Ice scruffer
First Claim
1. A device for striking a covering of ice on a ground surface, said device comprising a drum having a rotational axis and a paddle, wherein said paddle has a paddle bracket and a plurality of strike elements, said paddle bracket being rigidly mounted on said drum such that said strike elements radially from said drum, and wherein each individual one of said elements includes a of stiffly flexible cable with a striker attached to each end of said cable, and wherein said strike elements rotate about said rotational axis with said drum and strike said covering of ice so as form discrete surface depressions in said covering.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ice scruffing device for scruffing a covering of ice on a ground surface to improve the ability of the ice to retain de-icing chemicals on its surface. Paddles are mounted radially about a drum that is mounted substantially parallel to the ground surface and transverse to the direction of travel of a prime mover of the ice scruffing device. Each paddle bears a plurality of impactors. The impactors are made of flexible wire cable, with a strike element arranged at the end of the cable. As the drum rotates, the strike elements strike the ice on the ground surface at high velocity, thereby creating random, discrete indentations, cracks, pit-marks in the surface.
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Citations
18 Claims
- 1. A device for striking a covering of ice on a ground surface, said device comprising a drum having a rotational axis and a paddle, wherein said paddle has a paddle bracket and a plurality of strike elements, said paddle bracket being rigidly mounted on said drum such that said strike elements radially from said drum, and wherein each individual one of said elements includes a of stiffly flexible cable with a striker attached to each end of said cable, and wherein said strike elements rotate about said rotational axis with said drum and strike said covering of ice so as form discrete surface depressions in said covering.
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9. A paddle used in an ice-scruffing device, said paddle comprising a paddle bracket and a plurality of ice-scruffing elements held in and extending from said paddle bracket, and wherein each of said ice-scruffing elements includes a stiffly flexible cable having a first end and a second end, with a first striker attached to said first end and a second striker attached to said second end.
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10. An ice scruffing apparatus for scruffing a surface of ice covering a ground surface, said apparatus comprising:
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a power deck;
a fixed frame;
a pivotable frame;
a rotatable ice scruffing drum having a rotational axis and a plurality of scruffer paddles;
wherein said fixed frame is adjustable in height and attached to said power deck and said pivotable frame is suspended from said fixed frame, wherein said ice-scruffing drum is mounted in said pivotable frame and said rotational axis of said drum extends transverse to a travel direction of said apparatus; and
wherein said scruffer paddles include a paddle bracket that is mounted in said drum, a plurality of scruffer elements, each one of said scruffer elements comprising a stiffly flexible cable with a striker attached to each end of said cable, and wherein said scruffer elements are securely fastened within said paddle bracket such that a first striker attached to a first end of said cable extends radially from said ice-scruffing drum and, when said drum rotates, said first striker strikes said ice-covered ground surface with sufficient force to create a depression in said surface of ice.
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11. An ice-scruffing element for use with a rotatable drum, wherein said ice scruffing element, when said drum rotates, strikes a ground surface and wherein, when said ground surface is an ice-covered ground surface, strikes with sufficient force to create a depression in said ice-covered around surface, said ice-scruffing element comprising:
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strikers that include a first striker, a second striker, and a connecting cable having a first end and a second end, wherein said first striker is attached to said first end and said second striker to said second end. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
a rotatable drum adapted to receive said first end or said second end of said ice-scruffing element of claim 11.
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16. Apparatus for scruffing a covering of ice on a ground surface, said apparatus comprising:
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a drum having a drum length;
a series of paddle-mounting brackets;
a plurality of paddles; and
ice-scruffing elements, each individual ice-scruffing element comprising a cable with an attachment end and an operating end, with a striker element attached to said operating end;
wherein said paddle-mounting brackets are arranged on said drum to provide drum sections and said paddles are arranged on said paddle-mounting brackets in an off-set pattern so that a first paddle in a first drum section is radially offset to any paddle in an adjacent drum section;
wherein each individual paddle of said plurality of paddles holds a plurality of said ice-scruffing elements; and
wherein, when said drum rotates, said operating end of said ice-scruffing elements strikes an ice-covered ground surface so as to form discrete surface depressions in said ice-covered ground surface. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification