traffic zones having a suitable density of scheduled small package deliveries, this hybrid delivery vehicle delivery configuration enables the large, energy-inefficient truck to be parked in a suitably situated back street or parking lot where it can serve as both a temporary cargo depot and base of operations for local delivery of packages using cargobike 1. Delivery truck 34, cargobike 1 and carrying rack 35 thereby operate synergistically to extend the operational efficiency of both delivery vehicles.

Carrying rack 35 is typically mounted to the rear bumper of truck 34 as shown, thereby facilitating off-loading cargo from the truck directly onto cargobike 1 (this of course assumes that the rear door of the truck is the "roll-up " style that can be opened with the cargobike mounted to the truck). If the truck's rear door cannot open with the cargobike mounted onto the rear carrying rack then the bike must first be dismounted as shown in Figure 12 before cargo can be transferred onto it for local delivery.
Rack 35 may also be mounted to the front of truck 34. Indeed, a separate carrying rack 35 can be mounted onto both the front and rear of the truck, thereby enabling the driver/rider to have various deployment options; including the transport of two cargobikes so that more than one cargobike rider can be based out a single parked delivery truck.

Carrying rack 35 is comprised of a length of generally U-shaped extruded "tire-track" 36 formed to receive both front and rear wheels of a cargobike 1, said track being affixed parallel to a bumper of delivery truck 35 and spaced apart for clearance of the mounted cargobike. Tire-track 36 is typically welded to said bumper however various clamping mechanisms will be apparent to those practiced in the art which will enable carrier rack assembly 35 to be temporarily affixed to a variety of 4-wheeled vehicles.

Front wheel-stop 37 is affixed to one end of tire-track 36 and formed to receive and immobilize the cargobike's front wheel. Tire-ramp 38 is a length of U-shaped extrusion similar to that used to fabricate tire-track 36. Tire-ramp 38 is affixed to tire-track 36 at its opposite end from that used to affix tire-stop 37. Tire-ramp 38 is affixed to tire-track 36 with hinge 39, thereby permitting said ramp to be swung down as shown in Figure 12 for loading cargobike 1. Once the cargobike has been pushed up ramp 38 and its front wheel is engaged into wheel-stop 37, said ramp is swung vertically as shown in Figure 12 and engaged onto attachment fixtures (not illustrated) that are formed into the rear portion of cargo deck 8 and/or crossbar 30, thereby securing the cargobike for transport by truck 34.
Said ramp attachment fixtures may include security provisions such as a padlock which in concert with wheel-stop 37, prevent unauthorized removal of the cargobike from the truck An optional horizontal parking surface 40 may be affixed to tire-track 36 and positioned to support to one or both of the prop stand assemblies 9a and 9b, thereby facilitating the task of loading the cargobike single-handedly by providing parking support while ramp 38 is being raised or lowered. Deploying both prop stands onto surface 40 also helps stabilize the cargobike on carrier rack 35 during transit. If the cargobike is configured as either an EAB or a DPEAB then an electrical charging cable (not illustrated) may be provided between battery pack 10 and the truck's electrical system, thereby maintaining the cargobike at full charge while not in use. Since the cargobike can be transported between its deployment sites while its battery is recharging, this on-board charging capability permits the size and weight of battery pack 10 to be minimized and thereby maximize its useful payload of cargo.

Figure 2 is identical to the Figure 12 shown in my Canadian application for "Versatile Parking Stand For A Cargobike". Its Detailed Description text is:

"Figure 12 illustrates a cargobike being used in the "Park And Loop" delivery configuration enabled by my versatile stand for a cargobike. Rider 2 has parked delivery truck 34 in a convenient location and has off-loaded some of its packages onto cargobike 1 for more efficient delivery (typically by using bicycle paths to circumvent congested urban traffic). Rider 2 will navigate a delivery route that loops back to truck 34 whereupon the heavy cargobike can be rapidly rolled back onto carrier rack 35 for secure transport to a new theatre of operations; either for Park And Loop deliveries or to deliver large packages at far flung sites using only the truck (if rider 2 decides that doing so is either more energy-efficient or time-efficient).

Modular cargo bins 33 may be used to facilitate rapid transfer of selected packages from the parked truck 34 onto the cargobike 1, the contents of said cargo bins being presorted by the courier company or postal service that is utilizing my invention and optimized for maximum efficiency of both vehicles. Large odd-sized boxes may also be strapped or bungeed onto any of the available cargo decks. Canvas saddlebags filled with small packages or letters may also be carried on cargobike 1 so that, during their delivery loop, rider 2 may elect to park the cargobike and walk door-to-door for portions of the route as required (typically for postal delivery). Collapsible cargo trolley 27 is shown expanded for added carrying capacity and may be detached from the vehicle as needed to facilitate deliveries or pickups on foot (for example when making deliveries inside a large office building). While parked and left unattended during such deliveries, cargobike 1 is secured against thieves by provision of suitable electronic alarm systems (not illustrated).
Bins 33 are also secured against unauthorized tampering or removal using suitable locks (also not illustrated). "

Note that the cargobike shown in Figure 12 is configured as a conventional, upright posture EAB however the footrest component 5 of a DPEAB has been attached so that front cargo can also be carried (in the manner shown in Figure 9).
Installation of a swiveling-handlebar and backrest would be required in order to enable Dual-Posture operation of the cargobike. The added rider comfort provided by DPEAB
capability may make this added expense worthwhile if the cargobike is being operated over long distances or is being used for non-commercial cargo carrying applications or for personal commuting. "

Those descriptive texts will now are augmented below by additional description and subject matter. For clarity, the numbering of parts is re-initialized at 50 and some parts are renamed as defined in the new "Summary of the Invention" section above.

Figure 3 is functionally similar to Figure 1 however its "delivery-bike" 51 is a smaller version of the "cargobike" 1 shown in my earlier Figure 1. The delivery-truck 50 is also a smaller version of the delivery van 34 shown in my earlier Figure 1. Note that while carrying-rack 52 is shown mounted onto the rear end of delivery-truck 50, it may also be mounted to the truck's front end to permit freer access to its rear loading door.

