Snow pusher for ice and snow removal

• US 8,621,769 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pro-Tech Manufacturing and Distribution Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Pro-Tech Manufacturing and Distribution Incorporated
• Inventors: Weagley, Michael P., Guggino, Michael J., Maier, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Will, Thomas B
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MAI T
• Application Number:
  US11/556,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20070107272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,623 Days
• Field of Search: 372/32, 372/66, 372/70, 372/33
• US Class Current: 37/232
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 5/06 dislodging essentially by non-driven elements, e.g. scraper blades , snow-plough blades, scoop blades
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 5/062 by scraper blades displaceable for shock-absorbing purposes
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 5/066 Snow-plough blade accessories, e.g. deflector plates, skid shoes
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 5/12 Apparatus or implements specially adapted for breaking, disintegrating, or loosening layers of ice or hard snow with or without clearing or removing E01H5/10 takes precedence; Roughening ice or hard snow by means of tools by means of gritting materials E01H10/00; roughening or breaking-up pavements E01C23/08, E01C23/12
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/3627 with a hook and a longitudinal locking element
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/80 Component parts
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/8152 Attachments therefor, e.g. wear resisting parts, cutting edges E02F3/8155, E02F3/8157 take precedence; teeth per se E02F9/28
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/8157 Shock absorbers; Supports, e.g. skids, rollers; Devices for compensating wear-and-tear, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/962 Mounting of implements directly on tools already attached to the machine E02F3/404 and E02F3/8152 take precedence

Abstract

Disclosed herein are various aspects of an improved snow or material pushers for use with loaders, backhoes, agricultural and larger home and garden tractors and the like for moving snow or other materials on generally flat areas such as parking lots, driveways, feed lots, runways, and loading areas. The improvements include, among others, a reversible design, extended side plates and/or wear shoes as well as improved scraping edge configurations so as to provide added functionality and versatility to pushers. As described the various features may be employed alone or in combination to provide the capability for snow and ice removal while minimizing the potential for damage to surfaces and objects thereon.

Claims

1. An improved scraping edge for attachment along a longitudinal edge of a moldboard, comprising:

a flexible base, removably attached to the moldboard along a top portion of the base such that a bottom portion of said base is normally forward of the top portion thereof;

a rigid cutting edge extending along and removably attached to said flexible base along the bottom portion of the base, wherein said flexible base flexes to allow the rigid cutting edge to bypass immovable objects it contacts; and

a tensioner, attached to said moldboard, biasing at least a bottom portion of said flexible base, whereby the bottom portion of said flexible base is placed into a partially flexed, rearward, position.

2. The scraping edge of claim 1, wherein said flexible base is a polymer.

3. The scraping edge of claim 2, wherein said flexible base comprises a polyurethane material with an average thickness of at least about 1.0 inch.

4. The scraping edge of claim 1, wherein said rigid cutting edge comprises an elongated strip of steel.

5. An improved scraping edge for attachment along a longitudinal edge of a moldboard, comprising:

a flexible base, removably attached to the moldboard along a top portion of the base such that a bottom portion of said base is normally forward of a top portion thereof further comprising at least one rigid hold-down member applied on an outward-facing surface of said flexible base such that said flexible base is sandwiched between said hold-down member and said moldboard;

a rigid cutting edge extending along and removably attached to said flexible base along the bottom portion of the base, wherein said flexible base flexes to allow the rigid cutting edge to bypass immovable objects it contacts;

a tensioner biasing at least a bottom portion of said flexible base, whereby the bottom portion of said flexible base is placed into a partially flexed, rearward, position.

6. The scraping edge of claim 5, wherein said tensioner is removably attached to the moldboard along with said rigid hold-down member and is in biasing contact with said rigid cutting edge where said flexible base is biased into the partially flexed position.

7. The scraping edge of claim 6, wherein said tensioner places said flexible base into a slightly rearward-directed position.

8. The improved scraping edge for attachment along a longitudinal edge of a moldboard according to claim 5, further including a material pushing apparatus into which said moldboard is incorporated, said apparatus further comprising a vertical side plate attached to and extending forward at a generally perpendicular angle from each of said left and right ends of said moldboard.

9. The improved scraping edge for attachment along a longitudinal edge of a moldboard according to claim 8, further comprising a removable wear shoe attached along a bottom edge of each vertical side plate, wherein said removable wear shoe extends from a position in front of the moldboard and generally adjacent a front edge of the vertical side plate to a position beyond a rear surface of the moldboard.

10. The improved scraping edge for attachment along a longitudinal edge of a moldboard according to claim 9, where the position beyond the rear surface of the moldboard is also generally adjacent a rear edge of the vertical side plate.

11. The improved scraping edge for attachment along a longitudinal edge of a moldboard according to claim 9, where the position beyond the rear surface of the moldboard is beyond a rear edge of the vertical side plate and where said removable wear shoe further includes a cap, permanently attached to a web and a ramped surface of the wear shoe.

12. The scraping edge of claim 5, wherein said flexible base is a polymer.

13. The scraping edge of claim 12, wherein said flexible base comprises a polyurethane material with an average thickness of at least about 1.0 inch.

14. The scraping edge of claim 5, wherein said rigid cutting edge comprises an elongated strip of steel.