US3784245A

US3784245A - Shovel

Info

Publication number: US3784245A
Application number: US00217319A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Koller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-01-14
Filing date: 1972-01-12
Publication date: 1974-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 1991-01-08
Also published as: CH530518A; AT320009B; CA964917A

Abstract

A generally rectangular flap is pivotally connected to the blade of a shovel near its front terminal edge, with the longitudinal edge of the flap opposite the pivot being slightly upturned. As the shovel is thrust forward through a media, such as snow, the flap is pivoted flush upon the shovel blade, and when the shovel is pulled rearwardly the media on the blade raises the flap to a raised locked position at right angles to the blade to entrain the media on the blade for removal, particularly from beneath an object.

Description

llnited States Patent [191 Keller Jan. 8, 1974 SHOVEL 285,693 9/1883 Shinabery 294 49 3 659 888 5 1972 Dreier.....

[76] inventor: Josef Koller, 8069 All am Algen, 3372496 3 1968 L 294 3 5 X Uber pfaffenhofenmm e y aw |s.... l5

[22] Filed; Jan, 12, 1972 Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Appl. No.: 217,319

Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 14, 1971 Germany G 71 01 221.0

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Brady 294/49 Assistant Examiner]ohnny D. Cherry Att0r'neyRupert .1. Brady et a].

[57] ABSTRACT blade to entrain the media on the blade for removal,

particularly from beneath an object.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 1 SHOVEL This invention relates to a shovel suitable, in particular, for digging out snowbound vehicles on roads covered by snowdrifts.

It is conventional, for digging out vehicles on snowdrift-covered roads, to shovel the snow out from underneath the chassis of the vehicle, for example to convey the snow toward the edge of the road, and then to scatter sand on the road in front of the wheels. Quite apart from the fact that this type of snow removal is very time-consuming and troublesome, this mode of operation fails extensively if the chassis sits on the snow. This disadvantage is eliminated in a simple manner by the present invention.

The invention resides essentially in that a flap which can be pivoted from the rear in the upward direction into a locking position is provided at the front edge of a shovel. In this case, it is merely necessary to push the shovel along the ground between the wheels into the part of the snowdrift covered by the chassis, and then to pull the shovel back. The flap, which is raised up when the shovel is pulled back, entrains a considerable portion of the snow present underneath the chassis and frees the vehicle within a few minutes for-being driven backwards out of the snowdrift. Additionally, it is advantageous to bend the flap to the front at its outer edge, because then the snow is deposited behind this bend while the shovel is pulled back, and thus automatically raises the flap without any special drive means having to be provided for this purpose.

The flap can be attached to a hinge frame, which latter is fixedly joined to the front end of the shovel, for example by spot-welding. However, the purposes of mass production, it is advantageous to pivotally mount the flap in the front part of the sidewalls of the shovel blade, which is most simply done by providing short wide lugs projecting from the narrow ends of the flap and at the longitudinal side of-the flap contacting the shovel plane, and that respectively one slot, perpendicular with respect to the shovel plane, is provided in the front part of the sidewalls; this slot, in the vertical position of the flap, receives one of the end lugs with ample play. A cutout of the shape of a circular sector adjoins this slot at a spacing from the shovel plane as well as in the direction of the shovel handle, permitting a return pivoting the lugs and of the flap into the shovel plane toward the shovel handle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawing shows an embodiment of the shovel according to the present invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view ofa shovel according to this invention, with the shovel handle, which extends toward the right, being omitted for purpose of simplicity; and

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the same shovel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the blade 1 of a shovel of any desired type is provided with sidewalls 2 disposed at right angles to the shovel blade 1 and extending to the straight front edge 3 of the shovel. The shovel is provided with a generally rectangular pivotal flap 4 in the proximity of its front terminal edge 3. The longitudinal side edges 5 and 6 of this flap are disposed at a slight angle with respect to the central sec- 2 tion of the flap and extend approximately in parallel to each other, as shown in FIG., 1. The angled edge portion 6 of the flap which is closest to the shovel plane 7 is extended beyond the narrow sides or end extremities of the flap and forms protruding lugs 8 and 9 extending from opposite ends of the flap and projecting into and through openings 10 in the sidewalls 2 of the shovel 1. Each of the cutouts or openings 10 in the sidewalls 2 consists of a longitudinal slot portion 11 extending perpendicular with respect to the plane 7 of the shovel, followed by an adjoining aperture portion 14 in the shape of a circular sector in the direction toward the handle end 12 of the shovel, but having a bottom edge spaced above the bottom edge of the slot portion 11 and spaced above the shovel plane 7 by a safety margin 13, permitting a return pivoting of the lugs 8 and 9 and the integral flap 4 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1 so that the flap 4 pivots to a position in overlying abutment with the plane 7 of the blade I of the shovel.