Figure 4 is functionally similar to Figure 2 however both the delivery-truck and the delivery-bike it illustrates are smaller than those shown in Figure 2.
Delivery-bike 51 has been disembarked from its carrying-rack 52 and driver/rider 53 has parked the delivery-bike ready for loading cargo onto it for delivery using the Augmented Park and Loop methodology. Driver-rider 53 is shown wheeling a collapsible wheeled cargo trolley 77 which can me attached to cargo decks 57 and 80 as needed.

Figure 5 illustrates the points of contact between the delivery-bike 50 and its carrying-rack 52. Wheel-catch 54 fits closely over front wheel 59 to provide a front tire contact point that prevents the bike from rolling forward as well as side contact which prevents turning of the wheel from left to right. Tire-catch 54 also provides contact onto both sides of front wheel 59 to prevent lateral toppling of the wheel. Tire catch 54 may be fully enclosed as shown however a tubular arch structure may also be used to fashion a suitable structure for constraint of front wheel 59.

Close-fitting, U-shaped tire-track extrusion 55 has left and right vertical flanges that constrain the lower sides of front wheel 54 and rear wheel 60 from lateral movement.

When raised vertical about hinge 63, tire-ramp 56 simultaneously contacts the rear of lower support bracket 58 and the rear of upper cargo deck 57, thereby levering front wheel 59 fully into wheel-catch 54. Ramp locking fixture 61 latches and locks into rear deck locking fixture 62, thereby preventing the bike from rolling backwards as well as providing further lateral support to the docked delivery-bike. With adequately robust construction of the tire-catch, tire-rail, and hinged tire-ramp as well as rigid fixation to the delivery-truck 51, a lightweight delivery-bike 50 will be adequately supported during transport. If said delivery-bike includes an electric assist drivetrain that includes heavy components such as battery 64 and large hub motor 65, then additional lateral support may be required in order to limit flexing of the carrying-rack during transport of the delivery-bike over rough roads or during rapid maneuvers of the delivery-truck.

Figure 6 illustrates a supplementary stabilization-post 69, which provides additional lateral support for heavy delivery-bike 50. Stabilization-post 69 is a robust post that is either welded or bolted onto the carrying-rack's main horizontal support 66 and configured to engage onto delivery-bike 50 such that it provides strong central support during rapid maneuvering of the delivery-truck.

To provide the desired ease of use when loading or unloading, delivery-bike 50 includes means for automatically mating onto stabilization-post 69. To enable automatic engagement, stabilization-post includes horizontal engagement slot 70 positioned such that as the delivery-bike is rolled onto tire-track 55 and its front wheel engages completely into wheel-catch 54, flanged stabilization fixture 73 engages onto both sides of engagement slot 70, thereby providing additional lateral stability. Various stabilization fixtures 73 may be affixed to various points on delivery-bike 50 to provide the required support geometry however an Electric Assist Bicycle with large battery 64 will often have cowling which prevents affixing a suitable fixture. Therefore, the preferred embodiment of said fixture is adapted to modify the delivery-bike's standard bicycle crank axle 71 such that it can provide a robust engagement into slot 70. To accomplish this, flanged stabilization fixture is a specially configured threaded bolt that replaces the standard crank retention bolt used to affix the crank arm of pedal 72 onto an end of crank axle 71. All Ebikes and bicycles have such a threaded fastener holding each crank arm onto the bottom bracket spindle and this, potentially, provides a robust gripping for securing a bike to the carrying rack. The custom, bolt replacement fixture 73 includes two flange disks 76a and 76b which are spaced apart by a narrow inner portion which is positioned to enter into slot 70 of stabilization post 69.

Figure 7 is a larger scale view onto Figure 6 which shows flanged stabilization fixture almost fully engaged into slot 70 to better illustrate its operation. Flange disks 76a and 76b are spaced apart to fit snugly against the inner and outer sides of slot 70, thereby providing the desired degree of stability without requiring any laborious operator intervention while loading delivery-bike onto its carrying-rack.

Preferred Embodiment of the Carrying-Rack:

The carrying-rack shown in Figures 6 and 7 must be specifically constructed to fit the dimensions of the particular delivery-bike being carried on the delivery-truck and this constraint limits the invention's overall versatility and utility. Therefore, another embodiment of the carrying-rack is configured for adjustability to suit a variety of different delivery-bikes. One approach to this goal, is to configure the stabilization post 69 for height adjustability and spacing adjustability with respect to tire-track 55, thereby enabling the carrying-rack to conform to the crank spindle heights and widths of various delivery-bikes. If this approach is taken then the adjustable post's notch 70 must include a latch that locks onto flanged stabilization fixture 73 (not illustrated however suitable latch mechanism are well-known). It is evident that if delivery-bike 50 is thereby prevented from rolling backwards, out of notch 70, then both the wheel catch 54 and the rear deck to tire-ramp locking mechanism 61, 62 become redundant and be safely eliminated from the assembly. This simplified configuration will permit any size of delivery-bike to be secured to the carrying rack simply by latching onto one side its crank spindle. This "single stabilization post" embodiment affords reasonably good security however dual stabilization posts that latch onto both sides of the delivery-bike's crank spindle would provide optimal engagement between the carrying-rack 52 and any size of delivery-bike.

Figure 7b conceptually illustrates this preferred "twin stabilization post' 'embodiment of the carrying-rack which axially clamps onto both ends of the delivery-bike's crank spindle.
Left and right stabilization posts 101 and 102 are bolted onto main support tube 66 and spaced apart to permit delivery-bike 50 to roll between them along tire-rail 55 (provided that a crank arm has raised as shown in order to clear the top of either post). Crank spindle 71 has been modified by replacing both of its crank arm retention bolts with ones that enable engagement onto left and right conical rams and detailed below. Once firmly gripped by said rams, said spindle is immobilized as if it was mounted between centers in a lathe and this, together with the contact of front and rear tires 59, 60 into tire-track 55, provides a robust fixation of delivery-bike 50 onto carrying-rack 52.

Figure 7c illustrates details of Figure 7b by suppressing parts of the delivery-bike for better visibility. Left and right spindle engagement rams 103 and 104 are both threaded rods that are threaded though left and right ram carriers 105 and 106, thereby enabling axial adjustment by turning knob 112. The inward ends of rams 103 and 104 are convex (either conical or spherical) for engagement into matching concavities formed into the exposed faces of specially fabricated left and right crank arm retention nuts 107 and 108. An unused retention nut 107b is shown for illustrative purposes. The delivery-bike's crank's spindle (not shown) is typically furnished with square tapered ends that use either a nut or a bolt to affix crank arms 110 and 111 as shown. Concave engagement nuts 107 and each have a threaded inner portion for normal use in affixing a crank arm to spindle 71 and an out concave portion for use with the present invention. A bolt version (rather than a nut) of the same crank retention/spindle end-support means is shown in Figure 7d and in Figure 7g below.

To affix delivery-bike 50 onto carrying-rack 52, the convex ends of threaded rams 103 and 104 are tightened into their respective conical engagement fixtures 107 and 108, using either a wrench or tightening knob 112. To prevent unauthorized removal of the delivery-bike from its carrying-rack, knob 112 may be formed with a series of shackle-holes which enable locking its angular position using padlock 91.

To enable carrying-rack 52 to be adjusted to fit the various spindle heights of various delivery-bikes, ram carriers 105 and 106 are adjustable in height using bolts through adjustment slots 109 for adjustable fixation of said ram carriers to stabilization posts 101 and 102. Various crank spindle lengths may be accommodated by screwing spindle-gripping rams 103 and 104 in and out. To provide further axial adjustability, shim washers may also be placed under concave crank bolts 107 and 108. The positioning of posts 101 and 102 may also be varied by bolting them to main support 66 using a plurality of mounting holes (see Figure 7g).

Figure 7d illustrates a preferred embodiment of the carrying-rack 52 that includes a more easily actuated ram mechanism for gripping axially onto the ends of the delivery-bike's crank spindle 71. Left stabilization posts 101 and 102 mount vertically telescoping upper ram carriers 113 and 114, each having height adjustment slots 109 for adapting to various delivery-bikes. Left upper ram carrier 113 mounts ajournaled ram 115 that slides freely in and out and is clamped into the concave face of crank arm retention bolt 120.
See Figure 7e for a more detailed view.

Note that many standard delivery-bikes have their pedal crank closer to their rear wheel than their front wheel so that when mounted and gripped as shown in Figure 7d, the front tire may overhang the front end of the end of tire-track 55. Figure 7f shows another delivery-bike that overhangs the rear end of tire-rail 55. To remedy this fore/aft positioning imbalance, a more central fixation point may be provided on the delivery-bike that can be gripped in exactly the same manner as its crank spindle. Gripping fixture 119 is comprised of left and right threaded fixation points 119 that are robustly affixed to the frame of delivery-bike 50 to simulate its crank spindle 71 (i.e. the left and right concave crank bolts can be screwed into 119 so that when gripped above main support 66, front wheel 59 and rear wheel 60 are symmetrical with respect to tire-track 55. If these auxiliary fixation points then spindle 71 needn't be modified with appropriately machined crank bolts.

Note that in the embodiment of Figure 7d, since the rear end of delivery-bike 50 is not affixed to freely hinged tire-ramp 56, some means of securing said ramp is required while the delivery-truck is moving. To fulfill this function, hinge 63 includes a stop mechanism 117 that arrests the travel of tire-ramp 56 when it becomes substantially perpendicular to tire-track 55. A spring biasing means 118 is also included that automatically raises said ramp when not in use. One or two lengths of elastic "bungee cord" affixed to both tire-track and tire-ramp as shown will provide effective ramp actuation because, when lowered past horizontal, the ramp will automatically switch biasing direction to retain itself onto the ground for loading or unloading operations. When manually raised past horizontal, it will automatically swing up to its vertical storage position. The hinged tire-ramp 56 may also be mounted to either end of tire-track 55 to facilitate loading and unloading in different work environments. Dual tire-ramps may also be simultaneously mounted so that the driver/rider can more easily choose which end of the carrying-rack to use for loading operations. If a lightweight Ebike or conventional pushbike is being used as the delivery-bike, both tire-ramps may be omitted and the driver/rider can simply lift it onto or off of the tire-track (se Figure 7f).

Figure 7e illustrates details of Figure 7d by suppressing parts of the delivery-bike for better visibility of how the mechanism functions. Left and right stabilization posts 101 and 102 mount height-adjustable ram receivers 113 and 114, each ram for axially gripping into the ends of the delivery-bike's crank spindle (not shown). Threaded right ram 104 affixes with locknuts though ram receiver 114 such that its convex end engages into the concavity formed into the face of right crank bolt 108. Left ram 115 is journaled to slide freely through ram receiver 113 such that its convex end engages into the concavity formed into the face of left crank bolt 107. The other end of ram 115 is actuated by a standard "toggle-clamp" mechanism 116 (shown fully open). Such toggle-clamps are well-known devises that leverage force past a tipping point such that they snap shut and the harder the clamp are forced open, the more its mechanism pushes it closed. Many toggle-clamp mechanisms include means for locking the mechanism closed with a padlock, thereby discouraging thieves who might otherwise steal the delivery-bike off of a parked delivery-truck. When toggle-clamp 116 is closed by pushing onto actuation lever 122, its clamping plunger 123 contacts the end of ram 115, thereby forcing its convex end into the concavity formed into the face of left crank bolt 107 and axially squeezing both ends of the delivery-bike's crank spindle.

Toggle clamps are fast and effective however alternate means for forcing the coaxial spindle-gripping rams together are within the scope of the invention.
For example:
either or both stabilization posts could be hinged to fold away from the delivery-bike and a detachable turnbuckle between them could be used to force and lock the posts into their upright position, thereby capturing the delivery-bike's crank spindle between them.
Figure 7e also illustrates a preferred means for securely affixing carrying-rack 52 into the standard trailer hitch receiver 88 that mounts to either the front or rear end of delivery-truck 51 (not shown). A plurality of threaded fixation holes 120 are formed into a side of main support tube 66 such that when said support is inserted into hitch receiver 88, bolt 121 can be tightened into the threaded hole which gives optimal clearance between a mounted delivery-bike and the rear end of the delivery-truck. If the delivery-truck is being driven about without carrying a delivery-bike then further retraction of support member 66 into receiver 88 may be advisable in order to render the carrying-rack unobtrusive while still enabling good access through the delivery-truck's rear doors.

