U.S. patent application number 13/428295 was filed with the patent office on 2012-11-08 for combination snow blower and plow, and retrofit kit.
This patent application is currently assigned to Cal G. Niemela. Invention is credited to Terry L. Lahti, Cal G. Niemela.
Application Number | 20120279093 13/428295 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47089245 |
Filed Date | 2012-11-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120279093 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Niemela; Cal G. ; et
al. |
November 8, 2012 |
COMBINATION SNOW BLOWER AND PLOW, AND RETROFIT KIT
Abstract
A combination snow blower and plow apparatus provides at least
two operating configurations including (i) a standard-width snow
blowing configuration, and (ii) an expanded-width plowing and
blowing configuration. Optionally, the apparatus may further be
capable of an expanded-width snow plowing configuration. In some
embodiments, the apparatus includes a pair of snow-pushing plate
assemblies that are pivotably attached to a snow blower mechanism,
and are repositionable or reconfigurable to provide different
plowing or blowing configurations, such as by directing snow into a
snow blower intake or by pushing an accumulation of snow ahead of
the blower mechanism. In other embodiments, the apparatus includes
a pair of removable snow-pushing wings. The snow-pushing plate
assemblies may be configured as a kit for retrofitting existing
snow blowers. Optionally, inlet-blocking plates may be used to
block the snow blower intake and form a substantially continuous
plow across the front of the snow blower mechanism.
Inventors: |
Niemela; Cal G.; (Chassell,
MI) ; Lahti; Terry L.; (Houghton, MI) |
Assignee: |
Niemela; Cal G.
Chassell
MI
|
Family ID: |
47089245 |
Appl. No.: |
13/428295 |
Filed: |
March 23, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61481419 |
May 2, 2011 |
|
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61598515 |
Feb 14, 2012 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
37/242 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01H 5/098 20130101;
E01H 5/045 20130101; E01H 5/061 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
37/242 |
International
Class: |
E01H 5/04 20060101
E01H005/04; E01H 5/06 20060101 E01H005/06; E01H 5/09 20060101
E01H005/09 |
Claims
1. A combination snow blower and plow apparatus comprising: a snow
blower mechanism having a housing with opposite sides and defining
a snow inlet portion between said opposite sides, said snow blower
mechanism further having a snow discharge portion in communication
with said snow inlet portion; a snow-pushing plate pivotably
coupled to one of said opposite sides of said housing, said
snow-pushing plate being independently pivotable between a
plurality of extended snow-pushing positions in which said
snow-pushing plate extends outwardly at an angle from a respective
one of said sides of said housing, and a retracted position in
which said snow-pushing plate is positioned alongside and generally
parallel to said one of said opposite side of said housing; a
support strut having first and second strut portions that are
coupled to said side of said housing and to said snow-pushing
plate, respectively, said first and second strut portions being
repositionable relative to one another to provide different lengths
of said support strut for supporting said snow-pushing plate in
said plurality of extended snow-pushing positions, and said first
and second strut portions being further repositionable relative to
one another for positioning said snow-pushing plate in said
retracted position; and wherein when said snow-pushing plate is in
said plurality of extended snow-pushing positions, said
snow-pushing plate is operable to direct snow toward said snow
inlet portion as said snow blower mechanism is moved through an
accumulation of snow, and when said snow-pushing plate is in said
retracted position, said snow-pushing plates do not substantially
engage the snow as said snow blower mechanism is moved through the
accumulation of snow.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second strut
portions are configured in telescoping arrangement, and at least
one of said strut portions comprises a plurality of lateral bores
in spaced arrangement near a joint portion of said support strut,
said lateral bores for selectively receiving a pin which, when
disposed in one of said bores, substantially fixes said strut
portions relative to one another, thereby fixing at least one of
the minimum length and the maximum length of said support
strut.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said first and second strut
portions are selectively pivotable relative to one another at said
joint portion of said support strut for positioning said
snow-pushing plate in said retracted position with said first and
second strut portions at least partially separated and pivoted
relative to one another.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an elastic cord for
coupling said first and second strut portions to one another, said
elastic cord configured to act as a hinge that couples said first
and second strut portions together when said strut portions are
pivoted relative to one another for positioning said snow-pushing
plate in said retracted position.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a mounting plate
coupled to said housing for mounting said snow-pushing plate to
said housing, wherein said mounting plate comprises a support tab
that projects outwardly for supporting said support strut when said
first and second strut portions are pivoted relative to one another
at said joint portion and said snow-pushing plate is in said
retracted position.
6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said snow-pushing plate is
pivotable about a substantially vertical pivot axis to move said
snow-pushing plate from one of said extended snow-pushing positions
to said retracted position.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: an elastic
retainer cord having a tethered proximal end portion coupled to one
of said snow-pushing plate and said housing of said snow blower
mechanism, said retainer cord further having a distal end portion
comprising an enlarged portion having a larger cross sectional
dimension than a diameter of said retainer cord; a receiving
element coupled to the other of said snow-pushing plate and said
housing, said receiving element defining an opening having a
smaller cross sectional dimension than said enlarged portion at
said distal end portion of said retainer cord; and wherein said
opening of said receiving element is configured to selectively
receive a portion of said retainer cord when said receiving element
is engaged by said enlarged portion, to thereby retain said
snow-pushing plate in the retracted position.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said enlarged portion of said
retainer cord comprises a generally spherical knob.
9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a mounting plate
that is coupled to said housing for mounting said snow-pushing
plate to said housing, said mounting plate comprising at least one
track defining a longitudinal slot, and said snow-pushing plate
comprising a pin at a proximal end portion thereof, said pin of
said snow-pushing plate being received in said longitudinal slot of
said track to permit both translating and pivoting movement of said
snow-pushing plate relative to said mounting plate.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said snow-pushing plate is
pivotable about a substantially horizontal pivot axis to move said
snow-pushing plate from one of said extended snow-pushing positions
to said retracted position.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a pivot-mount
plate to which said snow-pushing plate is pivotably coupled,
wherein said pivot-mount plate is pivotably coupled to said snow
blower housing for rotation about said substantially horizontal
pivot axis.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a fastener at
said pivot-mount plate, said fastener spaced radially from said
substantially horizontal pivot axis and configured to selectively
engage said snow blower housing side at two locations corresponding
to said retracted and extended positions of said snow-pushing
plate.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: one of said
snow-pushing plates pivotably coupled to each of said opposite
sides of said housing; an inlet-blocking plate movably coupled to
each of said snow-pushing plates, said inlet-blocking plates being
repositionable between an inlet-blocking use configuration in which
said inlet-blocking plates cooperate to substantially obstruct said
snow inlet portion, and a stored configuration in which said
inlet-blocking plates are positioned substantially along said
respective snow-pushing plates; and wherein when said
inlet-blocking plates are positioned in their respective
inlet-blocking use configurations, said inlet-blocking plates
cooperate to substantially limit or prevent snow from entering said
snow inlet as said snow blower mechanism is moved through the
accumulation of snow, so that said snow blower mechanism is
operable to push the snow in front of said snow blower
mechanism.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said snow-pushing plate
comprises an inboard edge portion that extends inboard of the
respective opposite side of the snow blower housing when said
snow-pushing plate is in the extended position, whereby an
accumulation of snow is directed into the snow inlet portion of the
snow blower housing by the snow-pushing plate, including said
inboard edge portion, to thereby prevent an accumulation of snow
from passing between said snow-pushing plate and the respective
opposite side of the snow blower housing as the snow blower
mechanism is moved through the accumulation of snow.
15. A combination snow blower and plow apparatus comprising: a snow
blower mechanism having a housing with opposite sides and defining
a snow inlet portion between said opposite sides, said snow blower
mechanism further having a snow discharge portion in communication
with said snow inlet portion; a snow-pushing plate pivotably
coupled to one of said opposite sides of said housing, said
snow-pushing plate being independently pivotable between a
plurality of extended snow-pushing positions in which said
snow-pushing plate extends outwardly at an angle from a respective
one of said sides of said housing, and a retracted position in
which said snow-pushing plate is positioned alongside and generally
parallel to said one of said opposite side of said housing; a
support strut extending between said snow-pushing plate and said
one of said opposite sides of said housing for supporting said
snow-pushing plate in said extended position; an elastic retainer
cord having a tethered proximal end portion coupled to said
snow-pushing plate and said housing, said retainer cord further
having a distal end portion comprising an enlarged portion having a
larger cross sectional dimension than a diameter of said retainer
cord; a receiving element coupled to the other of said snow-pushing
plate and said housing, said receiving element defining an opening
having a smaller cross sectional dimension than said enlarged
portion at said distal end portion of said retainer cord; and
wherein said opening of said receiving element is configured to
selectively receive a portion of said retainer cord while said
receiving element is engaged by said enlarged portion to thereby
retain said snow-pushing plate in the retracted position.
16. A retrofit kit for a snow blower, the snow blower having a
housing with opposite sides and defining a snow inlet portion
between the opposite sides, the snow blower further having a snow
discharge portion in communication with said snow inlet portion,
said kit comprising: a pair of plate assemblies configured for
attachment to the snow blower, each of said plate assemblies
comprising: a mounting plate having a forward end portion and a
rearward end portion, said mounting plate configured for attachment
to one of the opposite sides of the snow blower housing; an
outwardly-extendable snow-pushing plate coupled to said mounting
plate via a hinge and configured to be pivotally movable between an
extended snow-pushing position in which said snow-pushing plate
extends outwardly at an angle from the snow blower, and a retracted
position in which said snow-pushing plate is positioned alongside
and generally parallel to the snow blower; a support strut having
first and second strut portions that are coupled to said rearward
end portion of said mounting plate and said snow-pushing plate,
respectively, said support strut for supporting said snow-pushing
plate in said extended snow-pushing position, and said first and
second strut portions being selectively repositionable relative to
one another for positioning said snow-pushing plate in said
retracted position.
17. The retrofit kit of claim 16, wherein said first and second
strut portions are configured in telescoping arrangement, and at
least one of said strut portions comprises a plurality of lateral
bores in spaced arrangement near said joint portion, said lateral
bores for selectively receiving a pin which, when disposed in one
of said bores, substantially fixes said strut portions relative to
one another, thereby fixing at least one of the minimum length and
the maximum length of said support strut.
18. The retrofit kit of claim 15, wherein said first and second
strut portions are pivotable relative to one another at a joint
portion of said support strut for positioning said snow-pushing
plate in said retracted position.
19. The retrofit kit of claim 18, further comprising an elastic
cord for coupling said first and second strut portions to one
another, said elastic cord configured to act as a hinge coupling
said first and second strut portions together when said strut
portions are pivoted relative to one another for positioning said
snow-pushing plate in said retracted position.
20. The retrofit kit of claim 19, further comprising: an elastic
retainer cord having a tethered proximal end portion coupled to
said snow-pushing plate, said retainer cord further having a distal
end portion comprising an enlarged portion with a larger cross
sectional dimension than a diameter of said retainer cord; a
receiving element coupled to said rearward end portion of said
mounting plate, said receiving element defining an opening having a
smaller cross sectional dimension than said enlarged portion at
said distal end portion of said retainer cord; and wherein said
opening of said receiving element is configured to selectively
receive a portion of said retainer cord while said receiving
element is engaged by said enlarged portion, to thereby retain said
snow-pushing plate in the retracted position.
21. The retrofit kit of claim 20, wherein said mounting plate
comprises a support tab projecting outwardly between said forward
and rearward end portions, said support tab configured to support
said support strut when said first and second strut portions are
pivoted relative to one another at said joint portion and said
snow-pushing plate is in said retracted position.
