US20240093447A1

US20240093447A1 - Snowplow

Info

Publication number: US20240093447A1
Application number: US17/947,354
Authority: US
Inventors: Marcus Schlegelmilch; Kylan Schlegelmilch
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2022-09-19
Filing date: 2022-09-19
Publication date: 2024-03-21

Abstract

A snowplow attachment for a work machine comprises a frame with a front-end portion and a rear-end portion. The front-end portion having an attachment structure pivotally secured to outer ends of the frame. A snowplow mounting plate is pivotally mounted to the work machine frame. A blade assembly including a pair of pivotally mounted supports is pivotally connected at an upper end to the outer ends of the work machine frame. The lower end of the pair of pivotally mounted supports that are pivotally mounted to the frame so that the frame can move towards and away from the work machine. The blade assembly has two sections operatively connected to the attachment structure by at least one operating strut.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to heavy equipment and more particularly, relates to a blade accessory for attachment to heavy equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The field of heavy equipment is replete with various types of graders and frontend loaders. A grader usually comprises a tractor from which a generally vertically disposed blade extends downwardly. The blade includes a lower edge which is essentially linear and which is selectively positioned relative to the tractor. Graders are employed in a variety of situations to move materials including snow and also for contouring surfaces such as roads as well as for filling trenches.
In the case of large construction projects, it is common practice to employ a first tractor fitted with a backhoe bucket to move bulk material followed by grading by a second tractor fitted with a pivotably adjustable grader blade. However, for many smaller operations, two separate tractors cannot be economically justified. Therefore, attempts have been made to removably attach adjustable grader blades to the bucket of a loader and/or backhoe. Such an attachment would permit an operator to use a single tractor for both grading and loading. In other circumstances, different types of equipment are used to expedite snow removal. The vehicles used include front end loaders and graders. Ownership of frontend loaders is common since they are relatively simple and inexpensive. These frontend loaders, however, while excellent for their intended purpose, are limited in their functions and it would therefore be useful to have a frontend loader vehicle which could perform in a dual role-either as a frontend loader for scooping up a load of material and lifting and depositing it on the truck or as a bulldozer or grader for either pushing large loads of heavy material or for grading a surface. Unfortunately, however, normal frontend loaders are not properly equipped to permit them to function as a bulldozer.
Other types of Snow removal equipment commonly used include snowplow implements having a hitch mechanism which couples the snowplow blade to smaller vehicles such as pick-up trucks. The main advantage of existing equipment is that considerable time and effort is typically required in order to connect the implement to the truck and to disconnect it therefrom. Prior art equipment is further characterized by excessive complexity which leads to high manufacturing costs and substantial maintenance problems.
In addition, the moldboards of existing grading equipment are susceptible to being damaged due to the manner in which they are mounted. The desirability of providing for the yielding of the moldboard when the blade strikes a stationary obstacle has been recognized. However, even the moldboards which are mounted for yieldable pivoting are permitted to pivot only in a relatively restricted manner. Consequently, the moldboards frequently pivot to such an extent that they bang against the pavement or against the portion of the push-frame, causing damage that requires costly repair or replacement of the moldboard.
The abovementioned graders are particularly well suited for their use. but their construction does not allow for other applications. As a result, conventional graders have a low degree of utilization and frequently are idled over long periods of time. Thus, conventional known machinery such as frontend loaders, graders and grading implements specifically designed so as to be mounted on conventional small vehicles such as pick-up trucks, although quite useful for their intended purpose, suffer from a lack of versatility.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a grader attachment that could allow for the conversion between graders and loader type vehicles. Such a need has been recognized in the past and there exists known grader blade attachments that may be used in conjunction with the buckets commonly employed on front end loaders, backhoes and the like to convert such vehicles into graders, snowplows or the like. However, such prior art attachments suffer from some drawbacks. Indeed, much of the prior art in the field of grader attachments consists of devices that are quite cumbersome to use, structurally complex and that necessarily require a great deal of time to install.