As previously indicated, the shovel handle attaches to the shovel blade 1 at the portion indicated at 12, and extends away from the blade to the right as viewed in the drawings. The handle has not been shown in the drawings, for purposes of simplicity, and since it is conventional and forms no part of the invention.

In using the snow shovel of the invention, the flap 4 is folded down into the plane 7 of the shovel blade 1. In this position the angled longitudinal edge portion 5 extends somewhat upwardly from the plane of the shovel. The shovel blade is pushed along the ground or pavement in the usual manner in front of the car wheels to remove the snow and this results in an accumulation of snow on top of the shovel blade 1. The shovel is then pulled back, preferably with a somewhat quick motion, causing the snow accumulation on the shovel blade that is between the handle connection and the upwardly bent edge portion 5 to slide toward the flap 4, pushing up on the edge portion 5 and thus automatically pivoting the flap about the lugs 6 and 8 to the upright position, as shown in FIG. 1. In this position, the flap is substantially at right angles to the shovel blade and functions as a back stop to retain the snow on the shovel as the shovel is pulled from under the car. The flap thus enables the shovel to function somewhat as a reverse scoop for removing snow. When the flap 4 is automatically raised it also dumps any snow that is on top of the flap that might tend to prevent it from raising, and in addition the flap is also pulled out from under the snow that accumulates on top of the flap during the forward thrust of the shovel as the shovel is pulled back or rearwardly so that there is no appreciable accumulation of snow on the flap to prevent it from raising. The lower edge of slot portion 11 functions as the pivot point and the upper corner of the front vertical edge of slot 11 functions as a stop to retain the flap at the substantially right angle position with the shovel blade 1.

After the snow is dumped off the shovel, as it is again thrust forward through the snow, the resistance of the snow folds the flap 4 upon the shovel blade 1 as the snow removal operation is repeated.

While the shovel of the invention has been shown and described in certain preferred embodiments, it is real ized that modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is to be understood that no limitations upon the invention are intended other than those imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shovel including a shovel blade having a front terminal edge, the improvement comprising a generally rectangular flap member, upturned sidewalls on said shovel blade, said sidewalls terminating adjacent said front terminal edge, means pivotally connecting the rear of said flap member transverse of said shovel blade and adjacent the front terminal edge thereof, said flap member having one longitudinal edge adjacent said shovel blade in both the flush and raised positions of said flap member and opposite narrower end portions, lug portions extending from said end portions adjacent said one longitudinal edge, said means includes a pivot connection between said lug portions and the front portion of said sidewalls adjacent said front terminal edge and comprises one slot respectively in the front portion of said sidewalls, said slot disposed substantially perpendicular to said shovel blade and loosely receiving one of said lug portions in the raised position of said flap member, said slot forming a lock for said lug portion to maintain said flap member in raised position at substantially right angles to said shovel blade, a cutout in said sidewall of a circular sector shape adjoining said slot in the direction away from said front terminal edge, said slot and said sector shape cutout having lower edge portions wherein the lower edge portion of said sector shape cutout is spaced a greater distance above said shovel blade than the lower edge of said slot, and said sector shape cutout pivotally receiving said lug portion and permitting a pivoting of said lug portion and said flap member in the direction of said shovel blade, whereby said flap member can be pivoted from a position overlying said shovel blade in flush relation upwardly into a raised locking position at an acute angle with said blade.

2. A shovel including a shovel blade having a front terminal edge and upturned sidewalls on said shovel blade terminating adjacent said front terminal edge, the improvement comprising a generally rectangular flap member having one longitudinal edge at the rear thereof adjacent said shovel blade and opposite narrower end portions, lug portions extending from said end portions adjacent said one longitudinal edge, means pivotally connecting the rear of said flap member to said sidewalls transverse of and closely adjacent to said shovel blade and adjacent the front terminal edge thereof, said means including a pivot connection which includes said lug portions between said flap member and the front portion of said sidewalls closely adjacent said front terminal edge and the plane of said shovel blade, said flap member normally pivoted down in a substantially flush overlying position on said shovel blade in which position said rear of said flap member is substantially flush with said shovel blade, whereby said flap member can be pivoted from said flush position overlying said shovel blade upwardly into a raised locking position at an acute angle with said blade, and said one longitudinal edge at said rear of said flap member being adjacent said shovel blade in both the flush and raised positions of said flap member.

3. A shovel as set forth in claim 2 in which said generally rectangular flap member has an outer longitudinal edge portion opposite said pivotal connection bent in a direction toward the front of said shovel blade when in the raised position.

4. A shovel as set forth in claim 3 in which said one longitudinal edge at the rear of said flap member is bent in a direction substantially parallel with said outer longitudinal edge portion.