Figure 7f illustrates the carrying-rack shown in Figures 7d and 7e however in this case it is gripping onto a substantially longer delivery-bike 50 that utilizes a standard, non-electrified, pedal-only bicycle drivetrain. This delivery-bike has large wheels and elongated rear cargo decks that cause it to overhang both ends of tire-track 55. To avoid interference between a hinged tire-ramp and the overhanging rear end of delivery-bike 50, the carrying-rack has had its tire-ramp removed. Since this delivery-bike is substantially lighter than the electrically assisted delivery-bike shown in Figure 7d, a physically-fit driver/rider will typically be able to mount this elongated delivery-bike onto its carrying-rack by first lifting its front wheel and then its back wheel onto tire-track 55.

Figure 7g illustrates the carrying-rack 52 of Figure 7f, which has been slightly reconfigured to render it more adaptable to different lengths of delivery-bike and also showing a simple threaded means for clamping the delivery-bike onto the carrying-rack.
Stabilization posts 101 and 102 have each been bolted onto the side of main support member 66 (instead of its top), thereby moving any mounted delivery-bike forward by 2 inches. Additional 2" increments of forward mounting could be achieved using longer bolts and 2" slices of tubing as shims. Also: threaded ram 103 is actuated by a simple turning knob 112 instead of the toggle-clamp used in Figure 7f to pressure sliding ram 115 against spindle adaptor bolt 107.

Figure 7h illustrates an embodiment of the carrying-rack that that uses a rotational joint to enable tilting of the tire-track such that it can temporarily serve as a tire-ramp. Rotational joint 48 separates the main support of carrying-rack 52 into a fixed portion 66b and a rotating portion 66a, thereby enabling tire-track 55 to rotate towards the ground for loading or unloading a delivery-bike. Since the entire clamping structure tilts with the tire-track, the need for a separate tire-ramp such as shown in Figure 7d is eliminated. To enable suitable rotation of joint 148, fixed flange 149 is internally journaled into rotating flange 150 using an internal boss and recess. Tensioning rod 156 is internally affixed to flange 149 such that tightening nut 157 will lock rating flange 150 to fixed flange 149 at any tilt angle. Locking lever 153 swings around pivot 154 and is biased downwards by spring 155, thereby forcing said lever into horizontal locking notches 151 formed into the apex of both flange 149 and 150. Locking lever thereby aids the user in locking tire-track horizontally as needed for transport or releasing it for tilting as needed for loading operations.

Other means of facilitating the "Augmented Park and Loop" delivery methodology:
Figure 8 illustrates various cargo bin configurations that may be used to facilitate transfer of packages from the delivery-truck to the delivery-bike and from the delivery-bike to their final destinations. Delivery-bike 50 has been parked onto it centerstand 79 and driver/rider 53 has disembarked one of the folding modular cargo bins 77a containing packages for delivery and is setting off on foot to walk a local Park and Loop delivery route based from the parked delivery-bike (as opposed to basing it from the parked delivery-truck).

Cargo bin 77a is a commonly available product that may include wheels and an extendable handle for use as a door to door delivery trolley as shown. Such bins may be collapsible, thereby permitting empty bin/trolley 77b to be clipped onto the rear rack structure of delivery-bike 50. Alternatively, cargo bin 77c may be left opened for carrying cargo and clipped onto a folded-down, hinged side-deck 80 as shown. Locking cargo bin tops and locks to prevent unauthorized removal of a bin from the delivery-bike may be provided as well as other security measures such as an alarm (see the March 12 description for Figures 1 and 2 above).

Various other existing cargo-handling products may be integrated into the present invention to increase the delivery-bike's versatility and capacity. For example Lee Valley Tools (leevalley.com) sells a "Folding Hand Truck" that folds flat for storage (see Figure 8b). This folding hand cart may also be mounted to the rear end of delivery-bike 50 in a manner similar to the bin/trolley 77b. When dismounted from the delivery-bike, this folding hand cart can serve as a conventional "dolly" for delivering boxes on foot. Its extended handle may also include a coupling that enables it to be hitched onto the rear of delivery-bike 50 and pulled about like the "Grocery-Getter" trailer referenced below. The above cargo handling means may be affixed to either an electric-assist delivery-bike such as shown in Figure 8 or to a more conventional, pedal-only powered delivery-bike such as shown in Figure 7f.

Randomly-shaped boxes 78 may be lashed to various racks on the delivery-bike to improve its carrying capacity, including the front mount rack as shown. When parked, the delivery-truck used to carry the delivery-bike serves as a local warehouse in which extra parcel-laden, cargo bins may be stored until needed.

In a preferred embodiment, the delivery-truck contains a plurality of cargo bins that each contains pre-sorted packages destined for different neighborhoods and for delivery by different means (truck, foot or bike). Optimal Park and Loop parking spots for both the delivery-truck and its disembarked delivery-bike are predetermined such that the driver/rider can rapidly load appropriate bins onto the delivery-bike as they are needed (see methodology description below).

In urban areas having many closely-spaced delivery sites, the delivery-bike will not have sufficient cargo capacity for efficiently use as a base for Park and Loop operations and in such cases it would be advantageous to use a cargo trailer to augment its carrying capacity. The challenge is to provide a trailer which is quick and easy to use and which can be carried unobtrusively on the delivery-truck for occasional use.

Figure 8b illustrates another cargo-carrying configuration of delivery-bike 50. A plurality of modular crates 158 affix to platforms 80 and may be lockably stacked as required to provide adequate cargo capacity. Folding hand cart 159 has folding wheels 159b, a folding cargo shelf 159c and extendable handle 159d that enable it to be unobtrusively carried in either direction upon lower cradle 160 and locked to the delivery-bike with locking pin 161.

Figure 8c illustrates the delivery-bike of Figure 8b with its folding hand cart 159 reversed and cargo shelf 159c folded down for carrying additional cargo modules 158.

Figure 8d illustrates the delivery-bike of Figure 8b with its folding hand cart 159 disembarked. Its wheels 159b have been unfolded and locked and trailer hitch portions 163a and 163b have been joined such that said hand cart now acts as a trailer.
Cargo shelf 159c supports a large package 162 that could not otherwise be transported by the delivery-bike.

