US2318127A - Snow removal machine - Google Patents

Description

May 4, 1943 E.'T. STEWART 2,318,127V

SNOW REMOVAL MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet l May 4, 1943. E. T.v STEWART SNOW REMOVAL MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1942 4 SheetS-Sheet 2 May 4, 1943. E. T'. STEWART SNOW"`REMQQL MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 4, 1943. E, T. STEWART 2,318,127

sNow REMOVAL MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1942 4 sheets-sheet 4 vtween the tracks.

Patented May 4, 1943 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,318,127 l sNoW REMOVAL MACHINE Edward T. stewart, st. Paul, Minn. Application January 19, 1942, Serial No. 427,274

4 Claims.

This invention relates to snow removal apparatus.

It is a general object of my invention to provide snow removal apparatus which is adapted tc be mounted upon a vehicle and which is so arranged that it can not only be shifted vertically relative to the vehicle but can aiso be moved horizontally so that snow be picked up lateraliy of the path taken by the vehicle. While such a device could be mounted upon a tractor or ruck it is of particular advantage on railway equipment and more specincally it has considerable advantage in railway yards where a plurality of tracks lie beside each other and considerable difculty has been found in clearing the spacesv oe- This is generally done by hand and requires considerable time and labor.

Another object oi the invention is to provide snow removal apparatus mounted upon a vehicle wherein the apparatus includes power operated snow pickup and disposal means with the power source mounted upon the carrying vehicle and with connections between the power source Aand the snow removal unit which permit power operation of the snow removal unit in various adjusted positions relative to the carrying Vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vehicle supported laterally movable snow plow unit which has combined therewith means for counterbalancing the plow unit when it is laterally shifted.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one end of a rail- Way car with my invention mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken approximately on the line ll-li of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of one of the drive connections;

Fig. '7 is a front elevation; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged horizontal section through the Ysnow removal apparatus per se.

In Fig. l there is shown a railway flat car indicated generally at 9. Of course, any other suitable type of vehicle could be used. vertically Aon the right-hand or forward 'en-d of Mounted 'of the machine thevrear'ends of Vcylinder and Y angle irons lil as best illus# trated in Fig. 2'. The angle irons lll are braced by strengthening members H which extend up*- wardly and rearwardly from'the lower portions of the pair of angle irons l il to suitable points on the car 9 as shown in Fig. 1. A yoke i2 having angled vertical side members 12a is rigidly secured to the pair of vertical angle irons it] and said yoke has an upstanding central portion i3 with elongated apertures l!! formed there# through. The vertical portions 62a of the 'yoke l2 are connected to an upper pair of horizontally disposed guide members i5. A lower pair 'of similar guide members i6 is provided, vit 'also being connected to the yoke i 2. The ends of the pairs of guide members I5 and iii are connected by posts ila to provide a rigid structure. Slidable between the pairs of 'guide inenib l5 and IB are slide bars Il and iii respecti'v Extending forwardly from the slide bar` il i5 -a pair of horizontally disposed arms i9 which are connectedyto vertical posts 2c and a pair of horil the car 9 is a pair of vzontal arms 2l extends from the lower slidebar i8, said arms 2l being connectedwitl. the lower ends of the vertical posts 2' The' upper ends 'of the posts 2d are connected by a cross member 22. The lower ends of the vertical 'posts are connected by a cross bar 23. The ends of the cross bars 22 and 23 are shown in dotted lines Fig-"1. The slide bars Il and i9; the pairs of forwardly extending arms I9 and 2i, the vertical posts 2li and their connecting bars Z2 and E3 form a frame unit which is laterally slidable relative to vthe yoke i2.

Theplo'w unit is indicated generally at P. :Exe tending rearwardly from the plow unit P are pairs of horizontal arms 2li, 25 and 26. At 4either side Y the armsv are connected by vertical posts 2l. The right-hand -post 2l has a rearward extension 23 which supports al hydraulic motor 29. Extending between the vertical posts 2l' are shafts 3f), 3l, S2 and 33. Y Also extending rearwardly from the plow Pare apertured lugs 34 which s lidably receive the vertical members 2B which are connected to the arms i 9 and 2l extending forwardly frcinthe slide bars l 'i and I8. Thus the plow unit P Vcan be shifted vertically relative to forwardly extending arms I9 and 2| and vertical members 26, and the plow unit can be shifted laterally offsaidf members i9, 2B and 2l. Vertical movement of the plow 'unit andthe rearwardly extending arms EL?. 25 and i216 is eifected by means of hydraulically oper-ated 'piston units 3e which have' suitable hydraulic lines 36 connected Vtti-'the 4unit to actu` ate the same vertically. The cylinder and piston unit rests upon a cross arm 31 which extends between the upper arms 24 extending rearwardly from the plow unit and the piston rod 38 is shown in Fig. 1 to connect with the cross member 22 which extends between the upper ends of the vertical posts 28 on the laterally shiftable frame.

Lateral movement of the plow unit P and its supporting frames is effected by means of the hydraulic motor 29 and a threaded shaft 39 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Shaft 39 extends rbetween the rearward extensions 28 of the vertical members 21 which are connected at either side of the machine to the horizontal rearwardly extending members 24, 25 and 26. A lug 40 threadedly receives the screw 39 and said lug is held against lateral movement by means of guide members 4I secured to a plate 42, as best indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. The plate 42 is rigidly secured to two of the adjacent cross members I5 and I6 which u form portions of the guides for the slide bars I1 and I8. When the hydraulic motor 29 is actuated the screw 39 will be rotated and due to its interconnection with the lug 48 the entire plow assembly will be shifted laterally relative to the car 9. When the plow assembly is moved vertically under the influence of the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly the lug 40 will slide vertically between the guides 46 provided therefor.

To brace the snow plow assembly I provide brace arms 43 and 44 at either side of the car 9. The forward ends of said brace bars 43 and 44 are connected respectively to the laterally movable slide bars I1 and I8. The forward ends of said braces 43 and 44 are provided with yokes 45 and 46 which are pivotally connected to rods 41 which extend to the slide bars I1 and I8 a considerable distance, as shown in Fig. 3, and said rods 41 are adapted to slide into said slide bars I1 and I8. The rear ends of the braces 43 and 44 are connected to a link 48 which in turn is pivotally connected at its center to a piston rod 49 working in a hydraulic cylinder 58. There is a cylinder and piston assembly 49, 50 at each side of the car and, as indicated in Fig. 2, the cylinders 58 areconnected by a line 5I and are connected to a suitable pressure control device (not shown) to permit either set of braces 43, 44 to give. of course, be seen that the snow plow assembly is centered relative to the car 9. If the screw 39 is actuated to shift the entire assembly to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, the left-hand braces 43 and 44 will strike against the stationary frame with its vertical end members I1a, and as the assembly moves to the right the left-hand rods 41 at the ends of the braces 43 and 44 will have a relative sliding movement outwardly from the left-hand ends of the slide bars I1 and I8. The right-hand braces 43 and 44 will move to the right at their forward ends with the laterally movable portion of the assembly, and the hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 49, 50 will provide the additional length required since said right-hand brace b-ars 43, 44 will then form a hypotenuse of atriangle. Springs 52 are connected between the braces 43 and 44 and suitable portions of the relatively stationary frame such as bolts 53 which clamp the vertical angle irons I0 to the forward portion of the car 9. These springs 52 yieldingly urge the braces 43 and 44 inwardly so that they will naturally assume the positions shown in Fig. 2 when the plow assembly is centered relative to the car 9. On the forand out of Referring to Fig. 2 it will,

ward end of the car 9 I provide a counterweight 54 which has an upstanding lug or ear 55 having a threaded aperture therethrough to receive a screw 56. The counterweight 54 lies in and is guided by a trackway 51 which allows lateral movement of the counterweight 54 upon rotation of the screw 56 by a hydraulic motor 58 which is geared to the screw 56 by a chain drive 59. The uid motor 29 which actuates the screw 39 to shift the plow assembly laterally is provided with a fluid conduit 60 which is also connected with the uid motor 58 which actuates the counterweight screw 56 and the two fluid motors 29 and 58 are connected in such a manner that as the plow assembly shifts to the right the counterweight 54 will shift to the left, thus to a certain extent relieving strains due to lack of balance.

'I 'he snow plow per se indicated generally at P may conveniently be a plow such as disclosed in my prior United States Patent Number 2,075,- 673, issued March 30, 1937. In general the plow includes a casing 6I having a plurality of screws 62 rotatably mounted therein to break up the snow and feed it toward the center portion of the casing 6I. The snow is forced inwardly and rearwardly and it passes through an opening 63 to a chamber 64 housing a fan 65. The fan discharges the snow through a lateral outlet 66. In Fig. 2 the outlet is shown at the left of the machine, but snow can be discharged to the right by swinging the pivoted deector 61 to the left so that an outlet opening would then be exposed at the right-hand side of the fan casing 64. It is, of course, necessary to reverse the rotation of the fan 65 when the pivoted deector 61 is reversed in position.