Some of the known grader blade attachment devices are intended to provide means that will avoid the necessity of having the vehicle driver dismount from the main vehicle for installation and removal. However, in using Such devices, care must be taken in driving the bucket vehicle and the device has many small fitting spaces in which ice and snow and other debris can accumulate and from which such debris must be removed before the grader attachment can be connected to a bucket of the vehicle. The grader attachment devices known in the past either have not provided for angulation of the blade with respect to the bucket on which it is mounted to permit changing of the angle of attack of the vehicle when used as a grader, or alternatively have not provided for easy changing of such blade angle. Furthermore, some of the prior art attachments are mounted directly on the lifting arms which are part of the machine and intended for various implements.
The drawbacks of this type of attachment are, on one hand, that it is difficult to control and, on the other hand, that the lifting arms and their mountings have originally been dimensioned for quite different loads, loads of other magnitude and in other directions which may cause fatigue, buckling and fracture during use of the attachment.
Also, most known snowplow mounting attachments rigidly affix the plow to the loader. Accordingly, because the plow blade is well forward of the loader's wheel the blade does not efficiently track the vertical contours of the plowed Surface. Additionally, current mounting attachments are not interchangeable between the wide variety of large highway plows, nearly all of which have standard mounting brackets.
Prior art attachments also suffer from the requirement of requiring either the provision of especially designed buckets or substantial modification to the existing bucket. In addition, prior art devices inherently require a substantial amount of time in mounting and dismounting the attachment. Also, flexibility of the loader equipment provided by the prior art attachments is somewhat negated by required permanent fixture and modifications to the equipment interfering with the normal use and performance of the loader equipment.
One of the most common problems associated with the prior art attachments is that they typically involve close tolerance securing mechanisms that include many moving parts. Experience has demonstrated that, under winter use conditions involving repeated exposure to snow, ice, sand and salt, such complicated mechanisms are subjected to jamming, freezing and rusting.
Consequently, the moving parts often become inoperable, or, even worse, break under excess force applied in attempting to free them. As mentioned previously, many snowplow mounting attachments necessitate bolting or welding fixtures or making modifications to the loader's bucket to assist in securing the plow to the loader. Frequently, however, such changes to the loader will impair normal loader operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, a snowplow attachment for a work machine comprises a frame with a front-end portion and a rear-end portion. The front-end portion having an attachment structure pivotally secured to outer ends of the frame. A snowplow mounting plate is pivotally mounted to the work machine frame. A blade assembly including a pair of pivotally mounted supports is pivotally connected at an upper end to the outer ends of the work machine frame. The lower end of the pair of pivotally mounted supports that are pivotally mounted to the frame so that the frame can move towards and away from the work machine. The blade assembly has two sections operatively connected to the attachment structure by at least one operating strut.
Further according to the present invention, a snowplow attachment for a work machine, comprises a frame with a front-end portion and a rear-end portion. An attachment structure is pivotally secured to outer ends of the frame. A blade assembly is pivotally connected to the frame. A pair of supports are pivotally mounted to the frame so that the frame can move towards and away from the work machine. The blade assembly has two sections operatively connected to the attachment structure by at least one operating strut.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the description that follows, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations of these specific details are possible while still achieving the results of the present invention. Well-known processing steps are generally not described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obfuscating the description of the present invention.

