Elastomeric plow edge

• US 9,428,874 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Winter Equipment Company
• Original Assignee: Winter Equipment Company
• Inventors: Winter, Kent, Sulesky, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US14/478,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20140373398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 372/66, 372/70, 372/71, 372/32, 372/33, 374/46, 374/60, 372/31, 374/65, 1727011-7013, 172/719, 172/747, 172/811, 172/816
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E01H 5/061 by scraper blades
• 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: Y10T 29/49739 Mechanically attaching preform by separate fastener

Abstract

A plow edge having improved durability and performance is provided which can comprise an elastomeric material, for example, a styrene elastomeric material. The present disclosure provides a plow blade edge system for mounting to a mold board of a plow comprising an adapter blade, at least two elastomeric blade segments wherein each segment is selectively reversible to present first and second edges; a clamp bar wherein the clamp bar is mounted to the adapter blade with the at least two elastomeric blade segments secured therebetween; and, each of the at least two elastomeric blade segments secured selectively in a first orientation or a second orientation.

Claims

1. A plow blade edge system for mounting to a mold board of a plow comprising:

an elastomeric blade selectively rotatable to present a first edge in a first orientation in a first position, a second position, or a third position;

wherein said elastomeric blade is rotated in a second orientation to present a second edge in selectively a fourth position, a fifth position, or a sixth position to a plow surface after said first edge in said first orientation is worn to a wear line;

a clamp bar wherein said clamp bar is mounted to said mold board with said elastomeric blade contiguously secured therebetween; and

,

said elastomeric blade secured selectively in said first position, said second position, said third position, said fourth position, said fifth position, or said sixth position.

2. The plow blade edge system as recited in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric blade material is selected from the group consisting of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polyurethane, polyethylene, polystyrene, and rubber.

3. The plow blade edge system as recited in claim 1, wherein said clamp bar is reversible from a first mounting arrangement to a second mounting arrangement.

4. The plow blade edge system as recited in claim 3, wherein said first mounting arrangement includes a plow bolt extending through a countersunk hole of one side of said clamp bar.

5. The plow blade edge system as recited in claim 1, wherein an overall wear of said elastomeric blade is from about 30% to about 60% after both said first edge and said second edge have worn to respective wear lines.

6. The plow blade edge system as recited in claim 5, wherein said elastomeric blade is selectively reversible to present said second edge in said fourth position, said fifth position, or said sixth position to the plow surface.

7. A method for replacing an existing plow edge with an elastomeric plow edge comprising:

positioning and attaching at least two reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segments to a mold board;

connecting at least one clamp bar to said mold board with a plurality of fasteners wherein the at least two reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segments are contiguously secured between said mold board and the at least one clamp bar in a selected first orientation;

at least one reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment selectively positioned to present at least a first edge in a first orientation to at least a first position or a second position; and

,

said at least one reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment rotatable to selectively present at least a second edge in a second orientation to at least a first position or a second position.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein a length of each of the at least two elastomeric plow edge segments is selected from the group consisting of substantially 3, 4, 5, and 6 feet.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the at least two elastomeric plow edge segments are of equal length.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the at least two elastomeric plow edge segments are of unequal length.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

mounting at least one adapter blade to said mold board; and

,

positioning and attaching at least three elastomeric plow edge segments between the at least one adapter blade and the at least one clamp bar.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

disconnecting the at least one clamp bar from the mold board when said first edge of said at least one planar elastomeric plow edge segment becomes worn;

positioning said at least one planar elastomeric plow edge segment from the first position to at least the second position; and

,

reconnecting the at least one clamp bar to the mold board with said at least one planar elastomeric plow edge segment in at least the second position therebetween.

13. A plow blade edge kit for mounting to a mold board of a plow comprising:

an adaptor blade including mounting holes for mounting to a mold board;

an elastomeric plow blade including mounting bushings each having mounting holes for selectively placing the elastomeric plow blade in selectively a first position, a second position, a third position, or at least a fourth position;

a clamp bar having holes aligned with the mounting bushings; and

,

a plurality of fasteners passing through the holes of the clamp bar, the holes of the elastomeric plow blade, the holes of the mounting bushings, and the mounting holes of the adaptor blade for securing the plow edge kit to the mold board whereby the elastomeric plow blade is contiguously mounted between the clamp bar and the adaptor blade.

14. The plow blade edge kit as defined in claim 13, wherein the elastomeric plow blade is segmented and each segment includes at least a first wear edge and an opposing second wear edge.