Figure 9 illustrates a compact single-wheeled trailer that can efficiently augment the cargo carrying capacity of the delivery-bike. Trailer 81 is comprised of horizontal ladder frame 83 having left and right rails spaced apart to receive rear wheel 82. A T-shaped hitch-pin rotatably affixes the trailer to the rear end of delivery-bike 50. Referring to Detail A, The T-shaped hitch-pin is comprised of horizontal hitch-pin portion 84, journaled through the front end of ladder frame 83 and vertical hitch-pin portion 85 journaled through vertical hitch receiver 86 and secured with cotter-pin 87, hitch receiver 86 being welded to lower support bracket 58. Trailer 81 and delivery-bike 50 may thereby freely rotate with respect to each other about pin portion 84 while traversing bumps and may also rotate with respect to each other about pin portion 85 while turning corners. Since hitch-pin portion 85 is held within vertical receiver 86, rear wheel 82 is constrained to tilt with delivery-bike 50 as it leans into corners, thereby providing a stable cargo platform on the upper surface of ladder-frame 83.

This very slender trailer configuration enables it to be conveniently stored outside of the delivery-truck 51, thereby maximizing its useful payload. If a larger delivery-truck such as that shown in Figures 1 and 2 is being used, then a bulkier, 2-wheeled bicycle trailer may be carried inside the delivery-truck and deployed with the delivery-bike when needed. One such off-the-shelf bicycle trailer that's well suited to this delivery task is the "Grocery-Getter" available from Tony's Trailer (tonystrailers.com), because, when detached from the delivery-bike, his type of trailer can serve as a delivery trolley. Partial disassembly of this type of 2-wheeled trailer/hand-trolley may be undertaken to minimize the space it occupies in the truck when not in use. With appropriate quick-release fixtures and storage fixtures, the partially disassembled 2-wheeled trailer can be stored into the same space used to store the single-wheeled trailer (see figure 10).

A similar type of dual-purpose trailer/trolley can be obtained by modifying the hand-held delivery trolley shown in Figure 8 such that the top of its extendable handle can be attached to the upper cargo deck 57, thereby eliminating the need to fold and carry it on the delivery-bike between stops along a Park and Loop delivery route.

Figure 10 illustrates how the slender trailer shown in Figure 9 can be stored onto the carrier rack when not in use without encumbering the interior of delivery-truck 51.
Stabilization post 69 includes a trailer bracket 100 on its front surface which mates with ladder frame 83, thereby temporarily affixing trailer 81 to carrying-rack 52.
Carrying rack 52 is affixed to delivery-truck 51 via quill 74 inserted into the standard trailer hitch receiver 88 of delivery-truck 51 (further carrying rack fixation details are shown in Figure 12).

Figure 11 illustrates how cargo can be stored onto either side of the trailer shown in Figure 9. Trailer 81 is constructed without permanently attached cargo bins in order to minimize its size and thereby enable it to be stored conveniently as shown in Figure

10. Trailer 81 detachably mounts one or more modular cargo bins 89. Said cargo bins are stored inside the delivery-truck and typically contain pre-sorted packages that enable the driver/rider to quickly transfer all packages onto the delivery-bike 51 or trailer 81 that need to be delivered along a given Park and Loop route. Quick-release brackets 90 (not visible) mate cargo bins 89 onto ladder frame 83 for secure transport along said route. Note in Figure 9 that trailer 81 is symmetrical about its horizontal center plane, thereby permitting vertical hitch-pin portion 85 to be inserted into hitch receiver 86 with either side of trailer 81 facing upwards. This versatility enables different quick-release fixtures to be affixed to each side of ladder frame 83 to accommodate different payloads. For example: one side may have fixations for one or more modular bins 89 as shown while the other side may have different fixations which permit attachment of a large flat, general-purpose cargo deck (not illustrated). Thus the compact delivery-bike 51 and its trailer 81 can be easily configured to carry a wide variety of cargo.

Figure 12 illustrates the preferred means used for rigidly attaching the carrier rack 52 to the delivery-truck 51. Tire-track 55 is securely welded to carrying-rack main support 66, which is typically standard 2-inch square tubing formed to slide easily into the standard 2-inch trailer-hitch receiver 88. Note that such trailer hitches are commonly available as bolt-on parts for a wide variety of suitable trucks and SUV's and that they are also available for fixation to either the front or rear end of many models. Front-mounting may be desirable in many situations in order to prevent obstruction of rear cargo doors. Gussets 67 may be used to increase the robustness of joint between tire-track 55 and main support 66.

Support 66 may affixed to hitch receiver 88 using an expanding "quill"
mechanism comprised of quill tubes 74a and 74b, each having opposed beveled surfaces such that, when axial bolt 75 is tightened, quill portion 74a slides against quill portion 74b to effectively enlarge the mechanism. Quill portion 74a is shown welded to carrying-rack support 66 so that when quill portions 74 and 74b are inserted into the standard 2-inch hitch receiver 88 and bolt 75 is securely tightened, the entire carrying-rack 52 becomes rigidly jammed inside said receiver.

In another embodiment (without the quill fixation) carrying-rack 52 may also be secured to receiver 88 using the conventional cotter-pin fixation used by trailer hitches (pin thought aligned holes 88b and 88c). This standard fixation means is fast and cheap however the looseness of fit of support 66 inside the receiver 88 may cause unacceptable wobbling of the carrying-rack when driven over rough roads.

Figure 13 illustrates one embodiment of an acceptable latching and locking mechanism 61 for securing tire-ramp 56 to upper cargo deck 57, thereby immobilizing delivery-bike 50 with respect to its carrying-rack 52. Temporary latching of tire-ramp 56 onto said cargo deck is accomplished using a latch comprised of stretchable portion 94a and metal receiver portion 94b. When tire-ramp 56 is fully raised and contacted onto mechanism 61, rubber latch portion 94a can be stretched to engage into latch portion 94b, thereby retaining tire-ramp 56 in place. Left and right latches may be provided as shown for additional security.
Positive locking of tire-ramp 56 to cargo deck 57 is by means of shackle receiver 92, which when tire-ramp 56 is fully raised will protrude through aperture 93 sufficiently for the shackle of padlock 91 to be locked through said shackle receiver, thereby locking the ramp and delivery-bike together with added security. In its simplest embodiment latching and locking mechanism 61 is comprised of only the padlocking elements (91, 92 and 93), since this mechanism can effectively accomplish both latching and locking functions (i.e. rubber latch 94a and 94b is optional).