A suitable source of power such as an internal combustion engine 68 is mounted upon the car 9. A telescopic drive connection 69, 10 connects the engine 68 to the cross shaft 3| by means of a bevel gear unit 1I. The shaft 3| is connected to a lower cross shaft 33 by means of a chain drive 12 and said cross shaft 33 is connected by a chain 13 to a shaft 14 which, as best shown in Fig. '1, carries the lower of the two horizontal snow conveying screws 63. A chain 15 connects the lower horizontal screw shaft 14 to the upper horizontal screw shaft 16. The shaft 16 on its inner end carries a pinion gear 11 which meshes with a ring gear 18 which is mounted upon a shaft 19 suitably journalled in the central nose or casing 89. It will be seen in Fig. 8 that; the ring gear 18 has a pair of toothed circular faces. The pinion 11 engages one set of teeth and another pinion BI engages the same teeth. Pinion 8| is on a shaft 82 which forms the other half of the shaft for the upper horizontal snow conveying screw 62. Without-I going into detail it can be seen that the other screw shafts are suitably geared to the second set of teeth on the other face of the ring gear 18.

VA second engine'83 is mounted 0n the car 9 beside the above described engine 68 and it is connected by telescopicdrive shaft 84, 85 to a bevel gear assembly 86 to drive the upper cross shaft 36. This shaft is connected by a chain drive 81 to the cross shaft 32 and, as best shown 1n Fig. 8, the cross shaft 32 carries a bevel gear 8 which meshes with the bevel gear 89 on the shaft 90 which carries the snow blower or fan 65.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a detail of the con- I nection between the telescoping drive shaft portion 85 and the upper cross shaft 30 through the bevel gear unit 86. This gear connection is held in position by a yoke 9| which, as shown, pivotally receives the forward end of the drive shaft 85 and which has arms which rotatably connect with the upper cross shaft 30. The cross shaft 30 is arranged for sliding movement through the bearing tube S2. The arrangement on the drive shaft l0 which is connected to the engine 68 is essentially the same as in l'l'ig. 6.

Due to the fact that the drive shafts 'H3 and 85 move vertically with the vertically movable plow assembly the upper extension I3 on the yoke i3 is provided with vertical slots I3 so that the shafts 10 and 85 are braced to some extent by said upward extension I3 but are permitted to move vertically relative thereto.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided snow removal apparatus which can be mounted on a railway fiat car in such a way that not only its vertical position can be adjusted but it may also be shifted laterally relative to the car upon which it is mounted. The device is provided with a counterbalance to oiset the laterally shifted weight of the plow unit and the drive connections for the snow conveying and blowing apparatus are so arranged that they will function in any of the adjusted positions to which the plow is shifted. It is a device which is effective in removing snow in railway yards where hitherto it has been necessary to clean away the snow from between the tracks by hand. While it is primarily designed for railway use it should, of course, be understood that it can be effectively used on trucks or tractors for cleaning the shoulders of highways while keeping the carrying vehicle on the pavement.

I have shown my invention in connection with a rotary snow plow such as disclosed in the above identified patent issued to me but, of course, it is not necessary that this specific type of rotary plow be used in conjunction with the plow shifting mechanism disclosed herein.

It further will be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, ar-

rangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

l. Snow removing apparatus including, a relatively stationary support, a relatively movable frame, a snow plow unit on said relatively movable frame, a connection between said relatively stationary support and said relatively movable frame permitting said relatively movable frame and plow unit to move laterally relative to said stationary support, and counterbalancing means on said support movable laterally and oppositely to said movable frame and plow unit when said frame and plow unit are moved to OIT-center positions. l

2. The structure in claim 1 and said counterbalancing means and said movable frame and plow unit being synchronously power actuated.

3. Snow removing apparatus including, an ambulent support, a plow unit connected to said support for lateral movement relative thereto, brace members extending from said ambulent support to said laterally movable plow unit and means for compensating for the differences in distance between the points of connection of said brace members on said ambulent support and said plow unit in various laterally disposed positions of said plow unit.

4. Snow removing apparatus including, a relatively stationary support, a relatively movable frame, a snow plow unit on said relatively movable frame, a connection between said relatively stationary support and said relatively movable frame permitting said relatively movable frame and plow unit to move laterally in a straight line relative to said stationary support, and counterbalancing means on said support movable laterally and oppositely to said movable frame and plow unit when said frame and plow unit are moved to oli-center positions.

EDWARD T. STEVVAR'I,l

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