Patent Abstract:
A blade is provided having runners on the blade that extend forward of the blade&#39;s leading edge. These runners traverse surface irregularities allowing the blade to avoid colliding with surface irregularities.

Full Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to blades for removing material (e.g., snow, dirt, ash) from surfaces. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Traditional shoveling of material or debris involves lifting and throwing material, pushing or some combination of pushing and throwing using a shovel or other apparatus. The following patent(s) disclose various shovels (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,906,060; 1,206,235; 1,232,361; 2,460,560; 2,598,952, 2,772,490; 2,846,785; 2,852,872; 2,484,409 and 5,271,169). Material is removed from surfaces by sliding the blade across the surface, collecting the material on the blade and then moving the material to a desired location and tilting or lifting the blade to remove the material from the blade. Existing shovels or blades sometimes lose all forward momentum when encountering surface irregularities. This results in lost efficiency and requires increased effort and time by the operator. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to the first embodiment of the invention comprising a blade is provided. The blade may include a handle, an elongated member, and a blade body. The elongated member may have a first end and a second end spaced apart from the first end. The handle may be configured to receive the first end of the elongated member. The blade body may be configured to receive the second end of the elongated member. The blade body may include a first surface, a second surface, a first side, a second side, a first edge, a second edge, and a first runner. The second surface may be disposed opposite the first surface. The first side may have a first profile and the second side may have a second profile, with the second side disposed opposite and substantially parallel to the first side. The first edge may extend between the first side and the second side. The second edge may be spaced apart from the first edge and may extend between the first side and the second side. The first runner may be attached to the first side, the first runner having a first runner profile at least partially defined by the first profile and the first runner extending beyond the second edge. 
     The blade may have a second runner attached to the second side, the second runner having a second runner profile at least partially defined by the second profile and the second runner extending beyond the second edge, the second runner disposed substantially parallel to the first runner. The blade may have a blade body profile for a blade body runner attached to the blade body, the blade body runner having a blade body runner profile at least partially defined by the blade body profile and the blade body runner extending beyond the second edge, the blade body runner disposed substantially parallel to the first runner. 
     The first runner profile may have an arcuate profile that substantially matches the first profile, a portion of the first runner may not be in plane with the second surface, and a portion of the first runner may not be in plane with the second edge. The second runner profile may have an arcuate profile that substantially matches the second profile, a portion of the second runner may not be in plane with the second surface, and a portion of the second runner may not be in plane with the second edge. The blade body runner profile may have an arcuate profile that substantially matches the blade body profile, a portion of the blade body runner may not be in plane with the second surface, and a portion of the blade body runner may not be in plane with the second edge. 
     According to the second embodiment of the invention comprising a blade body is provided. The blade body may include a first surface, a second surface, a first side, a second side, an edge, and a first runner. The second surface may be disposed opposite the first surface. The first side may have a first profile and the second side may have a second profile, with the second side disposed opposite and substantially parallel to the first side. The first surface and second surface may define an edge extending between the first side and the second side. The first surface and second surface may define a blade body profile. The first runner may be attached to the first side, the first runner having a first runner profile at least partially defined by the first profile and the first runner extending beyond the edge. 
     The blade body may have a second runner attached to the second side, the second runner having a second runner profile at least partially defined by the second profile and the second runner extending beyond the second edge, the second runner disposed substantially parallel to the first runner. The blade body may have a blade body runner attached to the blade body, the blade body runner having a blade body runner profile at least partially defined by the blade body profile and the blade body runner extending beyond the edge, the blade body runner disposed substantially parallel to the first runner. 
     The first runner profile may have an arcuate profile that substantially matches the first profile, a portion of the first runner may not be in plane with the second surface, and a portion of the first runner may not be in plane with the edge. The second runner profile may have an arcuate profile that substantially matches the second profile, a portion of the second runner may not be in plane with the second surface, and a portion of the second runner may not be in plane with the edge. The blade body runner profile may have an arcuate profile that substantially matches the blade body profile, a portion of the blade body runner may not be in plane with the second surface, and a portion of the blade body runner may not be in plane with the edge. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of elements of the blade. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of elements of the blade with runners. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of elements of the blade with runners. 
         FIG. 3A  is a cross-section of elements of the blade with runners. 
         FIG. 3B  is a side view of elements of the blade with runners. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the blade with integral runners. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of elements of the blade with the embodiment of attached runners. 
         FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of an existing blade with the embodiment of attached runners. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
     Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like elements are indicated by like numerals, there is shown a blade  102  that may include an elongated member  104 ; a blade body  106 ; a first side  108 ; a first profile  110 ; a second side  112 ; a second profile  114 ; a first edge  116 ; a second edge  118 ; a first runner  202 ; a first runner profile  204 ; a second runner  206 ; and a second runner profile  208 .  FIG. 400  depicts an embodiment of the invention. See  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 3A, 3B, and 4 . 
     The elongated member  104  may have a first end  124  and a second end  126  spaced apart from the first end  124  and an elongated body extending therebetween. The second end  126  of the elongated member  104  receives the blade body  106 . 
     The blade body  106  has a first side  108  that follows the first profile  110  of the blade  102 . The first profile  110  may be defined by a substantially continuous section having a constant radius of curvature. In at least one embodiment, the first profile  110  may be defined by a linear section or a substantially non-continuous section having varying radii of curvature such that it is not piecewise continuous. 
     The blade body  106  has a second side  112  that follows the second profile  114  of the blade  102 . The second profile  114  may be defined by a substantially continuous section having a constant radius of curvature. In at least one embodiment, the second profile  114  may be defined by a linear section or a substantially non-continuous section having varying radii of curvature such that it is not piecewise continuous. 
