WINCH CARRYING SNOW GROOMING VEHICLE SUPPORTED BY SKIDS AND POWERED BY AN ANCHORED DRAWLINE

• US 3,692,119 A
• Filed: 04/23/1971
• Issued: 09/19/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jasper J. Tucker
• Original Assignee: Jasper J. Tucker
• Inventors: Tucker, Jasper J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pulfrey, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hanor, C. W.
• Application Number:
  US05/136,898
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 172/23,195,199-200,784,170,387 37/1,10 94/50 180/3,5,7,53FE 280/12R,12E,12M,18,19 242/86.5,86.51,86.7,157.1 104/173ST 254/166
• US Class Current: 172/23
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 4/02 for sporting purposes, e.g. preparation of ski trails; Construction of artificial surfacings for snow or ice sports construction of ice skating rinks E01C13/102; Trails specially adapted for on-the-snow vehicles, e.g. devices adapted for ski-trails production of snow or ice for winter sports or similar recreational purposes F25C3/00

Abstract

A novel ski slope grooming method, similar to an ironing procedure in which the iron is caused to glide smoothly over the surface to be smoothed and compressed, is carried out through the employment of a novel snow-riding vehicle, having the following characteristics: (a) the light vehicle rides on the snow, distributing its weight through a series of long and broad, smooth-bottomed skids, so that the skids carry the entire weight of the vehicle and its load, substantially evenly distributed on the surface of the snow; (b) the vehicle exerts no driving traction or braking traction upon the surface of the snow, there being no drive wheels or caterpillar treads; (c) the vehicle accomplishes its work of evening and compacting the snow with efficiency and thoroughness while pulling itself uphill through an anchored draw-line and while coasting downhill under the pull of gravity but restrained by the draw-line; (d) the vehicle includes an optionally usable scraper blade which can be set at various heights for breaking up lumps and evening the surface of the snow, but no other structure which could oppose a significant resistance to the progress of the vehicle over the snow; and (e) provision is made for a single operator, riding the vehicle, to steer the vehicle, to control a drive motor through which the draw-line can be reeled in, and to control a reel brake for paying out the draw-line and thereby controlling the rate at which the vehicle coasts downhill.

Claims

1. A steerable, snow grooming vehicle for ski slopes comprising, in combination, a rigid body, and a series of widely spaced skids of large supporting area connected to the body and constituting the sole support therefor, and normally the sole work-effecting instrumentality of the vehicle, said skids including a single, centrally disposed, skid at one end of the vehicle which is rotatively mounted for steering purposes, and two fixed, laterally spaced skids at the opposite end of the vehicle, all of said skids being equipped with very narrow, longitudinally extending, downwardly protruding keels of substantial keel plane area for steering and other control purposes, the construction and arrangement being such that the combined weight of the vehicle and its load is distributed to the skids substantially in proportion to their weight supporting areas, and the spacing and location of the fixed skids relative to one another and to the steerable skid being such that an uninterrupted width of snow is normally compacted substantially evenly at a single pass, equal, substantially, to the combined widths of the skids, and means on the vehicle and connectable with a stationary anchor for adequAtely controlling the rate of coasting of the vehicle downhill and the rate of pulling of the vehicle uphill, without the exertion of any driving or braking traction between the vehicle and the snow.

2. A steerable snow grooming vehicle as set forth in claim 1 in which the skids are rounded at their opposite ends to promote smooth gliding of the skids on the surface of the snow in either the uphill or the downhill direction of travel.

3. A steerable snow grooming vehicle as set forth in claim 2 which includes mounting means for each skid constructed and arranged to support the skid for rocking movement about a transverse, horizontal axis located substantially midway of its length.

4. A steerable snow grooming vehicle as set forth in claim 3 in which the means for controlling the pulling of the vehicle uphill, and the coasting of the vehicle downhill comprises a draw-line adapted for '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'dead man'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' anchorage at the top of a slope section undergoing treatment, a vehicle carried winch upon which the draw-line is adapted to be wound and from which it is adapted to be paid out, a motor for driving the winch to reel in the draw-line, a brake operable on the winch to limit the rate at which the draw-line may be paid out, and means under the control of the operator for steering the vehicle, for adjusting the speed at which the motor drives the vehicle uphill, and for adjusting the speed at which the winch pays out the draw-line as the vehicle coasts downhill.

5. A steerable snow grooming vehicle as set forth in claim 4 in which a centrifugal clutch is included in the motor-winch driving connection, whereby the motor can be made instantaneously effective to supplement or replace the braking means if the braking means proves inadequate on the downhill run.

6. A steerable snow grooming vehicle as set forth in claim 4 in which the draw-line includes a spring device at its outer end for relieving strain on the draw-line and the vehicle parts when positive or negative acceleration of the vehicle is required.

7. A steerable snow grooming vehicle as set forth in claim 4 in which a swivelling fair lead for the draw-line is provided on the vehicle including a first draw-line pulley which is mounted for rotation about a fixed horizontal axis parallel to the winch axis, and is located in line with the winch intermediate the ends thereof and at a substantial distance from the winch, a second, roving draw-line pulley adapted to be pointed by the draw-line toward the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'dead man'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' anchorage or toward any draw-line deflecting obstruction located between the anchorage and said pulley, and a frame supporting the roving pulley for rotation about a horizontal axis, and itself supported for pivotal movement about a vertical axis which is at all times effectively tangent to both pulleys so that the draw-line, regardless of the direction in which it extends, and in which it causes the second pulley to extend with reference to the vehicle, is always in position to direct the draw-line dependably onto the first pulley or to receive the draw-line dependably from the first pulley.

8. A steerable snow grooming vehicle as set forth in claim 1 which has a substantial passenger carrying capacity, the construction and arrangement being such that the snow compacted by the vehicle on a downhill run may be further compacted when the downhill path is retraced after taking on passengers for the uphill run.

9. A steerable, snow grooming vehicle as set forth in claim 1 which further includes an optionally usable scraper blade that extends for at least the full width of the vehicle, and means for setting and maintaining the blade at different selected levels so that it may remain idle or may dislodge the snow for redistribution, within limits, to any depth desired.

10. The combination of a first steerable, snow grooming vehicle as set forth in claim 2 with a second snow-traversing automotive vehicle of the caterpillar-tread-propelled type, the second vehicle including a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'dead man'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' hitch to which the draw-line of the first vehicle may be anchored, whereby the second vehicle may, remaining stationary, serve as a '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'dead man'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' anchorage for the draw-line of the first vehicle, or may serve to tow the first vehicle to a new location.

11. A combination of first and second vehicles as set forth in claim 10 in which the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'dead man'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' hitch is mounted on a top central portion of the second vehicle, and the second vehicle includes a tiltable platform onto which the first vehicle may pull itself for transportation by the second vehicle to another slope.