22. The retrofit kit of claim 21, further comprising: an elastic
retainer cord having a tethered proximal end portion coupled to one
of said snow-pushing plate and said mounting plate, said retainer
cord further having a distal end portion comprising an enlarged
portion having a larger cross sectional dimension than a diameter
of said retainer cord; a receiving element coupled to the other of
said snow-pushing plate and said mounting plate, said receiving
element defining an opening having a smaller cross sectional
dimension than said enlarged portion at said distal end portion of
said retainer cord; and wherein said opening of said receiving
element is configured to selectively receive a portion of said
retainer cord while said receiving element is engaged by said
enlarged portion, to thereby retain said snow-pushing plate in the
retracted position.
23. A combination snow blower and plow apparatus comprising: a snow
blower mechanism having a housing with opposite sides and defining
a snow inlet portion between said opposite sides, said snow blower
mechanism further having a snow discharge portion in communication
with said snow inlet portion; a snow-pushing wing assembly
comprising a snow-pushing surface and a mounting surface with a
first mounting track disposed at said mounting surface; a second
mounting track disposed at one of said sides of said housing, said
second mounting track configured for releasable engagement with
said first mounting track; a fastener positioned at said mounting
surface of said snow-pushing wing assembly for selectively engaging
said one of said sides of said housing and operable to secure said
snow-pushing wing assembly at said housing when said first and
second mounting tracks are in engagement with one another; and
wherein said snow-pushing wing assembly is separable from said
housing upon disengagement of said fastener from said one of said
sides of said housing, and upon disengagement of said first
mounting track from said second mounting track.
24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein one of said first and second
mounting tracks comprises an I-shaped cross section and the other
of said first and second mounting tracks comprises a C-shaped cross
section for receiving a portion of the I-shaped cross section.
25. The apparatus of claim 23, comprising at least two of said
first mounting tracks and at least two of said second mounting
tracks, wherein each of said second mounting tracks corresponds to
a respective one of said first mounting tracks.
26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said first and second
mounting tracks are oriented substantially vertically and are
configured to permit substantially vertical sliding movement of
said snow-pushing wing assembly relative to said snow blower
housing when said fastener is disengaged from said snow blower
housing.
27. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a flexible
scraper blade positioned along a lower end portion of said
snow-pushing surface.
28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said wing assembly comprises
a unitarily formed body that includes said snow-pushing surface and
said mounting surface.
29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said unitarily formed body
comprises molded resinous plastic.
30. A retrofit kit for a snow blower, the snow blower having a
housing with opposite sides and defining a snow inlet portion
between the opposite sides, the snow blower further having a snow
discharge portion in communication with said snow inlet portion,
said kit comprising: a pair of snow-pushing wings, each wing
comprising a snow-pushing surface and a mounting surface; a first
mounting track disposed at said mounting surface of each of said
wings; a second mounting track configured for coupling to each of
said sides of said housing, said second mounting track configured
for releasable engagement with said first mounting track; and a
fastener configured to be positioned at said mounting surface of
said snow-pushing wing assembly for selectively engaging said one
of said sides of said housing, wherein said fastener is operable to
secure said snow-pushing wing assembly at said housing when said
first and second mounting tracks are in engagement with one
another.
31. The retrofit kit of claim 30, wherein said wings each comprise
a unitarily formed body that includes said snow-pushing surface and
said mounting surface.
32. The retrofit kit of claim 31, wherein said unitarily formed
body comprises molded resinous plastic.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the priority benefit of U.S.
provisional application Ser. No. 61/481,419, filed May 2, 2011, and
of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/598,515, filed Feb. 14,
2012, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their
entireties.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is directed to snow moving equipment,
and more particularly, to powered snow blowers or throwers and snow
plows.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Two primary types of powered snow-moving equipment include
(i) snow blowers or throwers that receive snow through an inlet and
use a powered auger or rotary paddle to discharge the snow a
distance away from the snow blower, and (ii) snow plows that use
one or more blades to push the snow from one area to another,
generally without lifting the snow from the ground.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention provides, in its various forms, a
combination snow blower and snow plow apparatus that can be readily
converted between a pure snow blowing configuration, and/or a pure
snow plowing configuration, and/or a hybrid snow blowing and
plowing configuration. This allows an operator to select an optimal
configuration for a given situation such as variations in the snow
depth and/or density, the size or shape of an area to be cleared of
snow, or the presence of obstructions. The combination snow blower
and plow apparatus includes a substantially conventional snow
blower mechanism, but includes one or more movably-mounted
snow-pushing plates or blades that can be retracted or extended
depending on whether the operator wishes to push snow or direct it
into (or away from) the snow blower using the snow-pushing plates.
The plates can also be moved to the retracted non-use position to
operate the apparatus in a pure snow blower configuration.
Optionally, an inlet-blocking plate is coupled to each snow-pushing
plate for selectively blocking the snow from entering the snow
blower intake. Thus, the combination snow blower and plow apparatus
is configurable to clear a path that is substantially wider than
the snow blower mechanism itself, either by pushing the snow as a
plow, or by directing the snow into or away from the snow blower
intake using wings or plates that extend out from the snow blower
mechanism.
[0005] In one form of the present invention, a combination snow
blower and plow apparatus including a snow blower mechanism with a
housing having opposite sides defining a snow inlet portion and a
snow discharge portion in communication with the snow inlet
portion. The apparatus further includes a snow-pushing plate
pivotably coupled to one of the opposite sides of the housing, with
a support strut for supporting the plate at different angles
relative to the housing. The snow-pushing plate is independently
pivotable between a plurality of extended snow-pushing positions in
which the snow-pushing plate extends outwardly at an angle from a
respective one of the sides of the housing, and also to a retracted
position in which the snow-pushing plate is positioned alongside
and generally parallel to the opposite side of the housing. The
support strut has first and second strut portions that are coupled
to the side of the housing and the snow-pushing plate,
respectively, the first and second strut portions being
repositionable relative to one another to provide different lengths
of the support strut for supporting the snow-pushing plate in the
plurality of extended snow-pushing positions. The first and second
strut portions are selectively pivotable relative to one another at
a joint portion for positioning the snow-pushing plate at the
retracted configuration. When the snow-pushing plate is in the
extended snow-pushing position, the snow-pushing plate is operable
to direct snow either toward or away from the snow inlet portion as
the snow blower mechanism is moved through an accumulation of snow,
and when the snow-pushing plate is in the retracted configuration,
the snow-pushing plates substantially do not engage the snow or
only minimally engage the snow to push the snow away from the
respective sides of the housing as the snow blower mechanism is
moved through the accumulation of snow.
[0006] In another form of the present invention, a retrofit kit is
provided for use with a snow blower having a housing with opposite
sides and defining a snow inlet portion between the opposite sides,
the snow blower further having a snow discharge portion in
communication with the snow inlet portion. The kit includes a plate
assembly configured for attachment to the snow blower, the plate
assembly including a mounting plate, an outwardly-extendable
snow-pushing plate, and a support strut. The mounting plate has a
forward end portion and a rearward end portion, and is configured
for attachment to one of the opposite sides of the snow blower
housing. The snow-pushing plate is coupled to the mounting plate
via a hinge and configured to be pivotally movable between an
extended snow-pushing configuration in which the snow-pushing
plates extend outwardly at an angle from the snow blower, and a
retracted configuration in which the snow-pushing plates are
positioned alongside and generally parallel to the opposite sides
of the housing of the snow blower. The support strut has first and
second strut portions that are coupled to the rearward end portion
of the mounting plate and the snow-pushing plate, respectively. The
support strut supports the snow-pushing plate in the extended
snow-pushing position, while the first and second strut portions
are selectively pivotable relative to one another at a joint
portion for positioning the snow-pushing plate at the retracted
configuration.
[0007] Optionally, the mounting plate includes a support tab that
projects outwardly to support the support strut when the first and
second strut portions are pivoted relative to one another at the
joint portion and the snow-pushing plate is in the retracted
configuration.
[0008] Optionally, an elastic retaining cord is provided which has
a tethered proximal end portion coupled to one of the snow-pushing
plate and the mounting plate, the retainer cord further having a
distal end portion with an enlarged portion or member having a
larger cross sectional dimension than a diameter of the retainer
cord. A receiving element is coupled to the other of the
snow-pushing plate and the mounting plate, and defines an opening
having a smaller cross sectional dimension than the enlarged
portion or member at the distal end portion of the retainer cord.
The opening of the receiving element is configured to selectively
receive a portion of the retainer cord while the receiving element
is engaged by the enlarged portion or member, to thereby retain the
snow-pushing plate in the retracted position.
[0009] The snow-pushing plate or plates may each include an inboard
edge portion that is configured to extend inboard of the respective
opposite side of the snow blower housing when the snow-pushing
plate or plates are in the extended position. This allows the
snow-pushing plate or plates to direct an accumulation of snow into
the snow inlet portion of the snow blower housing including the
inboard edge portion, to thereby prevent a portion of the
accumulation of snow from passing through a gap defined between the
snow-pushing plate or plates and the respective opposite side of
the snow blower housing, as the snow blower mechanism is moved
through the accumulation of snow.
[0010] In one aspect, the apparatus includes a mounting plate that
is coupled to the housing for mounting the snow-pushing plate to
the housing. The mounting plate includes at least one track that
defines a longitudinal slot, and the snow-pushing plate includes a
pin at a proximal end portion thereof. The pin of the snow-pushing
plate is received in the longitudinal slot of the track to permit
both translating and pivoting movement of the snow-pushing plate
relative to the mounting plate.
[0011] In another aspect, the snow-pushing plate is pivotable about
a substantially horizontal pivot axis to permit movement of the
snow-pushing plate from one of the extended snow-pushing positions
to the retracted position.
[0012] Optionally, the snow-pushing plate is pivotably coupled to a
pivot-mount plate, and the pivot-mount plate is pivotably coupled
to the snow blower housing for rotation of the pivot-mount plate
and the snow-pushing plate about the substantially horizontal pivot
axis. A fastener may be provided at the pivot-mount plate; the
fastener spaced radially from the substantially horizontal pivot
axis and configured to selectively engage the snow blower housing
side at two locations corresponding to the retracted and extended
positions of the snow-pushing plate.
[0013] According to another form of the present invention, a
combination snow blower and plow apparatus includes a snow blower
mechanism having a housing with opposite sides, and at least one
snow-pushing plate that is movably coupled to one of the sides of
the housing. The snow blower housing defines a snow inlet portion
between the opposite sides, and has a snow discharge portion in
communication with the snow inlet portion. The snow-pushing plate
is movable between an extended snow-pushing configuration in which
the plate extends outwardly at an angle from the side of the
housing, and a retracted configuration in which the snow-pushing
plate is positioned alongside and generally parallel to the side of
the housing. When the snow-pushing plate is in the extended
snow-pushing configuration, the snow-pushing plate is capable of
pushing an accumulation of snow ahead of the plate and may direct
the snow toward the snow inlet portion as the snow blower mechanism
is driven or moved forward. When the snow-pushing plate is in the
retracted configuration, the snow-pushing plate does not engage the
snow, or only minimally engages the snow to push the snow away from
the side of the housing as the snow blower mechanism is moved
forward.
[0014] In one aspect, a support member is coupled between the
snow-pushing plate and the side of the housing to which the plate
is pivotally attached, for fixedly supporting the snow-pushing
plate in the extended snow-pushing configuration.
[0015] In another aspect, the apparatus includes a snow-pushing
plate coupled to each side of the housing. The snow-pushing plates
are independently movable or pivotable between respective extended
and retracted configurations.
