GB2278622A

GB2278622A - Snow clearance apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2278622A
Application number: GB9311590A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Douglas Henry Charles Boucher; Soshil Kumar Vaid
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-06-04
Filing date: 1993-06-04
Publication date: 1994-12-07
Also published as: GB9311590D0

Abstract

A domestic snow clearance apparatus comprises an inverted box structure having at its forward end a V-shaped snow deflector 62 and a forward wheel 24, at its rearward rectangular end two spaced rear wheels 28, and in between a removable salt hopper 38. The hopper 38 has lowermost a row of salt exit holes 46 and a movable shutter 48 for controlling the flow of salt to the ground. The box structure may have rearwardly a manual propulsion handle (56, Fig. 1) for effecting manual propulsion of the apparatus or alternatively, a mechanical power source 66 may be mounted to the rear of the salt hopper and be drivingly coupled to the rear wheels. In a further embodiment (Fig. 4) the rearward end may be adapted for mounting to a domestic lawnmower. Snow brushes secured to the lower edges of the snow deflector reach down and block the substantial ground clearance. <IMAGE>

Description

SNOW CLEARANCE APPARATUS This invention relates to snow clearance apparatus, for use particularly on paths and driveways around domestic dwellings and commercial and industrial buildings.

At the present time, such paths and driveways are cleared of snow manually, by means of shovels, brushes and scrapers. Such manual operations are not only physically arduous, but they are very time-consuming. Thus, in particular, elderly residents are often unable to clear the paths and driveways around their dwellings, so that movement on foot is arduous and dangerous.

The present invention seeks to provide a means for clearing such paths and driveways of snow in a simple and much less arduous manner.

According to the present invention, there is provided a snow clearance apparatus comprising: (a) a V-shaped snow deflector comprising two mutuallyinclined deflector blades which converge to form an apex at a forward position; (b) at least one wheel for supporting the snow deflector off the ground; (c) wheel mounting means in which said wheel is rotatably mounted, said mounting means being carried between said deflector blades in such a manner that with the snow deflector parallel to the ground and said wheel in contact with the ground the snow deflector has a predetermined clearance from the ground; and (d) connection means connected with the snow deflector at a rearward position thereon for receiving thereat a forwardly-directed propulsive force sufficient to urge the snow deflector in a forwards direction.

Preferably, said snow deflector supports at a rearward part thereof a salt hopper which projects downwards towards the ground and has a plurality of salt exit holes facing the ground and a shutter plate displaceably mounted adjacent the salt exit holes thereby to alternatively shut off or permit the flow of salt from those holes.

The connection means may comprise adaptor means adapted to facilitate the connection as desired of a domestic grass mowing or other grass treatment machine to the snow deflector.

Such a grass mowing or other grass treatment machine may comprise a manually propelled machine, or a power driven machine.

The deflector blades preferably comprise linear blades, and are joined at said apex.

In one preferred form of snow clearance apparatus according to the present invention, the deflector blades carry at rearward parts thereof a transverse member which connects the blades; rear wheel mounting means are carried by the transverse member; and at least one rear wheel is rotatably carried in the rear wheel mounting means in such a manner that with the snow deflector parallel to the ground the deflector blades are carried with a substantially uniform clearance from the ground all round.

Preferably, a second rear wheel is carried in the rear wheel mounting means at a position spaced transversely from the first-mentioned rear wheel, thereby to maintain the uniform ground clearance at all times without human intervention.

A manual propulsion handle may be connected with the connection means for enabling manual propulsion of the apparatus.

Alternatively, or in addition, a mechanical power source may be connected with the connection means, and have an output shaft drivingly coupled with at least one of the wheels, thereby when operative to effect propulsion of the apparatus.

According to another preferred feature of the present invention, an upper deck is carried on and secured to upper portions of said deflector blades.

According to yet another preferred feature of the present Invent ion, the snow deflector supports at a rearward part thereof a salt hopper which projects downwards towards the ground and has a plurality of salt exit holes facing the ground and a shutter plate displaceably mounted adjacent the salt exit holes thereby to alternatively shut off or permit the flow of salt from those holes.

Preferably, the snow deflector supports an upper deck which is carried on and secured to upper portions of said deflector blades, and the salt hopper is removably carried in the upper deck, thereby to permit removal of the hopper when the apparatus is to be stowed away in non-snowy seasons.

According to another preferred feature of the present invention, each deflector blade carries at its lower edge portion a snow brush which reaches down to the ground thereby to close the said ground clearance between the blade and the ground.

Other features of the present invention will appear from a reading of the description that follows hereafter, and of the claims appended at the end of that description.

One snow clearance apparatus and various modifications thereof, all according to the present invention, will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In those drawings: Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the apparatus; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a pictorial view of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2; and Figure 4 shows a pictorial view of a modified form of snow clearance apparatus.

Referring now to the Figures 1 to 3, the apparatus there shown comprises a hollow trolley 10 formed of side walls 12-20, and an upper deck 22 secured on the side walls. The side walls and upper deck are made of any suitable metal or plastics sheet material, and are secured together in any suitable way. The side walls 14-18 form a rectangular rear portion of the trolley 10, whilst the side walls 12 and 20 form a V-shaped forward portion of the trolley.

