Swiveling blade snow blower with central chute

Abstract

This invention is a swiveling blade snow blower with central chute, allowing snow to be blown in the desired direction, whether backing up or going forward. A toothed wheel placed on the side of the swiveling blade is powered by a hydraulic stepping motor that makes the said blade turn forward and backward, plowing the snow through the opening until intercepted by a bidirectional auger that sends the snow at the center of the said auger into the impeller, which propels the snow out, in the desired direction, through the discharge chute located in the centre.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to snow blowers, more specifically a swiveling blade snow blower that allows snow to be blown in the desired direction, whether backing up or going forward.

2. Description of the Related Art

Several interesting patents caught our attention:

CA 2,196,223 Belzile, Jan. 29, 1997, which describes a machine that combines a snowplow and a snow blower in the same unit.

CA 2,371,704 Jourdain, Jul. 1, 2003, which describes a removable retraction scraper installed in front of a snow blower, allowing to accurately clear the snow out of a residential or commercial driveway.

CA 2,215,457 Gingerich, Sep. 15, 1997, which describes a snow blower designed as an accessory for attachment to an electric tractor.

CA 1,069,546 Vohl, Jan. 8, 1980, which describes an endless screw propeller unit for a snow thrower.

CA 2,356,500 Fortin, Aug. 9, 2003, which describes a snow blower powered by the machinery's hydraulic system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The general idea of the invention is to offer a swiveling blade snow blower, allowing snow to be blown in the desired direction, through a central discharge chute, whether backing up or going forward.

A toothed wheel placed on the side of the swiveling blade is powered by a hydraulic stepping motor that makes the said blade rotate to the rear or front of the bidirectional auger to clear the snow. The bidirectional auger is equipped with an impeller that lifts the snow towards the discharge chute's rotor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. Front view of the swiveling blade snow blower with central chute. The blade is set behind the bidirectional auger in order to blow the snow while backing up. One side of the swiveling blade and of the frame is removed in order to show the operating mechanism of the swiveling blade.

FIG. 2. Front view of the swiveling blade snow blower with central chute. The blade is set in front of the bidirectional auger in order to blow the snow while going forward. One side of the swiveling blade and of the frame is removed in order to show the operating mechanism of the swiveling blade.

FIG. 3. Back view of the swiveling blade snow blower with central chute.

FIG. 4. Cross sectional view of the swiveling blade snow blower with central chute.

FIG. 5a. Perspective view of the swiveling blade snow blower without the covers or the bidirectional auger, thus showing the frame.

FIG. 5b. Perspective view of the bidirectional auger with its impeller.

NUMERICAL REFERENCES TO THE ILLUSTRATED PARTS

• 1: Swiveling blade.
• 2: Swiveling blade side.
• 3: Interchangeable scraper bar.
• 4: Toothed wheel.
• 5: Toothed wheel chain.
• 6: Small toothed wheel.
• 7: Hydraulic stepping motor.
• 8: Main frame.
• 9: Bidirectional auger.
• 10: Impeller located on the bidirectional auger.
• 11: Rotor.
• 12: Removable covers.
• 13: Central cover.
• 14: Toothed wheel.
• 15: Drive chain.
• 16: Toothed wheel.
• 17: Drive shaft.
• 18: Differential.
• 19: PTO connection.
• 20: Hydraulic motor.
• 21: Cylindre.
• 22: Set of gearwheels.
• 23: Chute.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, as well as in the related views, the numbers refer to the numbered parts illustrated in the various figures.

As illustrated in the FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5a, 5b, is shown a swiveling blade snow blower with central chute designed to be attached to a vehicle (not shown).

A double-sided (2) swiveling blade (1), each side being attached to the main frame (8) with connectors. A toothed wheel (4) is installed on one side (2) of the swiveling blade (1) and is connected to a small toothed wheel (6) with a toothed wheel chain (5). The small toothed wheel (6) is connected to the hydraulic stepping motor (7), which is mounted on the main frame (8) with connectors, allowing the swiveling blade (1), which is equipped with interchangeable scraper bars (3) in the front and back, to be oriented to the front or back of the bidirectional auger (9), from beneath.

The bidirectional auger (9), equipped with an impeller (10) in the center, rotates clockwise, each end being connected to the main frame (8) with connectors. The bidirectional auger (9) is equipped with a toothed wheel (14) attached on one end. A drive chain (15) connects this toothed wheel with a small toothed wheel (16), this system being activated by the drive shaft (17), which is attached to the differential (18) and the vehicle PTO with the PTO connection (19).

Removable covers (12) located on each side, above the bidirectional auger (9), are attached to the main frame (8) with hinges, allowing to lift the covers when the snow level is high and let the snow fall on the bidirectional auger (9), sending it on the impeller (10). The central cover (13) allows the impeller (10) to keep the snow in until it is propelled in the rotor (11), which is raised to let the swiveling blade (1) move to the back of the bidirectional auger (9) under the rotor (11) case.

A set of gearwheels (22) operated by a hydraulic motor (20) connects the rotor (11) case to the chute (23), which is activated by a cylinder (21).

Although the preferred form of embodiment of the invention is thoroughly described and illustrated hereto, it is understood that the invention is not limited to this particular form of embodiment and that many other modifications could be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the said invention.

Other forms of embodiment are possible but they must fall within the range of the following claims

Claims

1. A swiveling blade (1) snow blower with a central chute (23) that allows the snow to be blown in the desired direction, whether backing up or going forward. Both ends (2) of the swiveling blade (1) are connected to the main frame (8) with connectors. A toothed wheel (4) is attached on one side (2) of the swiveling blade (1) and connected to a small toothed wheel (6) by a toothed wheel chain (5). The small toothed wheel (6) is attached to the hydraulic stepping motor (7), which is mounted on the main frame (8) with connectors and allows the swiveling blade (1), which is equipped with interchangeable scraping bars (3) on the front and back, to be oriented, from beneath, to the front or back of the bidirectional auger (9).

2. The bidirectional auger (9), equipped with an impeller (10) in the center, rotates clockwise, each end being connected to the main frame (8) with connectors. The bidirectional auger (9) is equipped with a toothed wheel (14) attached on one end. A drive chain (15) connects this toothed wheel with a small toothed wheel (16), this system being activated by the drive shaft (17), which is attached to the differential (18) and the vehicle PTO with the PTO connection (19).

3. Removable covers (12) located on each side, above the bidirectional auger (9), are attached to the main frame (8) with hinges, allowing to lift the covers when the snow level is high and let the snow fall on the bidirectional auger (9), sending it on the impeller (10). The central cover (13) allows the impeller (10) to keep the snow in until it is propelled in the rotor (11), which is raised to let the swiveling blade (1) move to the back of the bidirectional auger (9) under the rotor (11) case. It is attached to the main frame and can be lifted for maintenance.