[0016] In yet another aspect, the apparatus includes a respective
inlet-blocking plate that is movably coupled to each of the
snow-pushing plates. The inlet-blocking plates are repositionable
between an inlet-blocking use configuration, in which the
inlet-blocking plates cooperate to substantially obstruct the snow
inlet portion of the snow blower mechanism, and a stored
configuration in which the inlet-blocking plates are positioned
along the respective snow-pushing plates. When the inlet-blocking
plates are positioned in their respective inlet-blocking use
configurations, the inlet-blocking plates cooperate to limit or
prevent snow from entering the snow inlet or intake of the snow
blower mechanism as the apparatus is moved through an accumulation
of snow. This allows the snow blower mechanism to push the snow in
front of the snow blower mechanism, rather than permitting the snow
to enter the snow inlet. Optionally, the inlet-blocking plates are
pivotally coupled to respective snow-pushing plates.
[0017] In a further aspect, one of the inlet-blocking plates
includes a first latch member portion, and the other inlet blocking
plate includes a second latch member portion. When the
inlet-blocking plates are in their respective inlet-blocking use
configurations, the first and second latch member portions are
engageable with one another to retain the inlet-blocking plates in
their respective inlet-blocking use configurations.
[0018] Optionally, one of the latch member portions includes a
slide member and the other latch member portion includes a
receiver. The slide member substantially aligns for engagement with
the receiver when the inlet-blocking plates are in their respective
inlet-blocking use configurations.
[0019] In a still further aspect, each of the inlet-blocking plates
and each of the snow-pushing plates includes a flexible scraper
blade at a lower end portion of the respective plate. Optionally,
these flexible scraper blades are replaceable.
[0020] In another aspect, the snow blower mechanism of the
apparatus is a two-stage snow blower having an intake auger
positioned in the snow inlet portion, and a discharge fan
positioned in the snow discharge portion.
[0021] In yet another aspect, the apparatus is used in combination
with a tractor that is operable to drive the snow blower mechanism
through an accumulation of snow, and to simultaneously and/or
selectively power the snow blower mechanism to forcibly discharge
snow through the snow outlet.
[0022] According to another form of the present invention, a plate
assembly is provided for attachment to a snow blower. The plate
assembly includes a pair of outwardly-extendable snow-pushing
plates and an inlet-blocking plate attached to each snow-pushing
plate. Each snow-pushing plate is pivotally coupled to an opposite
side of a snow blower via respective hinges, and is movable between
an extended snow-pushing configuration in which the snow-pushing
plates extend outwardly at an angle from the snow blower, and a
retracted configuration in which the snow-pushing plates are
positioned alongside and generally parallel to the snow blower. The
inlet-blocking plates are pivotally coupled to the snow-pushing
plate via respective hinges, and are repositionable between an
inlet-blocking configuration in which the inlet-blocking plates
cooperate to substantially obstruct a snow inlet portion of the
snow blower, and a stored configuration in which the inlet-blocking
plates are positioned along the respective snow-pushing plates.
When the inlet-blocking plates are positioned in their respective
inlet-blocking configurations, the inlet-blocking plates cooperate
to substantially limit or prevent snow from entering the snow
blower so that the snow blower is operable to push the snow with
the inlet-blocking plates when the snow blower is moved through an
accumulation of snow. When the snow-pushing plates are positioned
in their respective snow-pushing configurations, the snow-pushing
plates cooperate with the inlet-blocking plates to clear the snow
from a surface in the manner of a snow plow having an overall width
that is greater than that of the snow blower.
[0023] According to yet another form of the present invention, a
retrofit kit is provided for a snow blower. The snow blower for
which the retrofit kit is intended typically has a housing with
opposite sides and defines a snow inlet portion between the
opposite sides. The snow blower further includes a snow discharge
portion in communication with the snow inlet portion. The kit
includes a pair of plate assemblies, each with a snow-pushing
plate, an inlet-blocking plate, and hinges for pivotally mounting
the snow-pushing plates and inlet-blocking plates. The snow-pushing
plates are configured to be pivotally coupled to opposite sides of
the snow blower and movable between an extended snow-pushing
configuration in which the snow-pushing plates extend outwardly at
an angle from the snow blower, and a retracted configuration in
which the snow-pushing plates are positioned alongside and
generally parallel to the snow blower. Hinges are provided for
coupling each snow-pushing plate to the snow blower. The
inlet-blocking plates are configured to be pivotally coupled to
each snow-pushing plate so that the inlet-blocking plates being
repositionable between an inlet-blocking configuration in which the
inlet-blocking plates cooperate to substantially obstruct the snow
inlet portion of the snow blower, and a stored configuration in
which the inlet-blocking plates are positioned substantially along
the respective snow-pushing plates. Additional hinges are provided
for coupling each inlet-blocking plate to a respective snow-pushing
plate.
[0024] According to another form of the present invention, a
combination snow blower and plow apparatus includes a snow blower
mechanism and a removable snow-pushing wing assembly. The snow
blower mechanism includes a housing with opposite sides that define
a snow inlet portion between the opposite sides, the snow blower
mechanism further having a snow discharge portion in communication
with the snow inlet portion. The snow-pushing wing assembly
includes a snow-pushing surface and a mounting surface with a first
mounting track disposed at the mounting surface. A second mounting
track is disposed at one of the sides of the housing, and is
configured for releasable engagement with the first mounting track.
A fastener is positioned at the mounting surface of the
snow-pushing wing assembly for selectively engaging the one of the
sides of the housing and for securing the snow-pushing wing
assembly at the housing when the first and second mounting tracks
engage one another. The snow-pushing wing assembly is separable
from the housing upon disengagement of the fastener from the one of
the sides of the housing, and upon disengagement of the first
mounting track from the second mounting track. Optionally, a pair
of snow-pushing wing assemblies and corresponding mounting tracks
may be provided separately from the snow blower mechanism, as in a
wing assembly kit for mounting to an existing snow blower.
[0025] In one aspect, one of the mounting tracks has an I-shaped
cross section and the other mounting tracks has a C-shaped cross
section for receiving a portion of the I-shaped cross section.
Optionally, at least two of the first mounting tracks and at least
two of the second mounting tracks are provided, for engagement with
corresponding ones of the first mounting tracks.
[0026] In another aspect, the mounting tracks are oriented
substantially vertically and are configured to permit substantially
vertical sliding movement of the snow-pushing wing assembly
relative to the snow blower housing when the fastener is disengaged
from the snow blower housing.
[0027] In a further aspect, a flexible or semi-rigid scraper blade
is positioned along a lower end portion of the snow-pushing
surface.
[0028] Accordingly, the combination snow blower and plow apparatus
of the present invention provides an operator with two or more of
the options of (i) using the snow blower in a conventional manner,
i.e., with the snow-pushing plates and inlet-blocking plates in
their respective retracted positions, (ii) using the apparatus in a
plowing configuration in which the snow-pushing plates and
inlet-blocking plates are extended to form a substantially
continuous snow-pushing surface that limits or blocks snow from
entering the snow blower intake, and (iii) using the apparatus in a
hybrid plowing/blowing arrangement in which the snow-pushing plates
are extended and the inlet-blocking plates are retracted, so that
the snow-pushing plates direct snow from beyond the opposite sides
of the snow blower housing into the snow intake, so that an
enlarged path of snow can be cleared and discharged through the
discharge portion of the snow blower mechanism. The arrangement
allows the combination snow blower and plow to be used or stored in
a compact configuration with the plates retracted, or to be
configured for use in an expanded-width configuration that allows
the apparatus to be used as either a snow blower or a snow
plow.
[0029] These and other objects, advantages, purposes, and features
of the present invention will become more apparent upon review of
the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination snow blower
and plow apparatus in accordance with the present invention, with
snow-pushing plates and inlet-blocking plates in their respective
extended configurations to form a substantially continuous plow
blade;
[0031] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the combination snow blower and
plow apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0032] FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the combination snow blower
and plow apparatus;
[0033] FIG. 4 is a left side elevation of the combination snow
blower and plow apparatus;
[0034] FIG. 5 is another perspective view of the apparatus, with
the snow-pushing plates in their extended configurations and the
inlet-blocking plates in their retracted configurations;
[0035] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 5;
[0036] FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 5;
[0037] FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the combination snow
blower and plow apparatus, with its snow-pushing plates and
inlet-blocking plates in their respective retracted
configurations;
[0038] FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 8;
[0039] FIG. 10 is a front elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 8;
[0040] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the combination snow blower
and plow apparatus attached to a self-propelled tractor;
[0041] FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of another combination
snow blower and plow apparatus in accordance with the present
invention, with snow-pushing plates shown in their extended
positions;
[0042] FIG. 13 is a top-rear perspective view of the combination
snow blower and plow apparatus of FIG. 12;
[0043] FIG. 14 is a left side elevation of the apparatus of FIG.
12;
[0044] FIG. 15 is a rear perspective view of the apparatus of FIG.
12, with its snow-pushing plates shown in their retracted
positions;
[0045] FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the region designated XVI in
FIG. 15;
[0046] FIG. 17 is a left side elevation of the apparatus of FIG.
15;
[0047] FIG. 18 is a right side elevation of the apparatus of FIG.
15, with its right snow-pushing plate removed for clarity;
[0048] FIG. 19 is a front elevation of the apparatus of FIG.
15;
[0049] FIG. 20 is an enlarged view of the region designated XX in
FIG. 18;
[0050] FIG. 21 is a rear perspective view of the left snow-pushing
plate assembly of the apparatus of FIG. 12, and shown in its
extended position;
[0051] FIG. 22 is an enlarged perspective view of the support strut
from the snow-pushing plate assembly of FIG. 21;
[0052] FIG. 23 is a further enlarged view of the region designated
XXIII in FIG. 22;
[0053] FIGS. 24A-24C are rear perspective views of the apparatus
depicting three sequential steps for repositioning the right
snow-pushing plate assembly from the extended position to the
retracted position;
[0054] FIG. 25 is a rear perspective view of the right snow-pushing
plate assembly with its hinge pin being removed to facilitate
separating the snow-pushing plate from the assembly;
[0055] FIG. 26 is a front perspective view of the apparatus of FIG.
12, having its snow-pushing plates removed
[0056] FIG. 27 is a front perspective view of another snow-pushing
plate for use with the combination snow blower and plow
apparatus;
[0057] FIG. 28 is a rear perspective view of the snow-pushing plate
of FIG. 27;
[0058] FIG. 29 is an exploded front perspective view of the
snow-pushing plate of FIG. 27;
[0059] FIG. 30 is a rear perspective view of another combination
snow blower and plow apparatus in accordance with the present
invention, shown with a snow-pushing plate in its extended
position;
[0060] FIG. 31 is a top plan view of the combination snow blower
and plow apparatus of FIG. 30;
[0061] FIG. 32 is a right side elevation of the combination snow
blower and plow apparatus of FIG. 30;
[0062] FIG. 33 is another right side elevation of the combination
snow blower and plow apparatus of FIG. 30, shown with its
snow-pushing plate in its retracted position;
[0063] FIG. 34 is a front perspective view of another combination
snow blower and plow apparatus in accordance with the present
invention, shown with its snow-pushing plates in their respective
extended positions;
[0064] FIG. 35 is an enlarged perspective view of the region
designated XXXV in FIG. 34;
[0065] FIG. 36 is an enlarged perspective view of the region
designated XXXVI in FIG. 34;
[0066] FIG. 37 is an enlarged perspective view of the region
designated XXXVII in FIG. 34;
[0067] FIG. 38 is a left side elevation of the combination snow
blower and plow apparatus of FIG. 34;
[0068] FIG. 39 is an enlarged view of the region designated XXXIX
in FIG. 38;
[0069] FIG. 40 is a front perspective view of the combination snow
blower and plow apparatus of FIG. 34, shown with its right
snow-pushing plate in a partially retracted configuration;
[0070] FIG. 41 is an enlarged view of the region designated XLI in
FIG. 40;
[0071] FIG. 42 is another front perspective view of the combination
snow blower and plow apparatus of FIG. 34, shown with its right
snow-pushing plate in its fully retracted position;
[0072] FIG. 43 is a front perspective view of another combination
snow blower and plow apparatus in accordance with the present
invention;
[0073] FIG. 44 is a top plan view of the combination snow blower
and plow apparatus of FIG. 43;
[0074] FIG. 45 is an enlarged view of the region designated XLV in
FIG. 44;
[0075] FIG. 46 is a rear perspective view of the combination snow
blower and plow apparatus of FIG. 43;
[0076] FIG. 47 is a front perspective view of the combination snow
blower and plow apparatus of FIG. 43, shown with the right
snow-pushing wing removed for clarity and the left snow-pushing
wing shown in the process of removal or installation;
[0077] FIG. 48 is an enlarged view of the region designated XLVIII
in FIG. 47; and
[0078] FIG. 49 is an enlarged view of the region designated XLIX in
FIG. 47.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0079] Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative
embodiments depicted therein, a combination snow blower and plow 10
includes a snow blower mechanism 12 having a housing 14, to which
left and right snow-pushing plate assemblies 16a, 16b are attached.
