Patent Publication Number: US-11649598-B2

Title: Belly blade mounted to center of mower equipment

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present inventions relate to the field of snow removal, and more specifically, to devices and methods for improving snow removal utilizing standard lawn equipment and riding lawn mowers. Among other things, the disclosed inventions provide snow removal vehicles having improved control, handling, turning radius, which more effectively remove snow, and have additional benefits as will become apparent herein. 
     DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
     It is often necessary to remove snow from hard, paved surfaces, in order to allow ingress and egress on public or private property. Brooms, shovels, snow blowers, and plows are popular tools for such removal. In some instances, zero-turn lawn mowers and riding lawn mowers are fitted with plow shovels, where the plow shovel is mounted to the front of the lawn mower and manually operated. Disadvantageously, such a configuration allows for relatively less leverage on the plow shovel. As a result, there is a need for a configuration which provides increased leverage on the plow shovel to increase the ability to remove snow from a surface, while also maintaining a tight turning radius. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONS 
     Embodiments of the inventions improve upon prior art methods and devices by providing a vehicle having an improved ability to remove snow from a surface, while also maintain a tight turning radius. 
     Embodiments of the inventions are directed to a vehicle for removing snow, the vehicle comprising a frame; a pair of front wheels, the pair of front wheels comprising a left front wheel mounted on the left side of a forward portion of the frame; and a right front wheel mounted on the right side of the forward portion of the frame; a pair of rear wheels mounted to a rear portion of the frame; an engine mounted to the frame coupled to one of the pair of front wheels or rear wheels; a plow shovel, the plow shovel being mounted to the frame between the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels; and an adjustment mechanism mounted to the frame and affixed to the plow shovel wherein the adjustment mechanism is configured to maneuver the position of the plow shovel in relation to the frame. 
     In some embodiments, the adjustment mechanism further includes a first hydraulic for controlling the position of the plow shovel. The adjustment mechanism may further include a second hydraulic for controlling the position of the plow shovel. The first and second hydraulics may be controlled by a user-operated lever. 
     Some embodiments provide a vehicle control, wherein the vehicle control may be at least one steering rod. The vehicle may optionally be a zero-turn radius vehicle, such as a riding lawn mower. The vehicle may be power by a gas engine, wherein the gas engine is connected to an air intake and an exhaust, and wherein the air intake and the exhaust are mounted behind a seat mounted to the frame. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, the plow shovel is removably mounted to the frame, and further, the plow shovel may be interchangeable with a mower attachment. 
     Further yet, additional embodiments of the inventions are directed to a vehicle for removing snow, the vehicle comprising a vehicle frame of a lawn mower having a removable mover deck; a pair of front wheels mounted to the vehicle frame and a pair of rear wheels mounted to the vehicle frame; an engine mounted to the vehicle frame and coupled to one of the pair of front wheels or the pair of rear wheels to capable of powering the vehicle; a belly blade apparatus moveably fastened to the vehicle frame in the general location of the mower deck between the pair of front wheels and the pair of rear wheels; a belly blade apparatus including a body having a snow blow mount and a frame mount wherein the belly blade apparatus is mounted to the vehicle frame at the frame mount; the belly blade apparatus including a snowplow blade rotatably affixed to the snowplow mount of the belly blade body by a hinge mechanism; a hydraulic cylinder affixed to the belly blade body and the snowplow blade, wherein the hydraulic cylinder is configured to rotate the blade about the rotatable hinge about a first axis relative to the frame; a trip spring affixed to the snowplow blade and the belly blade frame; and a mechanism to move the snowplow blade about a second axis relative to the frame. 
     In some embodiments, the front wheels and the rear wheels are configured in a manner that the vehicle operates in a zero-radius turn. The vehicle frame of the lawn mower may be configured as a riding mower, and the vehicle frame may be configured as a stand-on power mower. The pair of rear wheels can be larger relative to the pair of front wheels, and an alternator may be provided, with lights powered by the alternator. 
     Optionally, the vehicle for removing snow may include a frontend weight box affixed to the vehicle frame. The front wheels and rear wheels may be soft-tread aggressive drive tires for additional traction. Further yet, vehicle controls may be provided, including at least one steering rod. The snowplow blade may be positioned mid-way between the front wheels and the rear wheels at the center of gravity of the vehicle. 
     Therefore, it is an object of the inventions to provide a vehicle with improved ability to remove snow, including, without limitation, an improvement in the vehicle&#39;s turning radius. 
     It is a further objective of the inventions to provide a tight turning radius, allowing operators to have more precise control over their snow shoveling. In some embodiments, it is an objective to provide a vehicle with a zero-turn radius. 
     A further objective of the inventions is to allow vehicles, such as riding mowers, to be used year-round by interchanging a mower attachment with a plow shovel. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view an embodiment of a zero-turn snow removal vehicle. 
         FIG.  2    is a back view of a plow shovel controlled by hydraulics. 
         FIG.  3    is a front view of a plow shovel controlled by hydraulics. 
         FIG.  4    is a top view of a plow shovel controlled by hydraulics. 
         FIG.  5    is a top view of a plow shovel in a left position. 
         FIG.  6    is a top view of a plow shovel in a right position. 
         FIG.  7    is a side view of an alternative design for a belly mounted blade. 
         FIG.  8    is a top view of an alternative design for a belly mounted blade. 
         FIG.  9    is a side view of a mounting frame for a belly mounted blade. 
         FIG.  10    is a front view of a mounting frame for a belly mounted blade. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the inventions are not limited in their application to the details of construction and/or arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it should be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the inventions unless explicitly stated. 
     The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the inventions. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The follow detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which the elements in different figures have life reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the inventions. A person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the invention. 
     The present disclosure is generally directed to an apparatus and method for improving snow removal. The inventions provide a zero-turn vehicle  100  having a plow shovel mechanism  110  mounted in the belly location between a pair of front wheels  120 ,  125 , and a pair of back wheels  130 ,  135 . The plow shovel mechanism  110  is typically mounted in the same location as the mower deck in a zero-turn vehicle  100 . In embodiments of the invention, the mower deck may be removed and the plow shovel mechanism  110  may be mounted in place of the mower deck. Both the pair of front wheels and the pair of back wheels may include a left and a right wheel, respectively. The inventions improve the amount of snow that a plow shovel can push aside, and the efficiency with which snow is pushed aside. Moreover, the inventions provide improved handling and control over a zero-turn vehicle. 
     Generally speaking, the inventions may relate to the use of a zero-turn vehicle  100  for snow removal. Zero-turn vehicles are known in the context of, for example, zero-turn lawn mowers. A zero-turn vehicle is typically characterized by its front wheels extending to the front edge of the vehicle, thus allowing the vehicle to make a “zero radius” turn. In other words, placement of the front wheels at the front edge of the vehicle creates a relatively highly narrow turning radius, which is sometimes described as “turning in place.” 
     While the preferred embodiment focuses on zero-turn vehicles, the plow shovel mechanism  110  or belly bade  304  may be mounted on other types of equipment. The key feature is that the plow shovel mechanism  110  or belly blade apparatus  304  is mounted in a generally centralized location between a front pair of wheels  120 ,  125  and a back pair of wheels  130 ,  135 . As such, the plow shovel may be used in connection with a stand-on riding mower; a float deck-walk behind mower; a riding mower or any piece of equipment in which a belly mount blade can be configured between the front set of wheels and a rear set of wheels. It should be understood that the use of the plow shovel mechanism  110  or belly blade apparatus  304  is not limited to only the zero-turn mower configuration, the description of the zero-turn mower configuration is for exemplary purposes only. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate how the plow shovel mechanism  110  or belly blade apparatus  304  may be mounted on stand-on mowers, float deck mowers, riding mowers and the like of the cradle where the mower equipment is typically mounted. 
     In  FIG.  1   , front wheels  120 ,  125  are shown mounted (using a rotatable hinge, or any other fastener for allowing the front wheels  120 ,  125  to turn) in the forward-most position on vehicle.  FIG.  1    shows a vehicle having a frame, wherein the vehicle&#39;s frame has a forward edge and a rear edge (obscured). Front wheels are positioned along the forward edge  140  of the vehicle&#39;s frame. Additionally, front wheels  120 ,  125  are mounted on the corners of the forward edge of the frame; that is to say, left front wheel  125  is mounted to the left corner of the forward edge of the frame, and right front wheel  120  is mounted to the right corner of the forward edge of the frame. Rear wheels  130 ,  135  are positioned along the rear edge  150 . The frame&#39;s forward edge  140  and rear edge  150  may be connected by side rails  160 ,  170 . However, it should be understood that possible embodiments of the inventions have different frame configurations, including frames in which the front wheels  120 ,  125  which are not necessarily configured in the forward-most position  140  of the vehicle, and/or rear wheels  130 ,  135  which are not necessarily positioned on the rear edge  150  of the vehicle frame. Embodiments in which front wheels  120 ,  125  are offset from vehicle&#39;s forward-most position will have a longer turning radius but are nonetheless intended to be within the scope of the present inventions. 
     Prior art vehicles in which a plow shovel is mounted to the front of the vehicle suffer from the disadvantage that, when plowing snow, the force of the snow against the plow shovel can create an “upward” force, which results in less effective, and/or less efficient, snow plowing. Embodiments of the invention thus counteract such an upward force by configuring the plow shovel under the frame, between the front and rear wheels, resulting in improved leverage on the plow shovel and by extension, an improved snow plowing experience. 
     In  FIG.  1   , rear wheels  130 ,  135  are shown to be larger in radius then front wheels  120 ,  125 . The relatively larger rear wheels  130 ,  135  may provide improved control over the vehicle  100 , especially during snowy or icy conditions. The wheels  120 ,  125 ,  130 ,  135  may be fitted with soft tread aggressive drive tires to provide additional traction. In some embodiments, rear wheels  130 ,  135  may also be wider in width than front wheels  120 ,  125 . Front wheels  120 ,  125  may be pivotable to enable steering. It is contemplated that embodiments of the inventions include vehicle controls sufficient to control the speed and direction of the vehicle  100 . For example, vehicle  100  may have a steering wheel or steering rods  180 , or any other known steering mechanism. In addition to steering, in some embodiments of the inventions, the vehicle controls further include a throttle or pedal for controlling speed of the vehicle, including, in some embodiments, a gas pedal and/or brake pedal. In some embodiments of the inventions, vehicle controls further include a control lever for changing the direction of plow shovel, discussed further below. 
     A seat  190  may be provided, allowing operators of the vehicle  100  to sit on the vehicle  100  while operating it. The seat  190  may be attached to the frame, and vehicle controls may be conveniently positioned to allow a user to operate them easily. An air intake  201 , gas engine  200 , and exhaust  202  may be provided for powering the vehicle. In embodiments, the air intake  201 , gas engine  200 , and exhaust  202  may be positioned behind the seat  190  or under the seat  190 . The gas engine  200  may be coupled to the rear wheels  130 ,  135  and power the rear wheels  130 ,  135 , and, in other embodiments, may power the front wheels  120 ,  125  instead of, or in addition to, the rear wheels  130 ,  135 . 
     The vehicle  100  may also be fitted with certain accessories to enhance the snow removal operation. For example, the engine  200  may be fitted with an alternator and light kit. The light kit (not shown) could be mounted on the forward-most position  140  of the vehicle  100 . There may be one or two lights mounted at the forward-most position  140 . Additionally, a light may be mounted at the rear edge  150  of the vehicle  100 . The lights operate to help illuminate the area being plowed. The vehicle  100  may also be fitted with a safety beacon or strobe light (not shown) which illuminate during operation of the vehicle such that the vehicle is more visible to others. The vehicle could be fitted with a front end weight box along forward-most position  140  of the vehicle  100 . The weight box operates to help evenly distribute the weight such that the center point of the weight distribution corresponds to the general location of the blow blade mechanism  111 . The vehicle  100  could also be fitted with Mini Sno-Ex salt spreaders on the forward-most position  140  or the rear edge  150 . Additionally, the vehicle could be fitted with hand covers and heaters at the controls  180  to provide warmth and comfort to the user. 
     In embodiments of the inventions, a plow shovel mechanism  111  may be affixed to the frame of vehicle, for example by mounting the plow shovel mechanism  111  to the left rail  170  and the right rail  16 . Further yet, in embodiments of the inventions, the plow shovel mechanism  111  may be affixed to the frame at a position between the forward edge  140  of the frame and the rear edge  150  of the frame, such that the plow shovel mechanism  111  is affixed to the frame behind front wheels  120 ,  125 . Positioning the plow shovel mechanism  111  behind the front wheels  120 ,  125  provides advantages over prior art vehicles in which the plow shovel is mounted in front of front wheels. For example, positioning the plow shovel mechanism  111  behind front wheels  120 ,  125  allows the vehicle  100  to maintain its “zero-turn radius,” thereby allowing the vehicle  100  to maneuver through tighter environments with improved control. The position of the plow shovel mechanism  111  behind the front wheels  120 ,  125  allows the vehicle  100  to maintain a relatively tight turn radius as compared to embodiments in which the plow shovel is mounted in front of the front wheels. Thus, using embodiments of the invention, it is possible to configure a vehicle to plow show while maintaining a zero-turn radius. And, even if the radius is not a true “zero-turn,” embodiments of the inventions can still provide a reduced, tighter turn radius. 
     Additionally, in embodiments of the inventions, the weight of vehicle  100  may be distributed through the frame and to the front wheels  120 ,  125 . Weight may be closely distributed equally to the front and rear wheels, or the rear wheels  130 ,  135  may carry a greater portion of the vehicle&#39;s weight relative to the front wheels  120 ,  125 . Regardless, the weight of the vehicle  100  through the frame creates additional “downward” pressure on the plow shovel  110  (which is mounted between the front and rear wheels), which thereby increases its leverage relative to embodiments in which the plow shovel mechanism  111  is mounted to the front of the vehicle  100 . That is to say, by positioning the plow shovel mechanism  111  behind the front wheels  120 ,  125 , embodiments of the invention provided increased leverage to the plow shovel mechanism  111  and allow the plow shovel  110  to shovel more snow relative to embodiments wherein the plow shovel is mounted to the front of the vehicle. 
       FIGS.  2 ,  3  and  4    show an embodiment of the plow shovel mechanism  111 . The plow shovel mechanism  111  includes a plow shovel  110  which is capable of moving the snow along the blade of the plow shovel  110 . The plow shovel  110  may be constructed of steel, aluminum, plastic, vinyl or other suitable material. The plow shovel  110  includes a snow deflector  104  which may also be used to attach the plow blade  110  to a hydraulic piston  220 . The hydraulic piston  220  operates to move inward or outward to adjust the position of the blade  110  with respect to the frame of the vehicle  100 . The blade mechanism  111  further includes a stabilizing bar  221 . The stabilizing bar  221  may be rotatably connected to the plow blade  110  and attached to a hinge  222  positioned on the snow deflector  104  attached to the blade  110 . Alternatively, the stabilizing bar  221  could be a second hydraulic piston as shown in  FIGS.  2  and  3   . The plow blade mechanism  111  includes a mount frame  223  to which the first hydraulic piston  220  and the stabilizing bar  221 /second hydraulic piston  221  are attached. 
     Further yet, in some embodiments, the plow shovel may be pivoted from a straight position ( FIG.  4   ) to a left position ( FIG.  5   ) or a right position ( FIG.  6   ). Control over the plow shovel  110  may be manual. In such embodiments, a user may slide the plow shovel  110  into the desired position and then fasten it using known fasteners. In other embodiments, control over the angle of the plow shovel  110  is achieved using control levers that operate hydraulics  220 ,  221 . Such control levers may be positioned near the seat  190 , together with other vehicle controls. 
       FIGS.  7 ,  8 ,  9  and  10    depict an alternative blade arrangement that may be used as alternative to the plow shovel  110  described in the previous figures. This attachment may bolt in place of a mower deck on a variety of equipment. Hydraulically operated, this belly blade attachment can convert a summer riding mower to an efficient sidewalk snowplow machine. The attachment can partially be removed and mower deck put in place for summer use. Converting a ZTR mower into an all year-round revenue producer. 
       FIGS.  8  and  9    show a side view and a top view of a belly blade plow  300  configuration. The belly blade  304  may be configured in a generally C-shaped configuration to deflect the snow along the length of the belly blade  304 . The shape of the blade could be of any configuration such as V-shaped, straight, L-shaped, modl-board configuration, or any other known blade shapes. The belly blade  304  has a steel cutting edge  305  mounted to the lower portion of the belly blade  304 . The cutting edge  305  may be made of plastic, vinyl or other suitable material. The cutting edge  305  may be mounted to the belly blade using any known type of fastener including but not limited to glue, bolts, fasteners, etc. The belly blade  304  may also including a snow deflector  303  mounted to the belly blade. The snow deflector  303  may be made of rubber, aluminum, steel, plastic, vinyl or other suitable material and can be fastened to the belly blade  304  using a bolt, screw, fastener, glue or other fastening technique. 
     The belly blade plow  300  includes a plow frame  301 . The frame is mounted to the under-belly of a lawn mower  100  in  FIG.  1    by means of plow mounting tabs  306 . The belly blade plow  300  is held in place to the mounting bracket of the zero-turn  100  by a mounting bracket on the side rails  160 ,  170 . A plow blade trip spring  302  is mounted to the belly blade  304  and the plow frame  301 . A hydraulic turn cylinder  307  is also mounted to the belly blade  304  and the plow frame  301 . While a hydraulic turn cylinder  307  is shown in the preferred embodiment, other types of equipment could be used in place of the hydraulic turn cylinder  307  such as a setscrew, a rope-and-pulley system or the like. The belly bade  304  is mounted to the plow frame  301  by means of a hinge  308 . 
     The belly blade  304  is rotatable  310  about the hinge  308  upon movement of the hydraulic ram  307 . When the hydraulic ram  307  is extended, the belly blade  304  is rotated in a counterclockwise manner  310 . Likewise, when the hydraulic ram  307  is contracted, the belly blade  304  is rotated in a counterclockwise manner  310  above the hinge  308 . 
       FIGS.  9  and  10    depict the mounting frame  320  to mount the plow apparatus  300  to the belly blade apparatus  300  to the frame  160 ,  170  of the zero-turn machine  100 . The top  312  of the mounting frame  320  is connected to the frame  160  or under carriage of the zero-turn machine  100  by a pair of bracket  319 . The frame  320  includes a scissor lift mechanism  316  which includes a hydraulic lift (not shown) attached to the center  316 ( a ) of the lift mechanism  316 . The lift mechanism  316  also includes a belly blade apparatus mount  316 ( b ) to mount the scissor lift mechanism  316  to the frame  301  of the belly blade apparatus  300 . The scissor lift mechanism  316  operates to raise or lower the height of the belly blade  304  with respect to the ground. The mounting frame also includes a mounting frame support brace  315 . 
     It is contemplated that the belly blade could be further adapted to accommodate an aerator roller attachment, a stripper roller attachment or a left rake attachment. 
     In embodiments of the inventions, the plow shovel may be interchangeable with a mower attachment. Such embodiments have the advantage of using the same zero-turn vehicle for plowing snow and also mowing grass. For example, the plow shovel may be attached to the vehicle during winter months, and the mower attachment may be attached during the remaining months of the year. The mower attachment may have a blade and a blade cover, wherein the gas engine propels the blade. The blade may be mounted inside the blade cover, and the blade cover, in turn, may be mounted to the vehicle&#39;s frame. In some embodiments, one set of bolts may fit both the plow shovel and the mower blade, allowing for easy interchangeability.