Figure 14 illustrates an alternate latching a locking mechanism 61 for securing the tire-ramp to the delivery-bike. In this embodiment, temporary latching is accomplished by spring-loaded toothed latch 94 that automatically engages onto a corner of tire-ramp 56 when it reaches its fully raised position, thereby immobilizing delivery-bike 50 with respect to its carrying-rack 52. Positive locking is accomplished by passing the shackle of padlock 91 through shackle apertures 92 and 93 when said apertures are aligned. Again, the latch portion 94 is optional if the padlock method is used. It is understood that a variety of similar, known latching and locking mechanisms can be implemented to secure tire-ramp 56 to delivery-bike 50.

Figure 15 illustrates a means for automatically recharging the batteries of an electrically assisted delivery-bike. One of the advantages of the present invention is that while the delivery-bike is being carried by delivery-truck 51, the battery 64 used to power the delivery-bike may be recharged using power from the delivery-truck's batteries (not visible). This intermittent charging during the work day reduces the need for a large heavy battery pack on the delivery-bike and thereby improves the system's overall effectiveness.
To facilitate recharging the delivery-bike's battery, tire-ramp 56 includes electrical contact 96b and lower support bracket 58 includes electrical contact 96a, said electrical contacts being positioned such that when tire-ramp 56 is fully raised to lock delivery-bike 50 onto delivery-truck 51, contacts 96a and 96b become mated, thereby electrically connecting the battery of the delivery-bike 64 to a battery charger (not visible) onboard the delivery truck 51.

If the carrying-rack of Figure 7g is being used then charging any electric assist delivery-bike that's carried on it must be effected manually (by plugging the charger located aboard the delivery-truck onto the batteries of the delivery-bike.

Figure 16 illustrates a pedal-mounted prop stand that satisfies one of the objectives of the present invention: to provide a delivery-bike that can be parked very rapidly when doing closely-spaced door-to-door deliveries. Conventional, frame-mounted prop stands and center stands are acceptably fast for occasional stops however for optimal and automatic stand deployment during rapid start/stop deliveries; delivery-bike 50 may be equipped with one or two gravity-actuated, pedal-mounted stands. Pedal prop 97 is affixed to pedal 72 and angled outward such that when pedal crank 71 is rotated near the ground and the rider's foot is removed, the weight of the prop causes said pedal to rotate such that prop 97 and its attached foot 98 hang down and the delivery-bike can be leaned onto said prop for support.

Figure 17 better illustrates the support geometry and operational principal that enables the prop stand shown in Figure 16 to function. When coming to a stop at which the rider wishes the delivery-bike to be temporarily parked, crank 71 must be rotated to approximately the angular position shown; such that pedal 72 is slightly rearward of its bottom-dead center position. When the rider then leans the weight of the delivery-bike onto the hanging prop 97, the ground contact onto foot 98 will prevent it from moving however a certain amount of rotational force will be applied to the crank which will tend to propel rear wheel 60 forward and thereby cause the stand to collapse.
Therefore, in order for the prop stand to be effective, delivery-bike 50 must be constrained from rolling forward. Experience has shown that my previous pedal stand of similar design (US
6,237,929), which relied on a freely swinging front wheel cannot provide reliable support for a heavy delivery-bike, because its steering geometry cannot be turned far enough to left or right to provide adequate braking force.

Therefore, in the present invention, external braking means are provided that reliably prevent forward motion which would otherwise cause the stand to fail.
One such means is a rear brake lever 99 of the type equipped with a spring-locking pin mechanism that is built into the lever body and that blocks the fully-pulled brake lever from returning into its housing, thereby enabling the rider to lock the rear brake and prevent rolling forward while parked onto prop 97. Such known "parking brake" levers are commercially available and typically used to prevent tricycles for rolling when parked.
When the delivery-bike 50 is equipped with one or both pedal stands as well as such a rear wheel parking brake lever, the rider can quickly and easily dismount the vehicle and leave it reliably supported while making brief delivery excursions on foot. For lengthier parking periods, center stand 79 may be deployed.

An alternate brake locking embodiment suitable only for an electric assist delivery-bike is to use rear its hub motor 65 as a means of immobilizing rear wheel 60.
Hub motor 60 may be temporarily converted into a parking brake by shorting or more of its field coils to ground, thereby converting it into a generator that will exert considerable resistance to turning. Whereas the brake lever locking means require some (minimal) user interaction, this electronic means of enabling the gravity-actuated pedals stands to work effectively lends itself to computerized actuation: when the electric-assist delivery-bike's speed drops to zero and the throttle is left at idle, the motor's field coil can be automatically grounded with a relay to make it easy for the rider to stop and start without having to consciously deploy a stand.

Figure 18 details a preferred embodiment of the locking brake lever that can be retro-fitted onto an existing brake lever. Lever body 125 mounts to handlebar 129 and brake lever 124 pivots within said body on pivot 126 to actuate rear brake cable 128. Adjuster 127 is used to adjust cable tension such that when the rear brake is fully engaged, lever 124 is withdrawn far enough from handlebar body 125 that a pin can be inserted into the triangle formed by cable 128, body 125 and lever 124, thereby blocking it from releasing the rear brake (and the pedal-mounted stands shown in Figure 17 will become operative).
Brake blocking pin 138 mounts through the upper and lower flanges of receiving body 130, said body being affixed via its large lower flange to the (typically) flat top of existing brake lever body 125. A double-sided foam adhesive patch 137 is sufficient to hold the mechanism in the correct position for pin-blocking of lever 124 to occur.
Other means, such as a miniature C-clamp, may also be used to affix receiving body 130 onto the existing brake lever mechanism.

Biasing spring 132 and circular spring retention flange 133 formed onto pin 138 are disposed between the upper and lower flanges of body 130 such that pin 138 is biased upwards but retained within said body by said flange, thereby permitting brake lever 124 to operate normally. When the rider wishes to apply the parking brake so that the pedal-mounted prop stands can be used, the brake lever 124 is actuated and plunger button 131 is depressed, thereby moving blocking pin 138 down into the brake blocking triangle described above. While keeping button 131 depressed, the user then releases lever 124 causing it to pinch onto the side of pin 138 and retain it in place while the delivery-bike is parked. When the rider wishes to release the parking brake and ride off, they squeeze again onto lever 124 such that pin 138 is free to be propelled upwards by spring 132 into its upper, disengaged position.