     The first runner  202  may abut the first side  108 . The first runner  202  and the first side  108  may be substantially aligned with the first runner profile  204  substantially following the first profile  110 . Traditionally, the first surface  120  is the concave surface of the blade body  106  whereas the second surface  122  is the convex surface of the blade body  106 . 
     The first profile  110  and the first runner profile  204  may substantially follow the second surface  122  or in some embodiments, the first profile  110  is vertically offset from the first runner profile  204 . The offset between the first profile  110  and the first runner profile  204  also offsets the first runner  202  from the first surface  120  and/or the second surface  122  reducing the contact between the blade body  106  and the surface being shoveled. 
     The second runner  206  may abut the second side  112 . The second runner  206  and the second side  112  may substantially aligned with the second runner profile  208  substantially following the second profile  114 . 
     The second profile  114  and the second runner profile  208  may substantially follow the second surface  122  or in some embodiments, the second profile  114  is vertically offset from the second runner profile  208 . The offset between the second profile  114  and the second runner profile  208  also offsets the second runner  206  from the first surface  120  and/or the second surface  122  reducing the contact between the blade body  106  and the surface being shoveled. 
     The blade body profile  302  is substantially defined by the second surface  122 . The blade body runner profile  304  may substantially follow the blade body profile  302 . The blade body runner  306  may be substantially aligned with the blade body runner profile  304 . 
     The blade body profile  302  and the blade body runner profile  304  may substantially follow the second surface  122  or in some embodiments the blade body profile  302  is vertically offset from the blade body runner profile  304 . The offset between the blade body profile  302  and the blade body runner profile  304  also offsets the blade body runner  306  from the first surface  120  and/or the second surface  122  reducing the contact between the blade body  106  and the surface being shoveled. 
     The first surface  120  and the second surface  122  define the first edge  116 , wherein the first edge  116  extends between the first side  108  and the second side  112 . The first surface  120  and the second surface  122  define the second edge  118 , wherein the second edge  118  extends between the first side  108  and the second side  112 . The first edge  116  and the second edge  118  are spaced apart and disposed opposite one another. Traditionally, the first edge  116  is closest to the handle or the “trailing edge” and the second edge  118  is the “scraping” or “leading” edge of the blade body, which contacts the material first and the surface where the material resides. 
     The first runner  202  extends ahead of the direction of scraping of the second edge  118 . When a surface irregularity is encountered the first runner  202  traverses the surface irregularity reducing or avoiding impact with the second edge  118 . 
     The second runner  206  extends ahead of the direction of scraping of the second edge  118 . When a surface irregularity is encountered second runner  206  traverses the surface irregularity reducing or avoiding impact with the second edge  118 . 
     The blade body runner  306  extends ahead of the direction of scraping of the second edge  118 . When a surface irregularity is encountered blade body runner  306  traverses the surface irregularity reducing or avoiding impact with the second edge  118 . 
     The extension of the runners (first runner  202 , second runner  206 , and/or blade body runner  306 ) beyond the second edge  118  allows the blade body  106  to traverse surface irregularities when clearing material from irregular surfaces, while allowing the second edge  118  to maintain contact with the surface being cleared. 
     When a surface irregularity is encountered by at least one the runners (first runner  202 , second runner  206 , and/or blade body runner  306 ) the runners slide up the raised surface allowing the second edge  118  (the “scraping edge”) to easily transition to the new surface. The second edge  118  on a blade with runners contacts raised surfaces for a shorter duration of time than the second edge  118  on a blade without runners. 
     Without the runners (first runner  202 , second runner  206 , and/or blade body runner  306 ) extending beyond the second edge  118 , the second edge  118  would impact the irregularity, hampering the movement of the blade body  106 . The user would be required to lift and reposition the blade on the new surface and reinitiate momentum. The irregularity may also be a gap between resilient surfaces (metal, concrete, etc.) whereby the second edge  118  falls into the gap, hampering momentum when the second edge  118  contacts the other resilient surface. With the extension of the runners (first runner  202 , second runner  206 , and/or blade body runner  306 ) beyond the second edge  118 , the second edge  118  will not fall into the gap because the runners (first runner  202 , second runner  206 , and/or blade body runner  306 ) will “traverse” the gap between resilient surfaces without a hampering of the momentum of blade body  106 . 
     The vertical offset of the runners (first runner  202 , second runner  206 , and/or blade body runner  306 ) from the first surface  120  and/or the second surface  122 , and the extension of the runners (first runner  202 , second runner  206 , and/or blade body runner  306 ) beyond the second edge  118  may allow the blade body  106  to traverse surface irregularities when clearing material from irregular surfaces and keep the second edge  118  in contact with the surface when clearing material from flat surfaces. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the first embodiment  402 , the components may be integrally formed to the blade body. The integrally formed components for this embodiment may be: the blade body  106 ; the first side  108 ; the first profile  110 ; the second side  112 ; the second profile  114 ; the first edge  116 ; the second edge  118 ; first surface  120 ; the second surface  122 ; the first runner  202 ; the first runner profile  204 ; the second runner  206 ; the second runner profile  208 ; the blade body profile  302 ; the blade body runner profile  304 ; and the blade body runner  306 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 5A , the second embodiment  502  the components may be added to an existing blade body. The components to be added on to an existing blade may be: the first runner  202 ; the first runner profile  204 ; the second runner  206 ; the second runner profile  208 ; the blade body runner profile  304 ; and the blade body runner  306 . In the second embodiment the edge  504  is the second edge  118  “scraping edge” of the first embodiment. 
     While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0