Snow groomer for snowmobile trails

• US 4,056,328 A
• Filed: 02/17/1977
• Issued: 11/01/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Loren R. Maxey
• Original Assignee: Loren R. Maxey
• Inventors: Maxey, Loren R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Byers, Nile C.
• Application Number:
  US05/769,733
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: 404/92, 404/101, 404/122, 404/124, 404/106, 404/96, 172/779, 172/787, 37/10, 37/12, 37/13
• US Class Current: 404/96
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 4/00 Working on surfaces of snow or ice in order to make them suitable for traffic or sporting purposes, e.g. by compacting snow production of artificial snow F25C3/04

Abstract

An apparatus for grooming snowmobile trails is towed by a dirigible tracked vehicle and includes a generally horizontal main frame, a gooseneck hitch supporting the forward end of the frame in towing engagement with the tracked vehicle, a packing roller supporting the rear end of the frame which serves to pack the snow being groomed, a moldboard scraper mounted between the packing roller and the gooseneck hitch which serves to scrape and level the snow being groomed, and a cutting blade assembly mounted forwardly of the moldboard scraper cuts, breaks and moves snow to fill in grooves and level ridges. A floating pan secured to the rear end of the main frame smoothes the snow following packing by the roller. The snow breaking and cutting blade assembly includes a pair of opposed, spaced-apart cutting blades pivotally secured to the frame and inclined inwardly and rearwardly, and a central V-shaped cutting blade pivotally secured to the frame with the apex thereof directed forwardly. The inner free ends of the inclined blades and the apex of the V-shaped blade are coordinated for raising and lowering to cause the apex of the V-shaped blade to swing oppositely to the free ends of the inclined blades for purposes of controlling the flow of snow through the frame to the moldboard scraper and packing roller.

Claims

1. Apparatus adapted to be towed by a dirigible tracked vehicle for grooming snow on snowmobile trails, said apparatus comprising, in combination:

a generally horizontal main frame;

a hitch supporting the forward end of said frame adapted for towing engagement with the tracked vehicle;

means on said hitch for raising and lowering the same relative to the vehicle thereby to raise or lower the forward end of said main frame relative to the snow surface being groomed;

a packing roller mounted transversely within and supporting the rear end of said frame and for compacting the snow surface being groomed;

means for adjusting the position of said main frame relative to the packing roller, thereby to raise and lower the rear end of said main frame relative to the snow surface being groomed;

a moldboard scraper mounted transversely within said main frame in front of said packing roller for scraping and leveling the snow surface being groomed;

means adjustably mounting said moldboard scraper on said frame for raising and lowering said moldboard relative to the snow surface being groomed;

cutting blades mounted within the forward end of said frame for cutting and moving snow toward the longitudinal center axially of said frame;

means adjustably mounting said cutting blades on said main frame for varying the position and cutting depth of said blades reltive to said main frame;

and a floating pan secured to the rear of said main frame for smoothing the snow surface which has been cut by said cutting blades, leveled by said molboard and compacted by said packing roller thereby to provide a smoothed and leveled snow trail for snowmobiles.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cutting blades comprise, in combination:

a pair of opposed spaced-apart cutting blades pivotally secured at one end to the forward end of the main frame and extending at a rearwardly inclined angle toward the center of the main frame for cutting and directing snow towards the central longitudinal axis of the frame;

means for swinging the blades to raise or lower their free ends relative to the snow surface thereby to position said blades to take a shallower or deeper cut;

a central V-shaped cutting blade pivotally mounted at its base on the main frame and with its apex directed forwardly for cutting and directing snow away from the central longitudinal axis of the frame;

means for vertically swinging the V-shaped blade to raise and lower the apex relative to the snow surface thereby to cause said blade to take a shallower or deeper cut;

both of said swinging means being coordinated to cause the apex of the V-blade to swing oppositely to the free ends of the inclined blades thereby to control the quantity of snow directed centrally of the frame by the cutting blades.

3. A cutting blade assembly for use in an apparatus adapted to be towed by a dirigible tracked vehicle for grooming snow on snowmobile trails, which apparatus includes a generally horizontal main frame, a height adjustable gooseneck hitch supporting the forward end of said frame and adapted for towing engagement with the tracked vehicle, a packing roller mounted transversely within and supporting the rear end of said frame, and a moldboard scraper mounted on said main frame intermediate said gooseneck hitch and said packing roller, said cutting blade assembly comprising, in combination:

a pair of opposed spaced-apart cutting blades pivotally secured at one end to the forward end of the main frame and extending at a rearwardly inclined angle toward the center of the main frame and said moldboard scraper for cutting and directing snow towards the central longitudinal axis of the frame;

means for swinging said inclined blades to raise or lower their free ends vertically relative to the snow surface being cut thereby to adjust said blades to make a shallower or deeper cut;

a central V-shaped cutting blade pivotally mounted at its base on the main frame and with its apex directed forwardly for cutting and directing snow away from the central longitudinal axis of the frame;

means for swinging the V-shaped blade to raise and lower the apex thereof vertically relative to the snow surface thereby to cause said blade to take a shallower or deeper cut;

both of said swinging means being coordinated to cause the apex of the V-shaped blade to swing oppositely to the free ends of the inclined blades whereby to control the quantity and flow of snow directed through the frame by the cutting blades.

4. A cutting blade assembly for use in an apparatus adapted to be towed by a dirigible tracked vehicle for grooming snow on snowmobile trails, which apparatus includes a generally horizontal main frame, a height adjustable gooseneck hitch supporting the forward end of said frame and adapted for towing engagement with said tracked vehicle, a packing roller mounted transversely within and supporting the rear end of said frame, and a moldboard scraper mounted on said main frame intermediate said gooseneck hitch and said packing roller, said cutting blade assembly comprising, in combination:

a pair of opposed spaced-apart inclined cutting blades pivotally secured at one end to the forward end of the main frame and extending at a rearwardly inclined angle toward the center of the main frame and said moldboard scraper for cutting and directing snow towards the central longitudinal axis of the frame;

a central V-shaped cutting blade pivotally mounted at its base on the main frame and with its apex directed forwardly for cutting and directing snow away from the central longitudinal axis of the frame; and

directed forwardly for cutting and directing snow away from the central longitudinal axis of the frame; and

means for swinging said inclined blades and said V-shaped cutting blade to raise or lower their free ends and apex respectively thereby to adjust said blades to make a shallower or deeper cut, said means being coordinated to cause the apex of the V-shaped blade to swing oppositely to the free ends of the inclined blades whereby to control the quantity and flow of snow directed through the frame by the cutting blades.

5. A cutting blade assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said swinging means comprises a power rotatable torsion bar extending transversely of the main frame, a pair of first links articulated between said torsion bar and said inclined cutting blades, and a second link articulated between said torsion bar and said V-shaped blade, said first links being engaged with said torsion bar in diametric opposition to said second link whereby said first links are moved oppositely from said second links upon rotation of said torsion bar to coordinate said swing means.