US2697289A

US2697289A - Trip blade snowplow

Info

Publication number: US2697289A
Application number: US219669A
Authority: US
Inventors: Standfuss Ernest Richard
Original assignee: BURCH CORP
Current assignee: BURCH CORP
Priority date: 1951-04-06
Filing date: 1951-04-06
Publication date: 1954-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 1971-12-21

Description

Dec. 21, 1954 R, ISTANDFUSS 2,697,289

TRIP BLADE SNOWPLQW Filed April 6, 1951 United States Patent fifice 2,697,289 Patented Dec. 21, 1954 TRIP BLADE SN OWPLOW Ernest. Richard Standfuss, Bucyrus, Ohio, assignor to The Burch Corporation, Crestline, Ohio, a. corporation Application April 6, 1951, Serial No. 219,669

6 Claims. (Cl. 37-42) My present invention embodies certain novel improvements in snow plows of the type which are commonly used today in the form of attachments for trucks, such plows being pushed by a truck as the motive power for operating the plow. My invention particularly relates to the type of snow plow usually called Trip Snow Plows wherein the mounting of the plow blade and associated mold-board is such that the same may yield and rise when the blade meets anv obstruction requiring, a tilting action of the blade in order to pass over such obstruction.

Heretofore trip-type snow plows have been mounted upon the truck or moving vehicle in a manner such that the pivotal supporting means. for the plow is relatively rigidly connected with the vehicle so that considerable shock is received by the vehicle in meeting obstructions, an. effect of course not desirable, and ofttimes where spring. cushioning means are used to partially absorb such shock condition, said cushioning means is not effective to quickly restore the plow to its normal operating position. When the spring or cushioning means employed are not sufficient by reason of the power of the spring to pull the plow back to its normal operating position, the operator of the vehicle and the plow attached thereto has to leave his seat on the vehicle and assist in the swinging of the plow and its mold-board back to properposition by expenditure of manual power.

It is the particular object of my invention to avoid the difiiculties and disadvantages incident to the foregoing statement of operation of ordinary plows by utilizing spring mounting provisions for the plow for insuring the restoration of the same to its normal operating position after the tilting movement of the mold-board incident to shock action arising when the mold board and particularly the plow blade thereof meet obstructions requiring the tilting of the plow in order to pass over such obstructions.

An important feature of my invention lies therefore, in providing a full spring mounting for the snow plow, upon the truck or other vehicle which may carry the plow and supply the motive force for the propulsion of the latter, 6

the improvements of this invention doing away with the employment of any relatively rigid pivotal mounting means for the plow such as previously generally referred to above.

A full understanding of my present invention and the advantages thereof will be had upon reference to the following detail description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view generally in section illustrating the mounting push frame connected with the front end of a truck chassis, the snow plow employed in conjunction with said push frame, and the separate spring instrumentalities connecting the push frame and the moldboard of the plow for obtaining a full cushioned spring mounting for the latter.

Figure 2 is a top' plan view showing the general features of construction illustrated in Figure 1. The hitch between the plow unit and the truck is omitted.

Figure 3 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 1, illustrating the rocking action of the plow as carried by the push frame, when the blade of the plow meets obstruction, the tilting disposition of the mold-board and blade bringing out somewhat more clearly the action of the spring mounting means provided for the plow.

Referring to the drawings, it Will be observed that the snow plow of my invention is generally of a conventional type. It comprises the blade 1 and the. usual mold-board 2v carrying the blade with suitable. attachment means. between the parts 1 and. 2 enabling the renewal of the blade 1 when worn out or for any other purpose.

I employ in conjunction with the plow which is generally designated as A in. thedrawings, the customary push frame 3,. this frame being made up of a front trans.- verse hollow beam 4, andrearwardly converging angle bars 5, the parts. 4 and 5 being connected by longitudinal angle bars. or like members to provide a. relatively rigid frame structure. Any suitable means may be employed for connecting the push frame which is generally designated as. 3, with the truck or motor vehicle on which the plow unit is to be mounted for forward pushing action under actual conditions of service. The hitch means for the above purpose are generally designated at B in the drawings and may be conventional as mentioned above, not being fully shown.

The spring mounting. means of my invention used for supporting the plow A may be said to carry said plow for free floating movements, upwardly, forwardly, rearwardly and downwardly, there being no rigid connection at all between the plow and push frame 3. Said mounting means will now be described.

Projecting upwardly from certain of the longitudinal angle members 6, the central ones as shown in Figure 2, are the spaced brackets 7, having pivot openings at their upper portions. These brackets are somewhat triangular in shape and are bolted or otherwise rigidly fastened at their lower portion to the adjacent side of the member 6 upon which they are mounted. Between the upper portions of the brackets 7 is arranged a cylinder having trunnion parts or pins on opposite sides thereof which are received in the pivot openings at the upper ends of brackets 7.

Within the said cylinder which is, designated as 9 in the drawings, there is mounted the rod 10, having on its rear end an abutment nut or member 11, between which and the right hand end of cylinder 9 (which is closed as shown at 9a in Figure 1, except for the provision of an opening through which the front end of the rod 10 extends), is located the compression spring 12. The front end of the rod 10 as mentioned passes through the right hand end or head of the cylinder 9 and is pivotally connected as shown at 13 with the rear side of the mold-board 2. The connecting means between the pivotal supporting bracketsv 7 and the mold-board 2 of the plow A including the parts 11, 12 and 13 support the plow A normally in substantially the position shown in Figure 1; in other words, in this figure the spring 12 is expanded so as to carry the rod 10 rearwardly to the limit of movement shown in Figure 1, thus maintaining the plow A in the operating position also illustrated in said figure by a resilient pull-back action of said spring 10. The mounting of the cylinder 9 upon the brackets 7 aifords a rocking support means for the cylinder in conjunction with other resilient or spring mounting means which will now be set forth.