The trolley carries within the V-shaped forward portion a forward wheel 24 which is rotatably mounted in bearing brackets 26 secured to and depending from the underside of the upper deck 22, and within the rearward portion a pair of transversely-spaced rear wheels 28 carried on an axle 30 which is itself carried in bearings 32 secured in the side walls 14 and 18. All of the wheels project below the lower edge of the side walls 12-20 in a manner such that when the trolley wheels rest on the ground 34, the side walls have at least a predetermined uniform clearance 36 from the ground, for example, of the order of 2-3 cm.

Secured (integrally or removably within an opening formed in the upper deck 22 is a salt box or hopper 38 having uppermost an open-topped rectangular body portion 40 and below that a funnel portion 42. In the base 44 of the funnel portion there is provided a row of salt exit holes 46, and below that apertured base 44 is a displaceable shutter plate 48 which is carried at the lower ends of a pair of pivoted levers 50. Those levers are carried on stub shafts 52 which engage in bearings formed in the side walls 14 and 18. One of those levers 50 is provided with an upwardly extending shutter-operating lever 54.

In the position shown, the shutter plate 48 closes off the salt exit holes 46. Movement of the shutter operating lever 54 in either direction causes the shutter plate 48 to be displaced from the central position shown, thereby to uncover the salt exit holes 46 and allow salt to exit from the hopper 38 on to the ground below.

A U-shaped propulsion handle 56 has its respective arms 58 secured to the respective side walls 14 and 18 by any suitable connection means, preferably by wing-nuts and bolts 60 so that the handle 56 can be readily removed for storage purposes in the non-snowy seasons.

The side walls 12 and 20 forming the V-shaped forward portion of the trolley constitute the mutually-inclined blades of a snow deflector or plough 62 which is arranged to deflect the upper layers of snow to the respective sides of the trolley 10. Those side walls 12 and 20 have attached to their respective lower edge portions linear snow brushes 64, which have bristles extending down to ground level, thereby to brush the lower layers of snow sideways of the trolley.

In operation, after first filling the salt box 38 with a suitable grade of salt (or other particulate or liquid deicing material), an operator moves the shutter operating handle 54 to start the flow of salt from the salt exit holes 46 on to the ground, and then by means of the propulsion handle 56, manually pushes the trolley 10 along a path or driveway which is to be cleared. The forward movement of the trolley deflects the snow lying on the path sideways of the trolley, and so leaves a salt-covered, substantially snow-free pathway of width equal to that of the trolley.

It will be appreciated that since the forward portion of the trolley deflects the snow sideways from the path, the wheels run on, and the operator walks upon, only the swept part of the path.

Whilst the snow clearance apparatus described above is intended primarily for manual operation, it may be modified if desired to incorporate a suitable power source, for example an electric driving motor or a petrol engine, suitably mounted in the trolley rearward of the salt box and drivingly coupled to the rear wheels of the trolley.

That prime mover may provide the whole of the propulsion effort, or it may provide a propulsion force to assist the operator pushing the trolley.

By way of example, an electric driving motor 66 may be carried on brackets 68 secured to and depending from the underside of the upper deck 22. The output shaft of the motor carries a driving pulley 70 which is coupled by a vee-belt to a driven pulley 72 mounted on the axle 30.

The snow deflector 62 may comprise side walls 12 and 20 having a shape different to the linear shape indicated in the Figures; for example those side walls may have a profile which, as seen in plan view, is ouwardly convex, or even outwardly concave.

Whereas in the trolley shown in the Figures the upper deck 22 covers the whole of the area defined by the side walls 12-20, in a modified version of the trolley the upper deck covers only parts of that area thereby to provide at appropriate positions the necessary structure for supporting the forward wheel, the salt box and (where fitted) the mechanical power source.

In yet another modified form of the trolley, the upper deck is omitted altogether, and the forward wheel, the salt box and (where fitted) the mechanical power source are all carried on transverse members which span and are secured to the respective pairs of side walls 12,20 and 14,18.

If desired, the single forward wheel 24 may be replaced by a pair of transversely-spaced forward wheels suitably carried between the side walls 12 and 20. Likewise, the two rearward wheels 28 may be replaced by a series of three or more transversely-spaced rearward wheels, or by a single wide roller, if desired.

As mentioned earlier, the salt box 38 may be carried removably in the upper deck 22. This is of advantage in reducing the size/volume of the storage space required for storing the apparatus during the non-snowy seasons. If desired, the salt box may be provided with a lid, which may be separate from, or hinged on, the upper part of the salt box.

In a further modified form of the trolley described above, the rear side wall 16, the rearward wheels 28 and axle 30, and the mechanical power source are all omitted, and in their place are provided connection brackets carried on the respective inner surfaces of the side walls 14 and 18 for receiving and securing to those side walls the forward end parts of a grass mower or scarifier. This enables the trolley to be releasably coupled to and be driven by a conventional, preferably power-driven, grass mowing or scarifying (or other treatment) machine. Such a modified snow clearance apparatus is shown in the Figure 4, where the said connection brackets are indicated at references 74 and 76. In that apparatus, the salt box 38 has been moved forwards and is supported on the side walls 12 and 20 constituting the snow deflector, and the rear side walls 14 and 18 have been shortened.

Whereas the various forms of snow clearance apparatus described above include a salt box, if desired the salt box may be omitted. This has the advantage of reducing the weight of the apparatus, and the storage space required for storing the apparatus during the non-snowy seasons.

Alternatively, an upper part of the salt box may be made separately, and be slidingly and removably engaged in an upper part of a smaller salt box. Such an arrangement is shown in the snow clearance apparatus of Figure 1, where an upper part of the salt box 38 is shown socketed into a lower part of the salt box.

In a modification of the various snow clearance apparatuses shown in the respective Figures, the shutter operating lever 54 is arranged to lie instead inside the side wall 18, so as to avoid the presence of projections outside that side wall.

It will be appreciated that a basic version of snow clearance apparatus according to the present invention comprises the V-shaped snow deflector, at least one forward wheel carried on a transverse support structure which spans and is carried on the deflector, and a means for enabling a forwardly-directed propulsive effort to be applied to the deflector, the wheel being positioned relative to the deflector so as to provide a desired ground clearance below the deflector when it is being propelled forwardly. The various other features referred to in the description given above, particularly with reference to the drawings, are optional, and can be adopted at choice.

Claims

1. Snow clearance apparatus comprising: (a) a V-shaped snow deflector comprising two mutuallyinclined deflector blades which converge to form an apex at a forward position; (b) at least one wheel for supporting the snow deflector off the ground; (c) wheel mounting means in which said wheel is rotatably mounted, said mounting means being carried between said deflector blades in such a manner that with the snow deflector parallel to the ground and said wheel in contact with the ground the snow deflector has a predetermined clearance from the ground; and (d) connection means connected with the snow deflector at a rearward position thereon for receiving thereat a forwardly-directed propulsive force sufficient to urge the snow deflector in a forwards direction.

2. Snow clearance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said snow deflector supports at a rearward part thereof a salt hopper which projects downwards towards the ground and has a plurality of salt exit holes facing the ground and a shutter plate displaceably mounted adjacent the salt exit holes thereby to alternatively shut off or permit the flow of salt from those holes.

3. Snow clearance apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said connection means comprises adaptor means adapted to facilitate the connection as desired of a domestic grass mowing or other grass treatment machine to said snow deflector.

4. Snow clearance apparatus according to any one of the claims 1 to 3, wherein said grass mowing or other grass treatment machine comprises a manually propelled machine, or a power driven machine.

5. Snow clearance apparatus according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein each of said deflector blades comprises a linear blade.

6. Snow clearance apparatus according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the deflector blades are joined at said apex.

7. Snow clearance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said deflector blades carry at rearward parts thereof a transverse member which connects said blades; rear wheel mounting means are carried by said transverse member; and at least one rear wheel is rotatably carried in said rear wheel mounting means in such a manner that with said snow deflector parallel to the ground said deflector blades are carried with a substantially uniform clearance from the ground all round.

8. Snow clearance apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a second rear wheel is carried in said rear wheel mounting means at a position spaced transversely from the said rear wheel, thereby to maintain the said uniform ground clearance at all times without human intervention.

9. Snow clearance apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a manual propulsion handle is connected with said connection means for enabling manual propulsion of the apparatus.

10. Snow clearance apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a mechanical power source is connected with said connection means, and has an output shaft drivingly coupled with at least one of said wheels, thereby when operative to effect propulsion of the apparatus.

11. Snow clearance apparatus according to any one of the claims 7 to 10, wherein said snow deflector supports an upper deck which is carried on and secured to upper portions of said deflector blades.

12. Snow clearance apparatus according to any one of the claims 7 to 10, wherein said snow deflector supports at a rearward part thereof a salt hopper which projects downwards towards the ground and has a plurality of salt exit holes facing the ground and a shutter plate displaceably mounted adjacent the salt exit holes thereby to alternatively shut off or permit the flow of salt from those holes.

13. Snow clearance apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said snow deflector supports an upper deck which is carried on and secured to upper portions of said deflector blades, and said salt hopper is removably carried in said upper deck, thereby to permit removal of the hopper when the apparatus is to be stowed away in non-snowy seasons.

14. Snow clearance apparatus according to any one of the claims 7 to 13, wherein each of said deflector blades comprises a linear blade.

15. Snow clearance apparatus according to any one of the claims 7 to 13, wherein the deflector blades are joined at said apex.

16. Snow clearance apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein each deflector blade carries at its lower edge portion a snow brush which reaches down to the ground thereby to close the said ground clearance between the blade and the ground.

17. Snow clearance apparatus according to any preceding claim, substantially as herebefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

18. Snow clearance apparatus according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, substantially as herebefore described with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 4 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

19. Snow clearance apparatus comprising any novel and Inventive combination of the features disclosed in the above description and accompanying drawings, other than a combination which is claimed in any one of the preceding claims.