Snow blower mechanism 12 includes a front intake or inlet portion
18 and a discharge portion 20 for receiving and ejecting or
discharging snow, respectively, as the combination snow blower and
plow 10 is pushed through an accumulation of snow in certain
configurations. Left snow-pushing plate assembly 16a and right
snow-pushing plate assembly 16b are each independently
repositionable or reconfigurable between (i) a full-width plowing
configuration in which intake portion 18 is substantially blocked
(FIGS. 1-4 and 11), (ii) a full-width snow blowing configuration in
which intake portion 18 is fully open for receiving snow (FIGS.
5-7), and (iii) a regular-width snow blowing configuration in which
snow-pushing plate assemblies 16a, 16b are folded back alongside
housing 14 (FIGS. 8-10). Thus, combination snow blower and plow 10
is reconfigurable by an operator to function as a regular-width
snow blower, as an extra-wide snow blower, or as an extra-wide snow
plow. Optionally, the combination snow blower and plow can be
configurable as a regular-width snow plow, as will be described
below.
[0080] Snow blower mechanism 12 may be a substantially conventional
one or two stage snow blower. In the form shown in FIGS. 1-10, the
snow blower is a two-stage snow blower, as shown, including an
intake auger 22 positioned in intake portion 18, and a blower fan
24 positioned in discharge portion 20 for ejecting or discharging
snow received from intake auger 22 through a discharge chute 26.
However, it will be appreciated that snow blower mechanism 12
represents substantially any type of snow blower, including a
single-stage snow blower having a high speed intake/discharge auger
or paddle that receives snow through an inlet and discharges the
snow through an outlet in a single step, or even a high speed
rotating brush mechanism that uses a cylindrical rotary brush for
discharging snow forwardly and to the side of the snow blower
mechanism.
[0081] The two-stage snow blower mechanism 12 of the illustrated
embodiment includes respective left and right opposite sides or
sidewalls 14a, 14b of housing 14. Left and right sidewalls 14a, 14b
define the left and right ends of intake portion 18, and rotatably
support intake auger 22 at respective bushings or bearings 28a, 28b
in a conventional manner. A respective support tab 30a, 30b extends
rearwardly from a rear portion of each sidewall 14a, 14b. A
propeller shaft 32 projects rearwardly from discharge portion 20
for driving engagement by a drive shaft of a tractor or the like,
and extends forwardly into housing 14 to drive intake auger 22 via
a gearbox 34. Blower fan 24 comprises a plurality of fan blades
extending outwardly from propeller shaft 32 where it passes through
discharge portion 20 of snow blower mechanism 12.
[0082] In the illustrated embodiment, each snow-pushing plate
assembly 16a, 16b includes a respective outwardly-extendable and
substantially planar snow-pushing wing or plate 36a, 36b that is
pivotably coupled to the respective left or right sidewall 14a, 14b
of housing 14 via a respective hinge 38a, 38b. Each snow-pushing
plate assembly 16a, 16b further includes a respective
inlet-blocking plate 40a, 40b that is pivotally coupled to a
respective wing 36a, 36b via a hinge 42a, 42b. A removable support
member or rod 44a, 44b extends from a respective one of support
tabs 30a, 30b at the rear of left and right sidewalls 14a, 14b of
housing 14, to a respective support tab 46a or 46b that extends
rearwardly from the distal end portion of each outwardly-extended
wing 36a or 36b. A housing recess 48 extends laterally inwardly
along housing 14, from each of left and right sidewalls 14a, 14b
(near support tabs 30a, 30b), and receives or accommodates support
tabs 46a, 46b when the wings 36a, 36b are pivoted or folded
rearwardly to an out-of-use configuration as shown in FIGS.
8-10.
[0083] Hinges 38a, 38b permit wings 36a, 36b to be positioned
between an angled, outwardly-extending snow-pushing or
snow-channeling configuration (FIGS. 1-7) in which support rods
44a, 44b are used to fix the angular position of the wings 36a, 36b
relative to the respective housing sidewalls 14a, 14b, to a
retracted or folded-back configuration (FIGS. 8-10) in which
support rods 44a, 44b are removed and wings 36a, 36b are
substantially parallel to the respective left and right sidewalls
14a, 14b of housing 14. Hinges 38a, 38b may be attached to left and
right sidewalls 14a, 14b and left and right wings 36a, 36b via
substantially any conventional means, such as with mechanical
fasteners including threaded screws or bolts, with rivets, by
welding, or similar methods.
[0084] In the illustrated embodiment, the length of each support
rod 44a, 44b is selected so that outwardly-extended wings 36a, 36b
are angled forwardly from left and right sidewalls 14a, 14b by an
angle that is about twenty degrees forward of perpendicular, as
best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6. This angle minimizes the amount of
snow spilling around the outside edges of outwardly-extended wings
36a, 36b and permits the funneling or channeling of snow into
intake 18 when inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b are not deployed
(FIG. 5). However, it will be appreciated that the angles of
outwardly extended wings 36a, 36b relative to left and right
sidewalls 14a, 14b may be varied as needed or desired, such as by
using support rods of different lengths than the support rods
shown, or by adding more support tabs along the left and right
sidewalls 14a, 14b and/or along the rear surfaces of the left and
right wings 36a, 36b.
[0085] For example, longer support rods will position wings 36a,
36b further forward (i.e., at a greater or more obtuse angle
relative to the respective sidewall 14a, 14b), and shorter support
rods will allow the outwardly-extending wings 36a, 36b to be
positioned at angles closer to perpendicular to sidewalls 14a, 14b,
or even at acute angles relative to the sidewalls, which would tend
to push snow away from the sidewalls 14a, 14b like a wedge, without
channeling it into intake 18. Optionally, the support rods may be
configured as adjustable-length rods to allow for infinite varying
of the angles of the respective wing 36a, 36b. Optionally, the
support rods may further include spring shock absorbers that allow
the rod to expand and contract such as when a solid object is
encountered by one of the wings, to permit at least limited
pivoting movement or angle-variation of the respective
outwardly-extending wings 36a, 36b.
[0086] Hinges 42a, 42b permit inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b to be
positioned between an inlet-blocking or plowing configuration
(FIGS. 1-3) and a retracted configuration in which inlet-blocking
plates 40a, 40b are pivoted to be substantially flush or parallel
against outwardly-extending wings 36a, 36b (FIGS. 5-10). Thus, in
the retracted configuration, inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b cover a
substantial portion of the forward or snow-engaging portions of
outwardly-extending wings or plates 36a, 36b. A pivot latch 48a,
48b is positioned at the distal end portions of the wings 36a, 36b.
Each pivot latch 48a, 48b includes a respective latch plate 50a,
50b that extends or hangs downwardly over a portion of each
inlet-blocking plate 40a, 40b in the retracted configuration, to
thereby retain the inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b against the
respective wings 36a, 36b. Latch plates 50a, 50b are spaced
outwardly from the forward surface of each wing 36a, 36b in its
outwardly-extending position, and may be manually moved or pivoted
upwardly to allow each inlet-blocking plate 40a, 40b to be pivoted
to its inlet-blocking position.
[0087] Optionally, the hinges that attach the inlet-blocking plates
to the wings may be arranged to have the same pivotal axis as the
hinges that attached the wings to the sidewalls of the snow blower
mechanism. For example, the hinges that attach the inlet-blocking
plates to the wings may be arranged to have the same pivotal axis
as the hinges that attached the wings to the sidewalls, while
allowing the inlet-blocking plates to pivot at least about 270
degrees with respect to the snow blower mechanism and the wings.
This would allow the inlet-blocking plates to be deployed to the
inlet-blocking position regardless of the position of the wings, so
that the combination snow blower and snow plow could be operated as
a regular-width snow plow without the added surface-clearing width
of the extended wings, if desired.
[0088] Referring to FIGS. 1-3, each inlet-blocking plate 40a, 40b
includes a portion of a retainer latch 52 that is operable to hold
the inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b in their respective
inlet-blocking positions. In the illustrated embodiment, retainer
latch 52 includes a slide-bar 54 that is movably mounted in a pair
of receivers 56a mounted to left inlet-blocking plate 40a. Slide
bar 54 includes a distal end portion 54a that can be extended
outwardly beyond the distal end of left inlet-blocking plate 40a to
engage a corresponding receiver 56b mounted to right inlet-blocking
plate 40b. Receivers 56a on left inlet-blocking plate 40a align
with receiver 56b on right inlet-blocking plate 40b when the
inlet-blocking plates are both in the inlet-blocking positions. A
knob or gripping portion 54b of slide bar 54 allows an operator to
readily move or slide the slide bar 54 between the
extended/latching position of FIGS. 1-3, and a
retracted/un-latching configuration in which distal end portion 54a
of slide bar 54 disengages receiver 56b on inlet-blocking plate
40b. Gripping portion 54b also limits the travel or movement of
slide bar 54 by contacting and stopping against one or the other of
receivers 56a when slide bar 54 has reached its travel limits.
Thus, inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b can be securely retained in
their extended or inlet-blocking positions by retainer latch 52,
regardless of whether the combination snow blower and plow 10 is
moved forward or backward. Similarly, inlet-blocking plates 40a,
40b can also be retained in their respective retracted
configurations or positions by respective pivot latches 48a, 48b,
regardless of whether the combination snow blower and plow 10 is
moved forward or in reverse. It will be appreciated that many
different types of locks or latches may be suitable for retaining
inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b in their inlet-blocking
positions.
[0089] In the illustrated embodiment, each wing 36a, 36b includes a
respective flexible scraper blade 58a, 58b along a lower end
portion thereof. Likewise, inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b include
respective flexible scraper blades 60a, 60b at their bottom end
portions. The flexible scraper blades may be removable and
replaceable as wear items, and their flexibility or resilience
permits substantial clearing of a surface of accumulated snow while
accommodating surface variations that might otherwise lift the
snow-pushing plate assemblies 16a, 16b above the surface being
cleared. The flexible scraper blades 58a, 58b and 60a, 60b may be
made of stiff rubber or polymeric material, for example, which
remains at least somewhat compliant or resilient in sub-freezing
temperatures.
