Patent Publication Number: US-6209235-B1

Title: Snow blocker attachment for a device used to move snow

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a snow blocker attachment for a device used to move snow for substantially preventing snow from spilling out from one of the sides of the snow moving device. 
     Skid loaders and front end loaders have buckets which have equal and opposite side walls and which are generally used to pick up and carry objects and which have also been used to move snow on roads, driveways, and parking lots. Snow which is gathered on parking surfaces or on sidewalks or driveways is best moved by pushing the snow to one end thereof. Unfortunately, when a user uses a skid loader, front end loader or even a scoop or shovel, the bucket or shovel has a limited capacity to hold the snow, and as the user pushes the snow with the bucket or scoop, the snow spills around both sides of the bucket or scoop making the process of moving the snow more time consuming because the user has to go over the snow which spilled around the sides. None of the prior art actually solves this problem. 
     One known prior art is a PLOW WITH ARTICULATING BLADE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,728, issued on Jun. 2, 1998 and invented by Edward J. Ragule and comprising a gate member that is hinged to the main blade, a drive means for moving the first gate member, a second gate member mounted to the main blade, and a linking means for moving the second gate member relative to the first gate member. 
     Another known prior art is a SNOW RETAINING GATE FOR FRONT END DIAGONAL PLOW, U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,519, issued on Oct. 29, 1968 and invented by A. D. Batko and comprising a gate, means for pivotally mounting the gate to the blade, and a power means for moving the gate between an operative position and an inoperative position. 
     Another known prior art is a SNOW WING GATE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,139, issued on Mar. 7, 1978 and invented by Leroy W. Fagervold et al and comprising a frame, bracket means mounted on the frame for securing the frame to the plow blade, a gate member pivotally mounted to the frame, and actuating means for pivoting the gate member. 
     None of the prior art describes a snow blocking attachment of the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a snow blocker attachment for a device used to move snow comprising a snow blocking means rotatably mounted upon a mounting means which is securely attached to one side of the snow moving device. The snow blocking means includes a wall having a hole therethrough and being removably balanced upon a hub member which is securely attached to a bracket member which is securely fastened to the snow moving device. Another embodiment includes three plate-like members, two of which are securely attached to one side of the snow moving device and the third of which is securely attached along a top of the snow moving device. 
     One objective of the present invention is to provide a snow blocker attachment for a device used to move snow which substantially reduces the amount of time needed to clear a surface with snow on it. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a snow blocker attachment for a device used to move snow which can be easily and quickly mounted to the snow moving device without having to attach hoses and other power means as found in the prior art. 
     Yet, another objective of the present invention is to provide a snow blocker attachment for a device used to move snow which can be effectively used when the snow moving device is moving either forward or backward. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of the snow blocker attachment mounted to a bucket of a loader used to move snow. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the snow blocker attachment mounted to a bucket of loader used to move snow while backing up. 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the snow blocker attachment. 
     FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of a second embodiment of the snow blocker attachment mounted to a snow shovel. 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the second embodiment of the snow blocker attachment. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings in FIGS. 1-5, in particular, a snow blocker attachment for a device used to move snow comprises a snow blocking means which includes a wall member being generally rectangular, having a bottom edge, a front portion and a rear portion and having a hole  16 D centrally disposed therethrough near the bottom edge  16 A thereof, and which further includes a tubular frame  16  which is securely attached or welded along the perimeter and on one side of the wall member  15  to stabilize and strengthen the wall member  15 . Further, the snow blocking means includes a wall support means comprising at least one brace member  16 E which is fixedly and conventionally attached about the hole  16 D and to the wall member  15  and to a portion of the frame  16  and forming an opening  16 E 1  therethrough, which is in alignment with and has a dimension generally that of the hole  16 D through the wall member  15  for strengthening the wall member  15  when it is mounted to the snow moving device  25 . The means used to mount the snow blocking means to the snow moving device  25  includes an angular mounting bracket  20  which is securely and conventionally attached along a side and bottom and near the front end of the bucket of the snow moving device  20 , and further includes a hub member  21  which is essentially a cylindrical structure having a threaded bore  21 A extending in one end thereof and capable of being rotatably received through the opening  16 E 1  and the hole  16 D in the wall member  15 , with the other end of the hub member  21  being securely attached to the bracket member  20  near the front end of the bucket, and also includes a stop member  22  which extends outwardly of the bracket member  20  and is in contactable relationship to the frame  16  when the snow blocking means is mounted to the snow moving device  25 . 