In the drawings accompanying the description that follows, often both reference numerals and legends (labels, text descriptions) will be used to identify elements. If legends are provided, they are intended merely as an aid to the reader, and should not in any way be interpreted as limiting.

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view showing a snowplow attached to a work machine, in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view showing the mounting bracket attached to a work machine, in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view showing a snowplow arranged as a straight plow in a first position and attached to a work machine, in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view showing the snowplow of FIG. 3 arranged as a straight plow in a first position attached to a work machine, in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the description that follows, numerous details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations of these specific details are possible while still achieving the results of the present invention. Well-known processing steps are generally not described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obfuscating the description of the present invention.
In the description that follows, exemplary dimensions may be presented for an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The dimensions should not be interpreted as limiting. They are included to provide a sense of proportion. Generally speaking, it is the relationship between various elements, where they are located, their contrasting compositions, and sometimes their relative sizes that is of significance.
In the drawings accompanying the description that follows, often both reference numerals and legends (labels, text descriptions) will be used to identify elements. If legends are provided, they are intended merely as an aid to the reader and should not in any way be interpreted as limiting.
In general terms, the present invention relates to a work machine 100, depicted as a compact track loader, with an attachment 102 operatively coupled to the work machine 100. It should be understood, however, that the work machine could be one of many types of work machines, including, and without limitation, a skid steer, a backhoe loader, a front loader, a bulldozer, and other construction vehicles. The work machine 100, as shown in FIG. 1 , has a frame 104, having a front-end section or portion 106 and a rear-end portion 108. The work machine 100 includes an operator cab 110 configured to support the frame 104 and operate the front end and rear end portions 106 and 108.
An important aspect of the present invention is that the improved snowplow attachment or other tool attachment can be operated with electronics but without any new or additional hydraulics. That is, the snowplow 124 as shown in FIG. 1 , can be configured as a V plow or a scoop plow and angled from right to left or from left to right without additional hydraulics. In angling from right to left, the right outer edge 124 a of the snowplow 124 can move backwards towards the work machine 1100 while at the same time, the left outer edge 124 b moves forward away from the work machine 100. In angling from left to right, the right outer edge 124 a of the snowplow 124 can move forward away from the work machine 100 while at the same time, the left outer edge 124 h moves backward toward the work machine 100.
Referring to FIG. 2 , the details of the front-end portion 106 of frame 104 is illustrated. The front-end portion 106 includes an attachment structure 112 pivotally secured to ends 104 a and 104 b of the frame 104. A pair of mounting arms 114 and 116 are attached to the rear facing surface 118 of the attachment structure 112 and project outward from the rear facing surface 118. The pair of mounting arms 114 and 116 are pivotally secured to the ends 104 a and 104 b of the work machine frame 104 by bolts 120 so that the rear facing surface 118 pivots with respect to bolts 120.
An important aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2 , is that the lower end of the attachment structure 112 is pivotally secured at either end by bolts 119 to the snowplow mounting plate 122. The bolts 120 which secure the ends 104 a and 104 b of the frame 104 to the pair of mounting arms 114 and 116 attached to the rear facing surface 118 of the attachment structure 112. For proper functioning of the present invention, the bolts 119 must remain aligned with the bolts 120. This alignment ensures that the snowplow mounting plate 122 remains parallel to the ground. A snowplow mounting plate 122 is pivotally mounted below the attachment structure 112 and projects outward from the front end of the work machine 100 and carries a blade or snowplow assembly 124 on the forward end thereof.
Referring to FIG. 3 , the snowplow mounting plate 122 has a pair of intersecting support members 126 and 128 which extend from the attachment structure 112 to the bottom of the snowplow 124. The blade assembly 124 includes two blade sections 130 and 132 which can pivot about a pivot post 134 to change the shape of the snowplow from a straight shaped plow as shown in FIG. 1 to a V or scooped shaped blade plow, not shown. The pivot post 134 is mounted to the front end of the snowplow mounting plate 122 where the pair of intersecting support members 126 and 128 meet. A support plate structure 136 is mounted to the intersecting support members 126 and 128 and extends upward and includes a tongue shaped element 138 which projects forward to a location above the pivot post 134 to keep the pivot post aligned against the pressure exerted by the two sections 130 and 132 of the snowplow during the operation of the work machine.
The snowplow mounting plate 122 is pivotally mounted to the work machine frame 104. A blade assembly 124 including a pair of pivotally mounted supports 140 and 142 which are pivotally connected at the upper end 140 a and 142 a to the arms 104 a and 104 b of the frame 104. The lower end of the 140 b and 142 b of the pair of pivotally mounted supports 140 and 142 are pivotally mounted to the frame 104 so that the frame 104 can move towards and away from the work machine 100.
An important aspect of the present invention is that movement of the blade assembly 124 is provided through means of an assembly 144 and reference will now be made to FIG. 2 , illustrating a hydraulic cylinder 146. Cylinder 146 includes a cylinder mount 148 and a piston rod extending out the opposite end with aperture being formed therein. A first connecting rod pin 154 is connected to a support plate 156 so that the components work together as explained hereinbeiow. The two sections blade 130 and 132 of the blade assembly 124 can be operatively connected to the attachment structure 112 by either one or two operating struts 160 and 162. The operating struts 160 and 162 can be pivotally attached at one end 160 a and 162 a and connected to a clevis 164 and 166 mounted to the rear facing surfaces of the blade sections 130 and 132, respectively. The opposite ends 160 b and 162 b can be pivotally connected to a clevis 168 and 170 mounted to the forward facing surface of the attachment structure 112. As the attachment structure 112 is raised and lowered, the blade assembly 124 is also raised and lowered.
As shown in FIG. 3 , one of the two operating struts 162 is connected to the clevis 166 and 170 and the blade sections 130 and 132 are disposed with respect to one another so that the snowplow forms a straight plow. The ends 104 a and 104 b of the frame 104 can be raised or lowered to raise or lower the attachment structure 112 and thereby effect the movement of the straight blade.
It is within the terms of the present invention for a single operating strut 162 to be connected to the clevis 166. The result is that the angle of the two blades 130 and 132 can be adjusted with respect to the attachment structure 112 to form a V-shaped blade. The ends 104 a and 104 b of the frame 104 can be raised or lowered to raise or lower the attachment structure 112 and thereby effect the movement of the V-shaped blade.
In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , only one of the operating struts 162 is connected between the clevis 166 and 170. An additional strut 160 is connected between the clevis 172 and 174. At the same time, the length of the strut 162 can be shortened so that the snowplow forms a straight blade.
While the above descriptions contain many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope, but rather as an exemplification of several embodiments thereof The invention is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents. Accordingly, the scope should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain preferred embodiment or embodiments, certain equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, etc.) the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more features of the other embodiments as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.