[0090] Each substantially planar wing 36a, 36b includes a
respective forwardly-projecting upper edge portion 62a, 62b that
stiffens the wings to help limit or prevent flexing of the wings as
the combination snow blower and plow 10 is pushed forwardly through
an accumulation of snow. Optionally, a rearward-projecting upper
edge portion and/or other stiffening elements such as angled edge
portions or stiffening ribs may be used to strengthen or stiffen
each wing as desired. In the illustrated embodiment, inlet-blocking
plates 40a, 40b are shorter in height than the wings 36a, 36b to
which they are attached, and thus block only a lower portion of
intake 18 when they are in their respective inlet-blocking
configurations, such as shown in FIG. 3. Although the height of
inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b may tend to permit a limited amount
of snow to spill over the top edges of the plates, it will be
appreciated that this spilled snow will be collected in the housing
14 and/or discharged through discharge portion 20 of snow blower
mechanism 12 if intake auger 22 and blower fan 24 are operating.
Thus, there is little risk that any appreciable amount of snow that
spills over the top of inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b will be left
on the surface that is being cleared.
[0091] Optionally, and as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the hinges 38a,
38b may include hinge plates with respective forward-lower corner
portions 38c that project forwardly of a radiused forward-lower
corner portion 14c of each housing sidewall 14a, 14b to
substantially limit or prevent snow from passing between the hinge
38a, 38b and the corresponding housing sidewall 14a, 14b as the
snow blower and plow apparatus is moved through an accumulation of
snow. An inboard edge portion 58c of each scraper blade 58a, 58b
extends at least slightly laterally inwardly (i.e., inboard of the
housing's sidewall 14a or 14b), and cooperates with forward-lower
corner portion 38c of each hinge 38a, 38b. This facilitates
snow-pushing plates 36a, 36b and snow blower mechanism 12
cooperating to clear a substantially uninterrupted path through an
accumulation of snow, without leaving lines of snow or other
materials that could otherwise bypass the inlet portion 18 of the
snow blower housing 14, such as by passing through a gap defined
between the snow-pushing plates and the respective sidewalls of the
snow blower housing. It is envisioned that some snow blower
housings may include sidewalls that are shaped so that the hinges
or hinge plates need not extend forward and downward to the extent
shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, such as with the snow blower housing
sidewalls of FIG. 4, in which case the scraper blade's inboard edge
portions 58c will direct snow inboard of the snow blower housing
sidewall without need for an extended hinge plate.
[0092] Accordingly, the present invention provides a combination
snow blower and plow that can be operated in any of at least three
different modes or configurations for pushing/plowing snow and/or
blowing or discharging snow a distance away from the combination
snow blower and plow. Combination snow blower and plow 10 can be
readily configured by an operator to a pure plowing configuration
with wings 36a, 36b extended outwardly from left and right
sidewalls 14a, 14b, and with inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b
extended and latched in their inlet-blocking positions (FIGS. 1-4).
An operator may readily reconfigure combination snow blower and
plow 10 to an extended-width snow plowing configuration in which
wings 36a, 36b are left in an outwardly-extending position with
inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b retracted and retained against wing
36a, 36b by pivot latches 48a, 48b to channel or direct snow into
intake 18 (FIGS. 5-7). An operator may further configure
combination snow blower and plow 10 to a standard-width snow
blowing configuration in which inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b are
pivoted or folded against the respective wings 36a, 36b, which are
pivoted or folded back against the respective left and right
sidewalls 14a, 14b of housing 14 (FIGS. 8-10). The regular-width
snow blowing configuration of FIGS. 8-10 may also be used as a
compact storage configuration for combination snow blower and plow
10, since this configuration occupies the least lateral and
longitudinal space.
[0093] The combination snow blower and plow 10 can be pushed or
pulled along a surface to be cleared of snow by a tractor 64 (FIG.
11), which couples to the rear of combination snow blower and plow
10 at discharge portion 20. Typically, tractor 64 will have a power
take-off (PTO) at its front end, for rotatably driving propeller
shaft 32, to thereby drive intake auger 22 and blower fan 24 for
operation of snow blower mechanism 12. However, it will be
appreciated that combination snow blower and plow 10 may be coupled
to a tractor or similar machine having other types of PTO's, such
as a pulley and belt drive. In addition, the combination snow
blower and plow may be coupled to and used with other machines or
tractors that lack a PTO, and thus may be used only in a pure
plowing configuration, if desired. It will be further appreciated
that tractor 64 represents substantially any self-propelled vehicle
or engine or motor-driven machine capable of pushing or pulling
combination snow blower and plow 10, including a lawn tractor, farm
tractor, truck, or the like, including an engine or motor-driven
self-propelled machine that is integrated with (i.e., is
non-separable from) combination snow blower and plow 10.
[0094] Optionally, another combination snow blower and plow of the
present invention may be reconfigurable between a standard-width
snow blowing configuration and one of a plurality of expanded-width
snow blowing and clearing configurations. For example, and with
reference to FIGS. 12-26, an alternative combination snow blower
and plow apparatus 110 includes a snow blower mechanism 112 having
a housing 114 to which a pair of snow-pushing plate assemblies 116
is attached (FIGS. 12 and 13). Many of the components of
combination snow blower and plow apparatus 110 are substantially
identical or similar to like components of the above-described snow
blower and plow apparatus 10, such that comparable components of
apparatus 110 are given like numerals by the addition of 100, and
the correspondingly-numbered components may be understood with
reference to their counterparts in the above discussion of
apparatus 10. For example, combination snow blower and plow 110
includes an inlet or intake portion 118 and a discharge portion
120, which correspond to inlet 18 and discharge portion 20 of
combination snow blower and plow 10.
[0095] Each snow-pushing plate assembly 116 includes a mounting
plate 162 attached to a respective left or right sidewall 114a,
114b of housing 114 (FIGS. 12 and 13). Mounting plates 162 are
coupled to the respective sidewalls of housing 114 via welds,
rivets, threaded fasteners, clips, latches or the like, so that the
mounting plates 162 remain substantially fixed relative to housing
114. Each mounting plate 162 includes a forward end portion 162a to
which a hinge 138 is attached for pivotably coupling a respective
snow-pushing plate 136, such as shown in FIGS. 13, 14, 21, and
24A-24C. Each mounting plate 162 further includes a rearward end
portion 162b for receiving a support strut 144 and for retaining
snow-pushing plate 136 in its retracted position, such as shown in
FIGS. 15 and 16, and as will be described in more detail below.
[0096] In the illustrated embodiment, snow-pushing plates 136 are
two-piece units including a molded body 164 defining a
substantially planar front panel 166 and a perimeter wall 168,
which cooperate to stiffen the snow-pushing plates while also
defining a rear cavity 170 (FIGS. 12-14, and 21). An inboard
portion of perimeter wall 168 is coupled to hinge 138. Front panel
166 and perimeter wall 168 meet at a forward-extending lip 176
along an upper portion 160 of front panel 166. Lip 176 increases
the stiffness of snow-pushing plate 136, although it will be
appreciated that other lips or stiffening ribs or the like may be
formed or established in molded body 164 to enhance its strength
and structural rigidity as desired. Molded body 164 may be made of
resinous plastic, and may alternatively be made of fiber-reinforced
resin, stamped sheet metal, or substantially any other suitable
material.
[0097] A flexible scraper blade 158 is attached to a lower portion
of each front panel 166 via a plurality of fasteners 172, which
extend through front panel 166 and are secured where they protrude
into rear cavity 170 (FIG. 13). Scraper blades 158 are generally
made of a resilient material, such as hard rubber, and are
vertically adjustable to control the degree to which they contact
the ground surface being cleared of snow, or to adjust for wear. In
the illustrated embodiment, front panel 166 defines a plurality of
vertical slots 174 (FIGS. 14, 21, and 25) for receiving fasteners
172 in a manner that permits each scraper blade 158 to be adjusted
vertically by first loosening fasteners 172, adjusting scraper
blade 158 to the desired height, and then tightening the fasteners
172 in their respective slots 174.
[0098] Flexible scraper blade 158 includes an inboard edge portion
158b that extends laterally beyond front panel 166 of molded body
164, in the vicinity of hinge 138, such as shown in FIG. 12. Edge
portions 158b extends at least slightly laterally inwardly (i.e.,
inboard of the housing's sidewall 114a or 114b), and cooperates
with forward end portion 162a of mounting plate 162 (which has a
forward-lower corner portion 162c that projects forwardly of a
radiused forward-lower corner portion 114c of each housing sidewall
114a, 114b) to substantially limit or prevent snow from passing
under hinge 138 and between snow-pushing plate 136 and the housing
sidewall 114a, 114b (and/or the forward end portion 162a of
mounting plate 162), as the snow blower and plow apparatus is moved
through an accumulation of snow. This facilitates snow-pushing
plates 136 and snow blower mechanism 112 clearing a substantially
uninterrupted path through an accumulation of snow, without leaving
lines of snow or other materials that could otherwise bypass the
inlet portion 118 of the snow blower housing 114.
[0099] Optionally, and with reference to FIGS. 27-29, an
alternative snow-pushing plate 236 includes a molded body 264 and
flexible scraper blade 258 that are substantially identical to the
body 164 and scraper blade 158 of snow-pushing plate 136, but which
permit additional adjustment and support of the scraper blade. As
best shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, an adjustable-height support or
backing plate 240 is positioned between scraper blade 258 and the
front panel 266 of snow-pushing plate 236. Backing plate 240 is
coupled to molded body 264 by the same fasteners 272 that couple
scraper blade 258 to the molded body, with fasteners engaging slots
274 in front panel 266 to permit vertical adjustment of scraper
blade 258 and backing plate 240 relative to molded body 264. In
addition, backing plate 240 is vertically-adjustable relative to
scraper blade 258 via vertically-aligned slots 248 that receive
fasteners 272. Backing plate 240 is a substantially planar plate
having greater stiffness than flexible scraper blade 258. For
example, backing plate 240 may be made of sheet metal such as steel
or aluminum alloy, a fiber-reinforced resinous plastic, or
substantially any other suitably strong and stiff material. The
other portions or components of snow-pushing plate 236 are
substantially the same as snow-pushing plate 136, so that these may
be understood with reference to the above description.
[0100] The mounting arrangement of backing plate 240 and scraper
blade 258 permits the operator to independently select and set the
height of scraper blade 258 relative to molded body 264, and to
independently select and set the height of backing plate 240
relative to molded body 264 and scraper blade 258, to thereby
adjust the degree to which scraper blade 258 contacts a ground
surface to be cleared, and to adjust the stiffness of scraper blade
258. For example, by adjusting backing plate 240 to a lower
position in which its lower edge 240a is in close proximity to a
lower edge 258a of scraper blade 258, backing plate 240 provides
increased support and stiffness for scraper blade 258 as the blade
is moved across the surface being cleared. This arrangement may be
particularly advantageous when clearing surfaces of dense snow,
heavy slush, or ice accumulations in which a stronger and stiffer
scraper blade is helpful to clear the heavy accumulations. By
adjusting backing plate 240 to a higher position in which its lower
edge 240a is further separated (i.e. positioned further above) the
lower edge 258a of scraper blade 258, backing plate 240 provides
less support for scraper blade 258, which allows the scraper blade
258 to flex more and provide more of a "squeegee" effect as it
moves along the surface being cleared. This arrangement may be
particularly advantageous when clearing surfaces of light snow or
other low-density or light-weight accumulations, which do not
require a stiff scraper blade, and which may be more effectively
cleared when surface undulations can be accommodated by a more
flexible scraper blade.
[0101] Backing plate 240 and scraper blade 258 include respective
inboard edge portions 240b, 258b that extend laterally beyond front
panel 266 of molded body 264, in the vicinity of hinge 238 (FIGS.