     In use, the snow blocking means is rotatably mounted upon the hub member  21  which extends through the opening  16 E 1  and the hole  16 D in the wall member  15 , and is secured upon the hub member  21  with a conventional fastener (not shown) which includes a washer and a bolt which is threaded into the bore  21 A of the hub member  21 . The snow blocking means is essentially balanced upon the hub member  21  such that when the bucket  25  is lifted off the surface of the ground and tilted, the snow blocking means will not flip over either forwardly or rearwardly but will generally retain its position relative to the ground with the bottom edge  16 A of the wall member  15  facing the ground. The location of the hole  16 D through the wall member  15  is important for balancing the snow blocking means upon the hub member  21 . When the snow blocking means is mounted upon the hub member  21 , the snow blocking means is disposed vertically and is generally perpendicular to the bottom surface of the bucket  25  with a front portion  16 B of the snow blocking means extending outwardly and forwardly of the front end of the bucket  25  so that as snow is being pushed, the snow blocking means will prevent the snow from spilling over the side where the snow blocking means is mounted and will force the snow to spill over the other side of the bucket  25 . Unlike any of the prior art, the snow blocking attachment is also useful when the snow moving device is moving in a reverse direction and with the bucket  25  being tilted up on end with the bottom surface of the bucket  25  being vertically disposed relative to the ground as shown in FIG.  2 . When the bucket  25  is tilted up on end, the snow blocking means rotates relative to the bucket  25  and maintains its position but with a rear portion  16 C of the snow blocking means now extending outwardly and rearwardly from the bucket  25  such that as the snow moving device is used to move snow in a reverse direction, the snow blocking means will also prevent snow from spilling over on the side where the snow blocking means is mounted. 
     In a second embodiment, the snow blocking attachment is securely attached to a snow moving device such as a snow shovel  25  and includes a first plate-like member  15 A being securely attached along and extending outwardly from one side of the snow moving surface  25 A or blade of the shovel, and further includes a second plate-like member  15 B which has an and pivotally attached on the same side as the first plate-like member  15 A and which partially overlaps a front portion of the first plate-like member  15 A and extends forwardly and perpendicularly of the snow moving surface  25 A of the shovel  25  and which is generally parallel to and in alignment with the first plate-like member  15 A, and also includes a third plate-like member  15 C which is angled laterally and is securely and conventionally attached along the top of the snow moving surface  25 A of the snow moving device  25  and generally extends outwardly and perpendicularly of the snow moving surface  25 A to essentially prevent snow from spilling over the top of the shovel  25  as the snow is being moved by the shovel  25 . The means used to mount the first plate-like member  15 A and the second plate-like member  15 B to the snow moving device  25  includes a plurality of tab members  20 A-C which are spaced apart and are integrally attached to and extends outwardly from a bottom edge of the first plate-like member  15 A and are conventionally attached along one side of the snow moving surface  25 A of the snow moving device  25 , and also includes a bracket member  20 D which is securely and conventionally attached near a front corner of the snow moving surface  25 A. The second plate-like member  15 B has a hole  15 B 1  near a back end thereof and is pivotally mounted to the bracket member  20 D with a threaded fastener  20 D 1  which is inserted through the hole  15 B 1  in the second plate-like member  15 B and threaded into the bracket member  20 D. 
     In use, the front portion of the second plate-like member  15 B is in contactabable relationship with the ground as it rides upon the ground while the snow moving device  25  is moved across the ground. Instead of the snow spilling over both sides of the snow shovel  25 , the snow blocking means substantially prevents the snow from spilling over on the side and top to which the plate-like members  15 A-C are attached and force the snow to spill over on the other side of the shovel  25 . The snow blocking attachment for both embodiments virtually eliminates the number of passes needed over the ground surface to substantially remove the snow therefrom. 
     Various changes and departures may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited to that specifically described in the specification or as illustrated in the drawings but only as set forth in the claims.