Projecting downwardly from the underside of push frame 3 adjacent to the front beam 4 thereof is a series of pairs of lugs 14 having apertures therein disposed as to each pair on an axis which is slightly inclined forwardly in the direction of the lower portion of the plow A. In the said apertures of each pair of the lugs or bracket members 14 is mounted a slideable connector pin 15, each pin being connected at its front end in a pivotal manner as shown at 16 with the adjacent portion of the lower part of the mold-board 2. At its rear end each pin 15 has a cross pin passing therethrough, designated 17a. Located near the pivotal connection 16 of each pin with the mold-board there is carried a rigid abutment member 17 attached to the pin. Between this abutment member 17 of each pin 15 and the forward of the two lugs 14 supporting such pin is interposed the compression spring 18 which is normally expanded when the plow A is in its normal operating position.

It will be evidenced from the foregoing description that virtually speaking the plow A is full spring mounted upon push frame 3 of the plow attachment unit. In other words, the plow A is resiliently supported for free general floating movement on the push frame by reason of the provisions of the upper centrally disposed spring and cylinder unit at 129, and the connecting rod attached to the mold-board 2. So far as 1 am aware, it has not been heretofore proposed to mount a snow plow in the above described manner for free floating and rocking movement as may be required by the conditions of operation when the plow is moving forward to the work or when the plow is required to rock or tilt in the event the blade 1 meets an obstruction compelling such action.

By the full spring mounting of the plow A upon the push frame, it is obvious that the general shock incident to the pushing of the plow into the snow or banks of snow will be absorbed through the upper and lower mounting connections between the plow and the push frame. When the blade 1, on the other hand meets an obstruction requiring yielding thereof, the action of the parts will be in part or wholly similar to that shown in Figure 3 as regards the shiftability of the plow A respecting the push frame and therefore in relation to the motor vehicle on which the plow is carried. In Figure 3 it is apparent that the obstruction designated at C has so engaged the blade 1 as to push rearwardly on the latter as the blade yields against the compressive force of the series of springs 18 carried on the pins 15. Under these conditions the plow is adapted to rock on the pivot 16 between the pin and the mold-board 2 and the upper portion of the mold-board as it moves forwardly pulls the rod 10 in the same direction and causes compression of the spring 12. The obstruction passed, it is obvious that the spring 12 by expansive action will pull backwardly upon the upper portion of the mold-board to restore it from the position of Figure 3 to that of Figure 1, its normal position. At the same time if the resistance to the forward movement of the plow is not unduly great,

the springs 18 on the pins 15 will push the blade and lower portion of the mold-board forwardly so that the normal position of the plow A is obtained with the spring 12 expanded and the springs 18 relatively expanded as a normal condition, ready to receive and absorb shock and to permit of the yielding of the blade 2 and lower part of the mold-board when obstructions are met requiring the tilting of the plow A in the manner which has been described and is depicted in Figure 3 of the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a snow-plow, in combination, a plow unit comprising a mold-board and connected plow blade, a push frame in rear of the plow unit disposed approximately vertically centrally of the mold-board, a spring unit connecting the portion of the mold-board above the plane of the push frame with said push frame, and spring means connecting the portion of the mold-board below the plane of the push frame, with said push frame, said unit and spring means forming the sole support for the mold-board and blade.

. 2. A snow plow as claimed in claim 1, in which the spring unit mentioned yieldably resists forward movement of the upper portion of the mold-board, and the spring means mentioned resists rearward movement of the lower portion of the mold-board.

3. A snow plow as claimed in claim 1, in which the push frame includes a cross beam parallel to and spaced from the rear side of the mold-board, and in which the spring means recited comprises a series of springs at intervals along said beam acting between the mold-board and push frame to yieldably resist rearward movement of the mold-board.

4. A snow plow as claimed in claim 1, in which the push frame includes a cross beam parallel to and spaced from the rear side of the mold-board, and in which the spring means recited comprises a series of springs at intervals along said beam acting between the mold-board and push frame to yieldably resist rearward movement of the mold-board, the spring unit comprising a cylinder rockably mounted on the push frame, a pullrod in said cylinder, connected at one end to the mold-board, and a spring in the cylinder engaged with the rod to pull the mold-board rearward after forward rocking of its upper portion.

5. In a snow plow, in combination, a push frame, a plow unit in front of said frame comprising a blade and a mold-board on which the blade is carried, and means wholly supporting the mold-board and blade comprising spring operated devices disposed above and below the plane of the push frame, the upper of said devices connected to the upper portion of the mold-board to resist forward movement of the latter, the lower of said devices being connected to the lower portion of the mold-board and resisting the rearward movement of the mold-board.

6. In a snow plow, in combination, a push frame, a plow unit in front of said frame comprising a blade and a mold board on which the blade is carried, and yieldable supporting means on the push frame wholly supporting said plow unit, the push frame being disposed in a plane between the upper and lower portions of the mold board, and the supporting means comprising cushion spring means connecting thepush frame and lower portion of the mold board resisting rearward movement of the mold board, and spring means connecting the upper portion of the mold board and push frame normally acting to pull said upper portion rearwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,144,763 Heinen June 29, 1915 1,776,788 Gettelman Sept. 30, 1930 2,006,761 Frink July 2, 1935 2,139,328 Collins et al Dec. 6, 1938 2,242,826 Keeler May 20, 1941 2,440,905 Maxim et al May 4, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 143,396 Switzerland Feb. 16, 1931 189,580 Switzerland May 18, 1937