27 and 28). Edge portions 240b, 258b extend at least slightly
laterally inwardly (i.e., inboard of the housing's sidewall 114a or
114b) when mounted thereto. This substantially limits or prevents
snow from passing under hinge 238 and between snow-pushing plate
236 and the housing sidewall 114a, 114b (and/or the mounting plate
162 forward end portion 162a) to which snow-pushing plate 236 is
mounted, as the snow blower and plow apparatus is moved through an
accumulation of snow. Thus, snow-pushing plates 236 and snow blower
mechanism 112 will clear a substantially uninterrupted path through
an accumulation of snow, without leaving lines of snow or other
materials that miss the inlet portion 118 of the snow blower
housing 114.
[0102] Each support strut 144 includes a tubular forward strut
portion 144a receiving a rearward strut portion 144b in a
telescoping arrangement that permits the overall length of support
strut 144 to be adjusted by an operator, to thereby select the
desired angle of each snow-pushing plate 136 relative to housing
114. Forward strut portion 144a couples to snow-pushing plate 136
at support tab 146 (FIGS. 13, 21, and 25), while rearward strut
portion 144b couples to a tab 188 formed by the rearward end
portion 162b of mounting plate 162. Rearward strut portion 144b is
telescopingly received within the tubular forward strut portion
144a, which may be prevented from sliding rearwardly beyond a
selected position by a removable lock pin 178a inserted through one
of a plurality of cross-drilled holes 179, which are formed or
established in rearward strut portion 144b (FIGS. 21 and 22). By
preventing forward strut portion 144a from sliding rearwardly along
rearward strut portion 144b beyond a predetermined location, the
corresponding snow-pushing plate 136 is prevented from pivoting
rearwardly about hinge 138 beyond a predetermined angle relative to
the sidewall 114a or 114b of snow blower housing 114.
[0103] Forward strut portion 144a is longitudinally separable from
rearward strut portion 144b regardless of whether lock pin 178a is
in place, such as shown in FIG. 22, since the lock pin 178a only
limits or prevents forward strut portion 144a from moving
rearwardly along rearward strut portion 144b. However, the forward
and rearward strut portions 144a, 144b remain attached to one
another and are biased together via an elastic cord 180 held in
tension. Cord 180 extends through tubular forward strut portion
144a and is coupled at its forward end portion 180a to an
attachment pin 182, which also pivotally couples forward strut
portion 144a to support tab 146 on snow-pushing plate 136 (FIGS. 21
and 22). Elastic cord 180 has a rearward portion 180b that is
coupled to rearward strut portion 144b to form a joint portion or
region 184 where the forward and rearward strut portions 144a, 144b
may be pivoted relative to one another once the strut portions are
longitudinally separated, such as shown in FIGS. 18, 20, 22, 23,
24a, and 24b.
[0104] In the illustrated embodiment, rearward portion 180b of
elastic cord 180 is looped around and through a ring 186 at
rearward strut portion 144b, which permits elastic cord 180 to
pivot at ring 186, and which also permits elastic cord 180 to bend
or flex at joint region 184, such as best shown in FIGS. 20 and 23.
Elastic cord 180 is generally held in tension at least when forward
strut portion 144a and rearward strut portion 144b are
longitudinally separated, such as shown in FIGS. 22-24a, and keeps
the strut portions at least loosely connected to one another at
joint region 184, even when the strut portions are separated from
one another and/or pivoted relative to one another when
snow-pushing plate 136 is moved to the retracted configuration,
such as shown in FIGS. 18 and 20. However, by maintaining elastic
tension in cord 180 at all lengths of support strut 144, the
forward strut portion 144a will be held in contact with lock pin
178a regardless of which hole 179 of rearward strut portion 144b is
engaged by the lock pin.
[0105] This arrangement has several advantages, including (i) lock
pin 178a need only be inserted in one of the holes 179 of rearward
strut portion 144b, and does not need to be aligned with additional
holes in the forward strut portion; (ii) lock pin 178a need not be
removed from rearward strut portion 144b in order to separate the
strut portions prior to moving snow-pushing plate 136 to its
retracted configuration; and (iii) snow blower housing 144 can more
easily be moved backwards through an accumulation of snow because
elastic cord 180 can stretch to permit the plates 136 to pivot
forwardly if they contact snow or other obstructions while moving
backwards, and the plates will return to the angled position set by
lock pin 178a after the obstructions are cleared or the housing 114
is again moved forwardly. Optionally, however, it is envisioned
that cross-drilled holes may be formed or established in the
forward strut portion so that these holes may be selectively
aligned with holes 179 in rearward strut portion. In such an
arrangement, lock pin 178a may be positioned in the aligned holes
of the forward and rearward strut portions to effectively lock the
strut portions together and thereby substantially prevent pivoting
movement of the corresponding snow-pushing plate 136 in either
direction until the lock pin is removed.
[0106] At its rearward end, rearward strut portion 144b has a
90-degree bend that is received in an opening in the tab 188 formed
by the rearward end portion 162b of mounting plate 162, such as
shown in FIGS. 18, 21, and 25. Thus, rearward strut portion 144b is
permitted to pivot relative to mounting plate 162 when the forward
and rearward strut portions 144a, 144b are separated from one
another (FIG. 24B). Rearward strut portion 144b is retained at tab
188 by another lock pin 178b. Forward strut portion 144 is likewise
able to pivot about attachment pin 182 at support tab 146.
[0107] Each snow-pushing plate 136 may be selectively retained in
its retracted configuration by a retainer system that includes an
elastic retainer cord 190 having a knob or ball 192 at its distal
end, and a forked receiving element 194 defined by rearward end
portion 162b of mounting plate 162. As best shown in FIGS. 14-16,
elastic retainer cord 190 is tethered at its proximal end to a
fastener 196 that extends through a lower portion of perimeter wall
168. The retainer cord 190 extends along a lower portion of rear
cavity 174, and then exits the cavity through an opening 198 in an
outboard side portion of perimeter wall 168 (FIG. 16), where knob
192 is attached.
[0108] Receiving element 194 includes two spaced and
rearwardly-extending retainer tabs 200 defining a channel 202
therebetween for receiving a portion of elastic retainer cord 190
(FIGS. 14-16). Channel 202 is sufficiently wide so that knob 192
cannot pass through the channel. As best shown in FIG. 16, retainer
tabs 200 are each bent longitudinally away from the respective
snow-pushing plate 136 to help prevent knob 192 from inadvertently
detaching from receiving element 194 during use of snow blower
mechanism 112 while the corresponding snow-pushing plate is in the
retracted configuration of FIGS. 15-17, 19 and 24C. Thus, when one
of the snow-pushing plates 136 is moved rearwardly to the stowed or
retracted configuration, the operator may grasp knob 192 and pull
outwardly to stretch elastic retainer cord 190, pulling the
retainer cord between retainer tabs 200 and into channel 202 of
receiving element 194, and then releasing knob 192 so that it is
retained against the retainer tabs 200. The elastic tension in
retainer cord 190 will substantially retain snow-pushing plate 136
in the retracted configuration until the operator again grasps the
knob 192, pulls it out from engagement with retainer tabs 200 until
elastic retainer cord 190 is no longer positioned in channel 202,
and releases the retainer cord so that it is once again held in
place against the outboard portion of perimeter wall 168 at opening
198, and held there by tension in retainer cord 190.
[0109] The angle of each snow-pushing plate 136 relative to snow
blower housing 114 may be adjusted by removing the lock pin 178a at
joint region 184 of support strut 144, adjusting the overall length
of support strut 144 by axially sliding forward strut portion 144a
relative to rearward strut portion 144b until the desired hole 179
is exposed, and re-inserting the lock pin 178a into the desired
hole 179 to thereby fix the support strut 144 at its new length, to
provide the desired plate angle. For example, at longer lengths of
support strut 144, the snow-pushing plates 136 will funnel snow
into the intake portion 118 of snow blower housing 114, to permit
the snow blower mechanism 112 to clear a larger width path through
an accumulation of snow than would be possible without the plates.
At an intermediate length of support struts 144, the snow-pushing
plates 136 may each be set at an angle that is substantially
perpendicular to the corresponding sidewalls of housing 114, so
that the snow-pushing plates 136 will push snow ahead of the plates
as the snow blower mechanism is moved forward through an
accumulation of snow, but will not substantially bias the snow
toward or away from the intake portion 118 of housing 114. At
shorter lengths of support strut 144, snow pushing plates 136 will
be angled rearwardly to push an accumulation of snow laterally
outwardly away from housing 114 as the snow blower mechanism 112 is
pushed forwardly through an accumulation of snow.
[0110] To reconfigure the snow-pushing plates 136 from one of the
extended positions to the fully retracted position, the lock pin
178a at joint region 184 may be left in place in the rearward
support strut 144b while forward strut portion 144a is pulled
outwardly until it separates from rearward strut portion 144b. This
may be accomplished by moving the corresponding snow-pushing plate
136 to an over-extended forward position, such as shown in FIG.
24A. Once the forward and rearward strut portions are separated
from one another, rearward strut portion 144b may be pivoted toward
mounting plate 162 and the corresponding sidewall of housing 114,
and forward strut portion 144a may be pivoted into rear cavity 170
and against the rear surface of front panel 166 of snow-pushing
plate 136, as the snow-pushing plate is pivoted rearwardly (FIG.
24B).
[0111] As described above, the forward and rearward strut portions
144a, 144b remain attached to one another at joint region 184 by
elastic cord 180. The elastic cord 180 permits the strut portions
to be pivoted to substantially any degree relative to one another
(e.g., approximately 170-180 degrees when snow-pushing plate 136 is
fully retracted), such as shown in FIGS. 18 and 20. Referring to
FIG. 18, when the snow-pushing plate 136 (not shown in FIG. 18) is
fully retracted, forward strut portion 144a is positioned above
rearward strut portion 144b so that joint region 184 is positioned
near hinge 138 and is the forward-most part of support strut 144.
With support strut 144 in this position and configuration, rearward
strut portion 144b rests atop a bracket or tab 203 that projects
outwardly from mounting plate 162 for that purpose. Tab 203 is
provided since strut 144 would otherwise be supported only at tabs
146 and 188, which are in close proximity to one another with plate
136 retracted, and if the strut were left unsupported by tab 203,
tabs 148 and 188 would experience large bending moments to support
the strut in a somewhat cantilevered arrangement. Once snow-pushing
plate 136 is fully retracted (FIG. 24C), the operator grasps knob
192 and places it against retainer tabs 200 of receiving element
194, with elastic retainer cord 190 placed in channel 202, as
described above. With snow-pushing plate 136 in the retracted
configuration, it will not engage (or only minimally engages) an
accumulation of snow as snow blower mechanism is pushed or moved
through the accumulation.
[0112] Optionally, if the operator wishes to remove one or both
snow-pushing plates 136 from snow blower housing 114, this may be
accomplished by removing the lock pin 178b where the bent end
portion of rearward support strut 144b passes through tab 188 of
the rearward end portion 162h of mounting plate 162, and by
removing a hinge pin 204 of hinge 138. Hinge pin 204 is removed by
grasping an upper gripping portion 204a of the hinge pin, and
pulling the hinge pin upwardly to leave only mounting plate 162
attached to the corresponding sidewall of snow blower housing 114
(FIGS. 25 and 26).
[0113] It will be appreciated that combination snow blower and plow
apparatus 110 may be fitted with inlet-blocking plates pivotably
mounted at respective ones of the respective snow-pushing plates,
in substantially the same manner as described above with reference
to apparatus 10 with its inlet-blocking plates 40a, 40b. The
operation of the inlet-blocking plates would be substantially the
same, and would provide apparatus 110 with the ability to be
operated in a pure plowing configuration, by substantially blocking
inlet 118.