Figure 19 illustrates the parking brake lever of Figure 18 once the blocking pin 138 has been depressed into its parking brake position. Button 131 has been pressed such that spring 132 has been compressed by spring cap 133 and blocking pin 138 extends across brake lever body 125, thereby blocking the return of brake lever 124. Side pressure onto pin 138 will keep it in place until lever 124 is squeezed by the rider to release the brake.
Note that magnet 134 has been adhesively affixed to lever 124 and electrical "reed switch" 135 has been adhesively affixed to brake adaptor body 130 such that when lever 124 is released, magnet 134 moves close to reed switch 135, thereby closing an internal electrical contact that is wired to an Ebike's motor controller (i.e. applying the brake automatically cuts of power to the electric assist motor). Since a motor cut-off switch is a mandatory safety feature in some Ebike jurisdictions this (optional) inclusion of magnet 134 and reed switch 135 provides a cost-effective way to provide the needed motor cutoff switch while simultaneously implementing the parking brake function needed to actuate the pedal-mounted stands shown in Figure 17.

Figure 20 illustrates a "kit" for retrofitting pedal-stand capability onto a delivery-bike. It also has more general-purpose utility in that it adds utility to any bicycle.
The kit includes the rear brake-lever locking mechanism 139 described above as well as left or right pedal prop stands 140, 141 for attachment to typical left or right bicycle pedals 146, 147. Left and right foot members 143 and 145 are eccentrically affixed and angled with respect to the bent props 144 and 142 to which they are affixed, thereby swinging each pedal to the optimal prop deployment angles depicted in Figure 17. Fixation of a prop to a pedal is typically by means of bolt holes and bolts (not shown) that align onto existing holes along the edge of the pedal to which it is mounted (slots my be provided to facilitate alignment).

Alternatively, the user may be required to drill two or more mounting holes in their pedal to enable bolting of prop to pedal. The lateral extension of prop 142 or 144 may vary;
more lateral extension as show for right prop 142 will add greater geometric strength to the deployed stand however stiffer metal will be required to fabricate it in order to avoid bending when parking a heavily laden delivery-bike. Greater lateral (outward) extension of prop 142 will also aid users with very wide feet as this will insure that, regardless of which side of the pedal they use, the rearward extending foot won't interfere with their footwear.
To accommodate varying pedal dimensions and heights above ground, a prop-length adjustment mechanism may be provided as shown between prop 143 and foot 143.
To further add to prop length adjustability, the spacing between prop 142 and pedal 147 may be adjusted using shims when bolting it onto right pedal 147. Another approach to providing a kit that fits various delivery-bikes is to manufacture a plurality of non-adjustable prop configurations, each one made to span whatever distance exists between a particular delivery-bike's vertically oriented pedal and the ground (i.e. the user measures lowest ground clearance and purchases the correct prop length).

Either a left or a right pedal-mounted prop stand may be provided in the kit however it is preferable that it include both left and right props as this will enable the rider to disembark onto either side of the delivery-bike as needed.

Note that, when attached to a pedal, the entire weight of the prop stand is highly eccentric to each pedal's axis of rotation and this causes a strong automatic rotational deployment action whenever the rider's foot is removed from the pedal. Note also that this pedal-stand kit can also be gainfully used to convert bicycles and Ebikes that are not used for delivery of parcels.

Methodology for using the invention:
Conventional delivery methodology uses only two modes of transport (driving and walking) and therefore only two possible modes:
1) Execute the entire delivery route using the delivery truck (what couriers normally do since their delivery sites are typically too widely spaced for walking).
2) Park the delivery truck at selected spots and walk along a short route of closely-spaced delivery sites. This method is known as "Park and Loop" and is typically used for postal delivery.
This binary choice of either driving or walking necessitates strategic planning to determine the location of the "Park and Loop" parking spots that provide optimal overall productivity. The critical decision criterion is whether it's more energy and time efficient to drive or to walk between each delivery site. Since the walking mode is only used for door-to-door mail delivery, the decision on where to park and switch from driving to walking is quite straightforward: it's an empirical decision based on the weight a letter-carrier can carry in a satchel and where convenient parking spots are with respect to the delivery area.

The present invention provides the delivery-truck driver with a third possible mode of transport (riding a delivery-bike). When deployed, the bike enables "Augmented Park and Loop" operations and this extended methodology necessitates additional strategic planning steps in order to make best use of all three modes of transport. The same two delivery modes listed above still apply however there are now two more possible delivery modes:

3) Perform certain portions of the point to point truck-driven "courier" route by parking the truck and completing deliveries using the off-loaded delivery-bike.
4) Perform potions of any delivery-bike route by parking the delivery-bike and completing a series of door-to-door deliveries on foot.
These two new options for where to change transport modes complicates the methodology needed to select optimal parking sites from which to base Park and Loop operations. The underlying decision criterion remains the same: which available mode of transport is the most efficient to deliver the packages contained in the truck? The decision on which mode of transport is most efficient is based on several parameters:

- The average spacing between upcoming delivery sites - The size and weight of upcoming deliveries - The average speed of traffic - The availability of parking - The availability of dedicated bicycle lanes - The weather - The energy consumption characteristics of each mode of transport.

The speed and carrying capacity of an Ebike falls between that of a truck and that of a walker so, to some extent, the choice of where to deploy the Ebike is analogous to the decision-making process used to select conventional park and loop topologies.
The extra variables are however hard to quantify and a rigorously analytical solution is virtually impossible to compute.

One option for deciding which packages warrant delivery by Ebike (either directly or by sub-looping from a parked Ebike) is to rely heavily on the driver/rider/walker's intuitive consideration of all factors. The exercise of individual expertise and judgment is something that can only be developed over time and must remain quite subjective. Despite this variability in any individual driver's decision on where and when to switch delivery modes from delivery-truck to delivery-bike and back again, there will clearly be some operational scenarios in which the driver will see obvious benefit in deploying the delivery-bike. For example:
- Traffic is so congested that the truck is moving slower than a bike could travel if deployed.
- Legal parking spaces near delivery sites are very scarce so the likelihood of expensive tickets makes bike delivery more cost-effective.
- Energy costs and carbon emissions incentives are such that bike delivery is so much more cost-effective that it overcomes lost productivity due to the slowness of the bike versus the truck.
Provided that the delivery-bike is deployed at least some of the time in response to any of the above scenarios then it will provide some net benefit.