15. The plow blade edge kit as defined in claim 14, wherein the elastomeric blade material is selected from the group consisting of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polyurethane, polyethylene, polystyrene, and rubber.

16. The plow blade edge kit as defined in claim 14, wherein the elastomeric plow blade is selectively mounted in a fifth position, or a sixth position.

17. The plow blade edge kit as defined in claim 14, wherein an overall wear of the elastomeric plow blade is from about 30% to about 60% after both the first wear edge and the second wear edge have worn to respective wear lines.

18. The plow blade edge kit as defined in claim 16, further comprising a mold board shoe mounted to a back side of the adaptor blade.

19. The plow blade edge kit as defined in claim 18, wherein the mold board shoe includes a reconstitutable carbide matrix welded into a cavity along a wear surface of the mold board shoe.

20. The plow blade edge kit as defined in claim 16, wherein an overall wear of the elastomeric plow blade is from about 30% to about 60% after both the first wear edge and the second wear edge have worn to respective wear lines.

21. A method for mounting an elastomeric plow edge comprising:

positioning and attaching at least a first reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment to a plow blade;

positioning and attaching at least a second reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment to a plow blade;

said at least first reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment selectively positioned to present at least a first edge in a first orientation to at least a first position or a second position;

said at least second reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment selectively positioned to present at least a first edge in a first orientation to at least a first position or a second position; and

,

positioning said at least first reversible planar elastomeric plow edge in a different position than said at least second reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said at least first reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment is in said at least first position and said at least second reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment is in said at least second position.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein said at least first reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment is in said at least second position and said at least second reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment is in said at least first position.

24. A plow blade edge kit for mounting to a plow blade comprising:

a first elastomeric plow blade including mounting bushings each having mounting holes for selectively placing said first elastomeric plow blade in selectively a first position or a second position;

at least a second elastomeric plow blade including mounting bushings each having mounting holes for selectively placing said at least second elastomeric plow blade in selectively a first position or a second position;

a plurality of fasteners for securing said first elastomeric plow blade selectively in said first position or said second position;

a plurality of fasteners for securing said at least second elastomeric plow blade selectively in said first position or said second position; and

,

wherein said first or said second position of said first elastomeric plow blade is different from said first or said second position of said at least second elastomeric plow blade.

25. The plow blade edge kit as defined in claim 24, wherein each of said first elastomeric plow blade and said at least second elastomeric plow blade include at least a first wear edge and an opposing second wear edge.

26. The plow blade edge group as defined in claim 24, wherein said first elastomeric plow blade and said at least second elastomeric plow blade comprise material selected from the group consisting of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR), polyurethane, polyethylene, polystyrene, and rubber.

27. The plow blade edge kit as defined in claim 25, wherein an overall wear of said first elastomeric plow blade and said at least second elastomeric plow blade is from about 30% to about 60% after both respective said first wear edges and said second wear edges have worn to respective wear lines.

28. An elastomeric plow edge for mounting to a plow blade comprising:

a first elastomeric plow blade including mounting bushings each having mounting holes for selectively placing said first elastomeric plow blade in selectively a first position or a second position;

at least a second elastomeric plow blade including mounting bushings each having mounting holes for selectively placing said at least second elastomeric plow blade in selectively a first position or a second position; and

wherein said first or said second position of said first elastomeric plow blade is different from said first or said second position of said at least second elastomeric plow blade.

29. A plow blade edge system for mounting to a mold board of a plow comprising:

an elastomeric blade selectively rotatable to present a first edge in a first orientation in a first position or a second position;

wherein said elastomeric blade is rotated in a second orientation to present a second edge in selectively a third position or a fourth position to a plow surface; and

,

said elastomeric blade secured selectively in said first position, said second position, said third position, or said fourth position.

30. A method for replacing an existing plow edge with an elastomeric plow edge comprising:

positioning and attaching at least two reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segments to a mold board;

at least one reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment selectively positioned to present at least a first edge in a first orientation to at least a first position or a second position; and

,

said at least one reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment rotatable to selectively present at least a second edge in a second orientation to at least a first position or a second position.

31. A method for replacing an existing plow edge with an elastomeric plow edge comprising:

positioning and attaching at least two reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segments to a mold board;

connecting at least one clamp bar to said mold board with a plurality of fasteners wherein the at least two reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segments are secured between said mold board and the at least one clamp bar in a selected first orientation; and

,

rotating at least one reversible planar elastomeric plow edge segment selectively to present at least a first edge in a first orientation, a second edge in a second orientation, or said first edge in a third orientation.