[0114] Optionally, another combination snow blower and plow
apparatus of the present invention includes snow-pushing plate
assemblies that are pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis
between extended use and retracted non-use positions. For example,
and with reference to FIGS. 30-33, a combination snow blower and
plow apparatus 310 includes a snow blower housing 314 and a pair of
snow-pushing plate assemblies 316, which are attached to respective
left and right side walls 314a, 314b of the snow blower housing. As
with combination snow blower and plow apparatus 210, the
combination snow blower and plow apparatus 310 of FIGS. 30-33
includes a snow blower mechanism 312 that is substantially similar
or identical to the snow blower mechanisms of apparatuses 10 and
110, such that the individual components and general function of
the snow blower mechanism will be understood with reference to the
above descriptions.
[0115] Each snow pushing plate assembly 316 includes a snow-pushing
plate 318 that is pivotally coupled to a pivot-mount plate 320 via
a hinge 322. An adjustable-length support strut 324 is coupled
between a rear support member 326, one of which is mounted to each
of the snow blower housing sidewalls 314a and 314b, and a forward
support member 328, one of which is mounted to a rear surface of
each snow-pushing plate 318. Each pivot-mount plate 320 is
pivotally coupled to a respective housing sidewall 314a or 314b via
a pivot pin 330 or the like (FIGS. 30, 32, and 33). In the
illustrated embodiment, pivot pin 330 is located at a lower end
portion of pivot mount plate 320 and the respective sidewall of
housing 314. A fastener with a corresponding gripping portion or
knob 332 is provided along an upper end portion of pivot mount
plate 320, and is used for securing snow-pushing plate assembly 316
in either the lowered/extended position of FIGS. 30-32, and the
raised/retracted position of FIG. 33, as will be described in more
detail below.
[0116] Support strut 324 includes a forward strut portion 324a and
a rearward strut portion 324b, the latter being telescopingly
received inside of forward portion 324a. A joint region 334 is
defined generally where rearward portion 324b enters forward
portion 324a, with each portion of the support strut 324 having one
or more through-holes or cross-bores 336 (FIG. 31) formed or
established therein for receiving a lock pin 338 when respective
cross-bores 336 are in alignment in joint region 334. It will be
appreciated that substantially any number of cross-bores 336 may be
provided in the forward and rearward strut portions to allow for a
desired number of angular positions of snow-pushing plate 318
relative to pivot mount 320 and snow blower housing 314, such as
indicated by double-arrow A2 in FIG. 31.
[0117] Pivot mount plate 320 and snow-pushing plate 318 are
substantially free to pivot about pivot pin 330 when the fastener
associated with knob 332 is disengaged from the corresponding snow
blower housing sidewall 314a or 314b. In the illustrated
embodiment, the fastener associated with knob 332 is a threaded
shaft that is received in one of two threaded bores 340a, 340b
(FIGS. 30, 32, and 33), which are spaced radially equidistant from
pivot pin 330, and which are spaced circumferentially from one
another. The upper threaded bore 340a (FIG. 33) is positioned
substantially directly above pivot pin 330, and is engaged by the
fastener associated with knob 332 when snow-pushing plate 318 and
pivot mount plate 320 are in the lowered use position of FIGS.
30-32. The knob 332 may be grasped and turned by the operator to
disengage the associated fastener from the upper threaded bore
340a, which permits snow-pushing plate 318 and pivot mount plate
320 to be pivoted about pivot pin 330, such as shown by curved
arrow A1 in FIG. 32.
[0118] With snow-pushing plate 318 and pivot mount plate 320 in the
raised non-use position of FIG. 33, the fastener associated with
knob 332 is rotated to securely engage the fastener with the lower
threaded bore 340b, thus securing snow-pushing plate assembly 316
in the raised non-use position. A retaining tab 342 is attached to
each sidewall 314a, 314b of snow blower housing 314, and is engaged
by snow-pushing plate 318 when snow-pushing plate assembly 316 is
in its raised non-use position, such as shown in FIG. 33. This
limits or prevents snow-pushing plate 318 from pivoting outwardly
from its substantially vertical orientation when in the raised
non-use position.
[0119] Typically, it is desirable to first position snow-pushing
plate 318 in substantially co-planar or parallel alignment with
pivot-mount plate 320 prior to pivoting snow-pushing plate assembly
316 to the raised non-use position. This is shown, for example, in
FIG. 31, in which double arrow A2 demonstrates the range of
positions that snow-pushing plate 318 may assume relative to
pivot-mount plate 320 and left sidewall 314a of snow blower housing
314, ranging from a perpendicular or ninety degree angle, to a
parallel or zero degree angle in which plate 314 extends straight
forward, parallel with housing sidewall 314a, 314b. This parallel
position is also shown in phantom lines in FIG. 32. By positioning
snow-pushing plate 318 parallel with pivot-mount plate 320 when
pivoting the snow-pushing plate assembly 316 about pivot pin 330,
the snow-pushing plate assembly 316 adds very little to the overall
width of the snow blower housing 314 when in the raised non-use
position of FIG. 33.
[0120] Adjustable-length support strut 324 remains coupled to both
rear support member 326 and forward support member 328 when plate
assembly 316 is moving between the lowered use position and the
raised non-use position. To facilitate this, each of the support
members 326, 328 includes a respective stationary bracket portion
326a, 328a and a respective pivotable sleeve or barrel portion
326b, 328b. Barrel portion 326b forms an opening that receives a
bent tip portion 329 of rear strut portion 324b, while barrel
portion 328b is coupled to a forward tip portion 331 of forward
strut portion 324a, such as shown in FIGS. 32 and 33. Optionally, a
bushing or bearing is positioned between the stationary bracket
portions and the pivotable sleeve or barrel portions to facilitate
the pivoting or rotating movement. Each barrel portion 326b, 328b
is rotatably or pivotably received in its corresponding stationary
bracket portion 326a, 328a, which permits the barrel portions to
rotate about substantially horizontal axes when snow-pushing plate
assembly 316 is moved between its lowered use position and its
raised non-use position, such as shown in FIGS. 32 and 33.
[0121] For example, barrel portion 328b of forward support member
328 pivots approximately 30-35 degrees (clockwise, as shown in FIG.
33 compared to FIG. 32) relative to snow-pushing plate 318 when
snow-pushing plate assembly 316 is moved from its lowered use
position of FIG. 32 to its raised non-use position of FIG. 33.
Similarly, barrel portion 326b of rear support member 326 pivots
approximately 60-70 degrees (counterclockwise, as shown in FIG. 33
compared to FIG. 32) relative to stationary bracket portion 326a
and right sidewall 314b of snow blower housing 314, as snow-pushing
plate assembly 316 is pivoted from its lowered use position (FIG.
32) to its raised non-use position (FIG. 33).
[0122] Accordingly, snow-pushing plate assemblies 316 may be moved
from the extended or lowered use positions to the retracted or
raised non-use positions by removing lock pin 338 from cross bores
336 in joint region 334 of support strut 324, pivoting snow-pushing
plate 318 forwardly until it is substantially coplanar or parallel
with pivot-mount plate 320 (double-arrow A2 in FIG. 31), rotating
knob 332 to disengage its fastener from the upper threaded bore
340a, pivoting snow-pushing plate 318 and pivot mount plate 320
together about pivot pin 330 (arrow A1 in FIG. 32), and re-engaging
the fastener associated with knob 332 with the lower threaded bore
340b. Retaining tab 342 retains snow-pushing plate 318 in a
substantially vertical orientation and substantially limits or
prevents the plate from pivoting outwardly about hinge 322.
Snow-pushing plate assembly 316 can be moved from the raised
non-use position to the lowered use position by performing the
above steps in reverse order. Once snow-pushing plate 318 is set at
a desired angle relative to pivot mount plate 320, lock pin 338 is
positioned in aligned cross bores 336 in the support strut 324 to
secure the snow-pushing plate at that angle.
[0123] Thus, combination snow blower and plow apparatus 310 can be
repositioned between its use and non-use positions simply by
removing one pin and one threaded fastener, pivoting the
snow-pushing components upwardly, and re-setting the threaded
fastener to secure the snow-pushing wing in the raised non-use
position. It will be appreciated that other types of fasteners may
be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention and, further, that the snow-pushing plate assemblies may
be provided as a retrofit kit for attachment to an existing
standard snow blower housing or the like.
[0124] Referring now to FIGS. 34-42, another combination snow
blower and plow apparatus 410 includes a snow blower mechanism 412
having a snow blower housing 414 with opposite sidewalls 414a, 414b
to which respective snow-pushing plate assemblies 416 are attached.
Each snow-pushing plate assembly 416 includes a snow-pushing plate
418 that is coupled to a mount plate 420 in a manner which permits
the snow-pushing plate 418 to be selectively pivoted and slid or
translated along mount plate 420. Snow-pushing plate 418 is coupled
to mount plate 420 via upper and lower tracks 422a, 422b along
mount plate 420, and by an adjustable-length support strut 424 that
is coupled between a rear support member 426 on mount plate 420,
and a forward support member 428 along a rear surface of
snow-pushing plate 418. A lock pin 430 is positionable in cross
bores that are formed or established in a forward strut portion
424a and a rearward strut portion 424b of support strut 424.
Rearward strut portion 424b is telescopingly received in forward
strut portion 424a, so that support strut 424 is substantially
similar in construction to support strut 324, described above.
[0125] Mount plate 420 may be formed from a single sheet of metal,
such as steel or aluminum alloy, by forming or establishing
longitudinal slots 432 prior to bending the upper and lower end
portions of the plate to form the upper and lower tracks 422a,
422b, and cutting a central hole or opening 421 to provide access
to an auger-mounting region of each snow blower housing sidewall
414a, 414b. Upper track 422a and lower track 422b of mount plate
420 each defines a respective longitudinal slot 432 having enlarged
semi-circular openings 434a and 434b (FIGS. 35 and 37) at the
forward and rearward ends of slot 432, respectively. Each
longitudinal slot 432 is configured to receive a respective upper
pin 436a or lower pin 436b, both of which are oriented
substantially vertically and coaxially with one another, and are
coupled (such as via welding or mechanical fasteners or the like)
along a rear surface of snow-pushing plate 418, at a distal end
thereof, as best shown in FIG. 39.
[0126] Each pin 436a, 436b has a diameter that is substantially
equal to or smaller than the width of longitudinal slot 432 formed
in the respective upper and lower tracks 422a, 422b of mount plate
420. This permits the pins 436a, 436b to slide or translate along
longitudinal slots 432 and freely enter the enlarged openings 434a,
434b at each end of longitudinal slot 432. Thus, upper and lower
pins 436a, 436b permit snow-pushing plate 418 to pivot relative to
mount plate 420, and also permit the snow-pushing plate 418 to
slide along upper and lower tracks 422a, 422b when repositioning
the snow-pushing plate 418 between an extended use position (FIGS.
34 and 38) and a retracted non-use position (left side of FIG. 42),
as will be described in more detail below.
[0127] Each pin 436a, 436b further includes a lower shoulder or
enlarged-diameter portion 438 (FIG. 35), which has substantially
the same or slightly smaller diameter than the diameter of each
semi-circular opening 434a, 434b in longitudinal slot 432. The
diameter of shoulder portion 438 is at least somewhat greater than
the width of longitudinal slot 432, so that when shoulder portion
438 engages or is received in one of the enlarged openings 434a or
434b, the shoulder portion 438 blocks the corresponding pin 436a or
436b from entering and sliding along longitudinal slot 432 until
shoulder portion 438 is first disengaged from the enlarged opening
434a or 434b. In the illustrated embodiment, shoulder portion 438
of each pin 436a, 436b may be engaged with enlarged opening 434a or
434b when the corresponding pin 436a, 436b is aligned therewith,
and when the pins (and all of snow-pushing plate 418) are lifted
upwardly relative to mount plate 420 and its tracks 422a, 422b
(FIG. 35).