Another option for deciding which packages warrant delivery by Ebike is to utilize some form of computerized display that aides the driver/rider. To accomplish this, the digital manifest of all packages aboard the delivery-truck is analyzed at the start of day to determent the average distance between delivery sites. Geographically clustered deliveries are well-suited to delivery using the delivery-bike so under the assumption of various average truck speeds corresponding to different traffic congestion states (20 kph, 30 kph 40 kph etc), numerical comparison is made to the average speed of an Ebike (32 kph) through the same data set as the truck. This yields geographic clustering of delivery sites based on projected time between delivery sites; a time threshold is then used to cluster sites that are best suited to one mode of delivery or the other. These suggested delivery mode can then be used to colour-code all delivery sites as they are plotted onto a map display such as "Googlemaps" (e.g. green = bike and red = truck). This colour-coded map showing all delivery sites on the driver's route during their workday is presented to the driver/rider on a mobile viewing device such as an internet browser operating on an "Apple iPhone" or similar device. Display of a series of locations onto a Googlemap is easily accomplished using utilities such as that available at "batchgeo.com" and each geographical location icon can be clicked on to access a range of data relevant to that point (its postal code, street address, name of recipient, weight and dimensions of package etc). Those types of "hard"
data point attributes are easy to determine and upload to the Googlemap however, of necessity; the displayed clusters showing suggested delivery mode are relatively crude suggestions. While only approximate suggestions subject to widely ranging interpretation by the driver, the green/red groupings can still provide a good visual backdrop of their day's work and route plan. This thereby provides a good starting point for applying expert judgment on how to best utilize each of the transportation modes at their disposal.

Including an iPhone or similar computing, navigation and telecommunications device to display the map of suggested delivery-mode for each package being delivered also presents two other opportunities to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the present delivery invention. These two methodology enhancements are:
1) The same "iPhone hardware" used to display mapping information regarding suggested sites for delivery-bike usage, together with additional software, is used to keep track of which packages have been delivered using which mode of transport.
This data can be used to encourage the driver/rider to make greater use of the delivery-bike and this will in turn provide greater social benefits while generating greater profits for the delivery company.

This additional software module addresses the weak link in the chain of decision making process: for any given delivery, it's physically easier for the driver to sit comfortably in their delivery-truck and slowly inch through traffic than it is to park and use the delivery-bike to complete the job ... that's extra work and employees paid by the hour typically try to minimize their exposure to it. The solution is to pay employees extra for this extra work. If the driver receives a bonus for each package delivered using the delivery-bike that might have otherwise been delivered using the delivery-truck, then it's certain they will make every effort to do so. The additional payroll costs incurred may very well be dwarfed by fuel savings, reduced parking fines, faster deliveries in congested traffic, carbon-tax credits and extra customer goodwill that will accrue to using the more environmentally beneficial delivery option. The amount of driver bonus needed to achieve optimal all-round performance is easily determined empirically during field trials.

Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the "Augmented Parke and Loop"
methodology, the delivery-truck driver / delivery-bike rider uses their iPhone type map display device to automatically keep track of the mode of transport used to deliver each package and the kilometers of travel that they have logged on each vehicle. In its simplest embodiment, the odometer reading of both the delivery-truck and the delivery-bike are recorded at start and end of day and subsequently used by management to determine the driver's pay bonus amount based how many deliveries were made with respect to the relative usage of each vehicle. More sophisticated analysis may also be implemented that discounts obvious "truck-only" usage scenarios such as freeway commutes to and from a distant warehouse or garage.

Whatever the details of the empirical analysis, the important methodology step to note is that the driver knows they will be financial rewarded for exerting extra effort to use the most socially responsible mode of transport at their disposal.

2) The same "iPhone hardware" used to display mapping information regarding suggested sites for delivery-bike usage, together with additional software, is used to eliminate time lost due to the recipient of a particular package who is required to provide a signature not being at home when a delivery is attempted. A delivery company looses money each time it fails to deliver a package due to the recipient not being home to sign for it or pay COD charges. Furthermore, if after several unsuccessful attempts to deliver a package, the absent recipient is faced with a notice stuck to their door informing them that they must now travel to a distant depot to collect their package, further lost energy and customer satisfaction will be lost.

Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the "Augmented Park and Loop"
methodology, the delivery-truck driver / delivery-bike rider uses their iPhone type device to automatically display onto their day's scheduled delivery sites however the data used to generate the "Googlemap" (described above) is augmented with attribution for each delivery site that includes a data field for whether or not a signature is required, whether or not COD charges must be paid upon delivery and the phone number of the recipient. This "recipient must be home" data is then used to colour-code the Googlemap icons in the same way that the icons illustrate the suggested mode of transportation to each delivery site. For example: delivery sites that require a signature or COD payment might be displayed using yellow icons.
The driver/rider can thereby perceive ahead of time the need for the recipient of a particular package to be home.

At some convenient time before they plan on making a "yellow" delivery (for example: 30 minutes), the driver clicks on the yellow Googlemap icon whereupon its attribute data is displayed (which includes the recipient's telephone number).
The driver/rider than clicks on the phone number (a "verify customer is home"
icon) and the iPhone's software automatically causes a phone call to be made to that number and a pre-recorded message to be played if the call is answered. The phone message to the upcoming delivery site might read something to the effect: "Hi: I'm a delivery-truck driver about to visit you with a package that either requires your signature or has COD charges I need to collect. If you are able to be there for the next 30 minutes to receive this package, please press the number sign. If there 's no response, I'll assume nobody is home and will attempt to deliver again tomorrow." If the software detects the "will be at home" response then the driver automatically receives appropriate on-screen notification to proceed with the delivery. If however no response is received from the package recipient the driver automatically receives appropriate on-screen notification of the problem so that they can skip attempting that particular delivery on that particular day. All such cancelled deliveries are recorded in software and rescheduled into the next day's work. Avoiding failed attempts to delivery package, the delivery company saves time, energy and money while the customer enjoys a higher level of service.

It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination.

Claims