Claims

1. A snowplow attachment for a work machine, comprising:

a work machine frame with a front-end portion and a rear-end portion;

the front-end portion having an attachment structure pivotally secured to outer ends of the work machine frame;

a snowplow mounting plate pivotally mounted to the work machine frame to carry a blade assembly on a forward end thereof;

the blade assembly including a pair of pivotally mounted supports which are pivotally connected at an upper end to the outer ends of the work machine frame;

the lower end of the pair of pivotally mounted supports that are pivotally mounted to the work machine frame so that the work machine frame can move towards and away from the work machine; and

wherein the blade assembly has two sections operatively connected to the attachment structure by at least one operating strut.

2. The snowplow attachment of claim 1 wherein a snowplow mounting plate which supports a snowplow assembly is pivotally mounted below the attachment structure.

3. The snowplow attachment of claim 2 wherein the attachment structure is pivotally secured to first and second ends of the work machine frame; a pair of mounting arms attached to a rear facing surface of the attachment structure; the pair of mounting arms being pivotally secured to the first and second ends of the work machine frame by first and second bolts so that the rear facing surface pivots with respect to the bolts.

4. The snowplow attachment of claim 3 wherein a lower end of the attachment structure is pivotally secured at either end by third and fourth bolts to the snowplow mounting plate; the third and fourth bolts secure the first and second ends of the frame to the pair of mounting arms attached to the rear facing surface of the attachment structure whereby the first and second bolts remain aligned with the third and fourth bolts so that the snowplow mounting plate remains parallel to a ground surface.

5. The snowplow attachment of claim 4 wherein the snowplow mounting plate has a pair of intersecting support members which extend from the attachment structure to the bottom of the snowplow assembly.

6. The snowplow attachment of claim 3 wherein the blade assembly includes two blade sections which can pivot about a pivot post to change the shape of the snowplow assembly from a straight shaped plow to a V shaped plow.

7. The snowplow attachment of claim 6 wherein the pivot post is mounted to a forward end of the snowplow mounting plate where the pair of intersecting support members meet.

8. The snowplow attachment of claim 6 wherein a support plate structure is mounted to the pair of intersecting support members and extends upward and includes a tongue shaped element which projects forward to a location above the pivot post to keep the pivot post aligned against the pressure exerted by the two blade sections of the snowplow during the operation of the work machine.

9. The snowplow attachment of claim 8 wherein the blade assembly including a pair of pivotally mounted supports which are pivotally connected at the upper end to the arms of the frame.

10. The snowplow attachment of claim 9 wherein the lower ends of the pair of pivotally mounted supports are pivotally mounted to the frame so that the frame can move towards and away from the work machine.

11. The snowplow attachment of claim 9 wherein the blade assembly is moved by an assembly including a hydraulic cylinder.

12. The snowplow attachment of claim 11 wherein the blade assembly is moved by an assembly including a hydraulic cylinder secured at one end to a cylinder mount and having a piston rod extending out of the opposite end and connected to a support plate so that the components work together.

13. The snowplow attachment of claim 4 wherein the two sections of the blade assembly can be operatively connected to the attachment structure by either one or two operating struts.

14. The snowplow attachment of claim 4 wherein an operator cab is configured to support the frame and operate the front-end and rear-end portions of the frame.

15. The snowplow attachment of claim 14 wherein a third strut is connected between the two blade sections of the snowplow assembly.

16. A snowplow attachment for a work machine, comprising:

a frame with a front-end portion and a rear-end portion;

an attachment structure pivotally secured to outer ends of the frame;

a blade assembly pivotally connected to the frame;

a pair of supports pivotally mounted to the frame so that the frame can move towards and away from the work machine; and

the blade assembly having two sections operatively connected to the attachment structure by at least one operating strut.

17. The snowplow attachment of claim 16 wherein a mounting plate which supports a snowplow assembly is pivotally mounted below the attachment structure.

18. The snowplow attachment of claim 17 wherein the mounting plate carries the snowplow assembly on the forward end thereof.

19. The snowplow attachment of claim 18 wherein the snowplow assembly includes two blade sections and which can pivot about a pivot post to change the shape of the snowplow assembly from a straight shaped plow to a V shaped plow.

20. The snowplow attachment of claim 19 wherein the two blade sections of the blade assembly can be operatively connected to the attachment structure by either one or two operating struts.