[0128] It will be appreciated that the force of gravity will tend
to cause snow-pushing plate 418 and its pins 436a, 436b to drop
relative to mount plate 420 and tracks 422a, 422b, which would tend
to disengage the shoulder portion 438 of each pin 436a, 436b from
the respective enlarged openings 434a, 434b. Therefore, a biasing
member such as a compression spring 440 (FIG. 36) is positioned
along at least upper pin 436a (and, optionally, along lower pin
436b) for biasing the pin and its corresponding snow-pushing plate
418 upwardly against the force of gravity. This maintains the
engagement of shoulder portion 438 with the enlarged openings 434a
or 434b when the shoulder is already positioned therein.
[0129] To accomplish this upward-biasing or lifting effect,
compression spring 440 is disposed between an upper washer 442 and
a middle washer 442b, which are positioned in spaced arrangement
along upper pin 436a and above the upper track 422a (FIG. 36). A
threaded nut 444 is disposed at an upper end portion of upper pin
436a, and positioned directly above the upper washer 442a, so that
washer 442a is retained at pin 436a. Middle washer 442b is
positioned below spring 440 and above the upper track 422a so that
middle washer 442b will slide along an upper surface of track 422a
when the upper pin 436a translates along the longitudinal slot 432.
A lower washer 442 is positioned along shoulder portion 438 of
upper pin 436a, and is located between a lower surface of upper
track 422a and an upper edge of snow-pushing plate 418 to provide a
smooth flat surface for engaging track 422a along the longitudinal
slot (FIGS. 35 and 36). It will be appreciated that lower pin 436b
may be substantially identical to upper pin 436a (i.e., including a
spring and washers as described above), but in the illustrated
embodiment, lower pin 436b simply includes a shoulder portion, with
no associated spring, so that all of the upward biasing force is
provided by the spring 440 that is disposed along upper pin
436a.
[0130] Each snow-pushing plate 418 includes a flexible scraper
blade 446 coupled to a support plate 448, which in turn is
pivotably coupled to a lower end portion of snow-pushing plate 418
via a hinge 450 that defines a substantially horizontal pivot axis,
such as shown in FIGS. 40 and 42. Hinge 450 is positioned so that
its pivot axis is spaced above a bottom edge of snow-pushing plate
418, which allows the lower end portion of snow-pushing plate 418
to back the support plate 448 and, in turn, supports flexible
scraper blade 446 when apparatus 410 is pushed forwardly through an
accumulation of snow.
[0131] Hinge 450 permits support plate 448 and flexible scraper
blade 446 to pivot forwardly (as indicated by curved arrow A3 in
FIG. 34) when the apparatus 410 is moved rearwardly, which causes
the rear surfaces of the scraper blade 446 and/or support plate 448
to be contacted from behind by snow or other debris. In addition,
the support plate 448 and scraper blade 446 can be manually pivoted
upwardly to a fully raised position (FIGS. 40 and 42), for stowing
the snow-pushing plates 418 prior to retracting the snow-pushing
plates 418. It will be appreciated that flexible scraper blade 446
may be height-adjustable, such as in a manner similar to that
described above with reference to the flexible scraper blades of
plate assemblies 116 and 216.
[0132] To move snow-pushing plates 418 from their extended use
positions of FIGS. 34 and 38 to their fully retracted non-use
positions (left side of FIG. 42), lock pin 430 is removed from
support strut 424 to permit the rearward strut portion 424b to
telescope relative to forward strut portion 424a. This permits the
snow-pushing plate 418 to pivot forwardly and inwardly about a
substantially vertical axis defined by upper and lower pins 436a,
436b, which rotate in the forward enlarged openings 434a of
longitudinal slots 432 in the upper and lower tracks 422a, 422b.
Once each snow-pushing plate 418 is pivoted forwardly so as to be
substantially parallel to its corresponding mount plate 420, such
as shown at left in FIG. 40, the rearward strut portion 424b is
substantially fully extended from forward strut portion 424a.
[0133] Snow-pushing plate 418 is then manually urged downwardly
against the upward biasing force of compression spring 440, as
indicated by arrow A4 in FIG. 39. This disengages shoulder portions
438 from the forward enlarged openings 434a in longitudinal slots
432, and permits snow-pushing plate 418 to be slid rearwardly as
the upper and lower pins 436a, 436b slide along longitudinal slots
432 until the pins engage the rearward enlarged openings 434b of
slots 432 (left side of FIG. 42). Once the pins 436a, 436b reach
the rearward enlarged openings 434b, compression spring 440 is
again permitted to bias snow-pushing plate 418 upwardly so that
shoulder portions 438 engage the rearward enlarged openings 434b.
This effectively locks and secures snow-pushing plate 418 relative
to mounting plate 420 until the snow-pushing plate is manually
biased downwardly to again disengage shoulder portions 438 from
rearward enlarged openings 434b, such as for moving the plate 418
back to its extended position.
[0134] In the stowed, non-use position, the rearward strut portion
424b is substantially fully retracted inside of forward strut
portion 424a (FIG. 42). The forward or distal end of each
snow-pushing plate 418 is substantially precluded from pivoting
outwardly relative to mount plate 420 and housing sidewall 414a or
414b when the snow-pushing plate 418 is in its retracted non-use
position because rearward strut portion 424b cannot be urged
further into forward portion 424a, and because the vertical pivot
axis of rearward strut portion 424b in rear support member 426 is
spaced rearwardly and outwardly of the substantially vertical pivot
axis that is defined by pins 436a, 436b when the pins are
positioned in rearward enlarged openings 434b, causing support
strut 424 to bind and block such movement about two different pivot
axes. However, it will be appreciated that a separate retraining
member, such as a clip, strap, magnet, or the like may be used to
further retain the snow-pushing plate 418 in its fully retracted
non-use position. It will be appreciated that snow-pushing plate
418 may be deployed from its refracted non-use position to its
extended use position by following the above steps in reverse
order.
[0135] Thus, combination snow blower and plow apparatus 410 can be
repositioned between its use and non-use positions by lifting only
the relatively light-weight scraper blade portion, and then
pivoting and sliding the snow-pushing wing rearwardly alongside the
snow blower housing to its retracted and stowed position, while the
support strut remains coupled between the housing and the
snow-pushing wing. Snow-pushing plate assemblies 416 may be
provided separately from the snow blower mechanism, such as for use
as a retrofit kit that can be attached to an existing snow blower
via mechanical fasteners, for example.
[0136] Referring now to FIGS. 43-49, another combination snow
blower and plow apparatus 510 includes a snow blower mechanism 512
and snow blower housing 514 with opposite sidewalls 514a, 514b,
which are substantially similar to the snow blower mechanisms and
housings described above. However, snow blower and plow apparatus
510 includes a pair of one-piece snow-pushing wing assemblies 516,
which are readily installed or removed from the snow blower housing
514 as desired, and are not stowed on the housing 514 itself when
the wings 516 are not in use.
[0137] Each snow-pushing wing 516 includes a body portion 518
having a substantially planar forward snow-pushing surface 520, an
upper lip 522 that projects forwardly of forward snow-pushing
surface 520, and perimeter walls 524a-d that extend rearwardly from
forward surface 520 and upper lip 522. As best shown in FIG. 46,
the perimeter walls include an upper perimeter wall 524a that forms
the upper surface of body 518, an upper perimeter wall 524b that
defines the outboard surface of body 518, a lower perimeter wall
524c that defines the lower surface of body 518, and an inboard
perimeter wall 524d that defines the inboard mounting surface of
body 518. Perimeter walls 524a-d cooperate with forward surface 520
and upper lip 522 to form a rear cavity 526 (FIG. 46). Body portion
518 may be unitarily formed, such as by molding from resinous
plastic or fiber-reinforced resinous plastic or the like, or may be
stamped or formed in another manner from a single sheet of metal,
for example. A flexible scraper blade 528 is attached along a lower
portion of forward surface 520, and may be height-adjustable in a
similar manner as described above, such as to adjust for wear or to
set a desired degree of engagement with a surface being cleared of
snow or debris. Flexible scraper blade 528 may be made from hard
rubber or other sufficiently tough, resilient, and wear-resistant
material, or may be made from a relatively softer material that
more readily adapts or conforms to irregularities in a surface
being cleared of snow.
[0138] A pair of vertically-aligned mounting rails 530 are
positioned in spaced arrangement along inboard perimeter wall 524d
of body 518. Each mounting rail 530 has a generally I-shaped cross
section for engaging a corresponding C-shaped bracket 532 that is
positioned along each sidewall 514a, 514b of snow blower housing
514 (FIGS. 45 and 47-49). Each snow-pushing wing 516 may be moved
up and down relative to snow blower housing 514, with mounting
rails 530 slidably engaging the corresponding brackets 532 for
installation and removal of the wings 516, such as shown in FIG.
47.
[0139] Snow-pushing wing 516 is at its optimal height when a bore
534 (FIG. 47) defined in inboard perimeter wall 524d is aligned
with a corresponding threaded bore 536 (FIG. 47) in snow blower
housing sidewall 514a, 514b. A threaded fastener 535 (FIG. 45) is
associated with a knob 538 (FIG. 46), which is configured so that
the knob 538 can be readily grasped by an operator. The knob's
corresponding fastener 535 is inserted through bore 534 from inside
rear cavity 526, and rotated to threadedly engage bore 536 in
sidewall 514a, 514b, such as shown in FIG. 46. Knob 538 is rotated
until its fastener 535 is secure, so that each wing 516 is retained
at snow blower 514 by knob 538 and by mounting rails 530 in
brackets 532. Knob 538 and its corresponding fastener 535 may be
rotated in an opposite direction and disengaged, thus permitting
the wing 516 to be lifted until the mounting rails 530 fully
disengage the corresponding brackets 532 for removal of the
wing.
[0140] Accordingly, snow-pushing assemblies 516 are simple and
lightweight structures that are relatively inexpensive to
manufacture. Although it is envisioned that a provision could be
made for mounting the wings to a snow blower housing in a non-use
position, such as a raised position or on top of the housing, the
embodiment described herein is intended for simple installation and
removal of the wings, which would typically be stored separately
from the snow blower mechanism when they are not in use. Wings 516
may be readily retrofitted or adapted for installation on a
standard snow blower, such as by attaching brackets 532 to the snow
blower sidewalls and drilling or establishing a bore for receiving
the fastener 535 associated with knob 538, for example.
[0141] Thus, the combination snow blower and plow apparatuses of
the present invention can be used to push or plow snow from a
surface on which the snow has accumulated, and may be reconfigured
to clear an extra-wide path while discharging snow some distance
away from the blower using the blower mechanism. The apparatus can
also be operated as a conventional or standard-width snow blower in
which the wings and inlet-blocking plates are folded rearwardly
against the sidewalls of the housing. This reconfigurability allows
areas of snow accumulation to be rapidly cleaned in a plowing mode,
which may be particularly useful in areas of minimal snow or in
particularly heavy/wet snow that is difficult to discharge an
appreciable distance using the snow blower mechanism. Larger snow
accumulations may best be cleaned by use of the snow blower
mechanism, either with or without the wings extended to expand the
width of the path cleared by the snow blower and plow in a single
pass. This allows snow to be discharged well away from the surface
being cleared, such as to prevent undesired buildups of snow on the
edges of cleared areas. It is envisioned that the snow-pushing
plate assemblies and their respective hinges (when so-equipped) may
be provided as a retrofit kit for attachment to existing snow
blowers or snow blower mechanisms.
[0142] Changes and modifications in the specifically described
embodiments can be carried out without departing from the
principles of the present invention which is intended to be limited
only by the scope of the appended claims, as interpreted according
the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of
equivalents.
* * * * *