Abstract:
A manually operated snow removal device designed for generally flat surfaces such as roofs includes a box-shaped device having a scalloped or undulating front and rear edge to cut through the snow; a leading bottom edge which protrudes from the box-shaped device to prevent the device from falling off roofs and a load belt made of a length of HPDE material for transporting the snow loaded on the load belt. A telescopic pole attaches to the device and allows the operator to remove approximately 10 square feet of snow and subsequently moved that snow to a desired location on the roof. The operator than moves the device such that the load belt folds over the edge of the roof dumping the snow in a desired location.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/211,166 entitled “Manually Operated Snow Removal Device For Roofs And Other Generally Flat Areas” filed on Aug. 28, 2015 which is incorporated fully herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to manually operated snow removal devices and more particularly, relates to a manually operated snow removal device which allows the operator to load and transport large amounts of snow from generally flat areas to an edge of the area being cleaned of snow for dumping. 
       BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
       [0003]    Snowfall is an annual occurrence in much of the United States and the rest of the world. Although accumulated snow is more readily disposed of on roadways, driveways, walks and the like, the unwanted accumulation of snow on commercial, industrial and municipal flat roof buildings and other flat structures often becomes a serious problem in northern climates. The weight of accumulated snow and stress on building roofs can and often does result in costly damage to structural roof members and precipitates the need for costly roof repairs. If left unattended, accumulated snowfall on building roofs can and often does lead to roof collapse along with an obvious significant safety risk. In addition, snow accumulation on commercial, industrial and municipal flat roofs that frequently have major public activity around the perimeter of such buildings is dangerous because of the risk of falling snow and ice. 
         [0004]    Removing accumulated snow on a large flat roof buildings is labor-intensive, time consuming, costly and dangerous. Removing snow from the center of a large flat roof is especially difficult and challenging given the distance that the snow must be transported to get it off the roof. 
         [0005]    Various attempts or removing snow accumulation from flat building roofs have been tried. One approach involves heating hoses around the roof surface and moving them around periodically in order to melt the snow in the hopes of draining the melted snow down roof drains. Although sometimes effective, this process is costly and requires much mechanical equipment and physical effort and in some instances can create more complications from mechanical failure, the clogging of drains, or the freezing of water on the roof like a lake. 
         [0006]    Another approach involves the use of snow shovels for shoveling, pushing, carrying and throwing the snow off the roof. This approach requires many shovels and many users to exert tremendous effort, time and energy to remove the snow and throw it or push it from the roof edge. This is dangerous to the worker on the roof in terms of falling or sliding off the roof as well as dangerous to those passersby underneath who might be hit from falling snow. 
         [0007]    A still further approach involves the use of a snow blower to blow the snow off the roof. A snow blower includes a gas or electric motor to gather and throw the snow off the roof. A drawback exists with this method also in that snow blowers are typically heavy and difficult to get to the roof or most importantly, the snow blower only throws the snow a maximum distance which is a challenge when trying to remove snow from the middle of a large roof. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, what is needed is a hand powered safe, easy to operate snow removal device which is less time-consuming to use to clear a large area and requires less physical energy to remove significant quantities of snow from generally flat roof and other surfaces. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The invention features a manually operated snow removal device, for removing snow from a generally flat surface. The manually operated snow removal device comprises a generally box-shaped device having a top portion, a bottom portion and left and right side portions. The generally box-shaped device includes a leading edge and a trailing edge. At least the leading edge of one or both of the left and right side portions includes a scalloped or undulating shape configured to cut through snow. 
         [0010]    A no drop leading edge portion is attached to the bottom portion and protrudes beyond the left and right side portions on the leading edge of the generally box-shaped device. The device further includes a flexible, plastic load belt, coupled to a trailing edge of the bottom portion of the generally box-shaped device. The load belt is configured to move or transport the snow by the manually operated snow removal device once loaded onto the load belt. 
         [0011]    In one embodiment, the no drop leading edge includes a plurality of roof guards, configured for spacing the generally box-shaped device away from a surface of a roof being cleaned of snow. In another embodiment, the device may further include a snow lock tab, coupled to the top portion of the box shaped device and extending beyond the trailing edge of the box shaped device. The snow lock tab preferably protrudes downward at an angle of between 15° and 40° from the top portion of the box shaped device. 
         [0012]    In yet a further embodiment, the top portion of the device may further include an upwardly turned leading edge portion protruding upward from the top portion at between a 50° and 75° angle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the drawings wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the manually operated snow removal device according to the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded view of the manually operated snow removal device of the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective side view of the manually operated snow removal device according to the present invention prior to use; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a side perspective view of the manually operated snow removal device of the present invention with the load belt partially deployed; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a side perspective view of the manually operated snow removal device of the present invention ready to be deployed and used; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a side perspective view of the manually operated snow removal device of the present invention being inserted into snow on a flat surface; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a user having fully loaded the load belt with snow in the process of moving or transporting the snow to a roof edge; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a close-up side perspective view of the fully loaded manually operated snow removal device of  FIG. 7 ; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a side perspective view of the snow loaded manually operated snow removal device wherein the snow is being discharged from the edge of a flat roof. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]    The present invention features a manually operated snow removal device  10 ,  FIG. 1 , including side portions  12  and  14 , bottom portion  16  and top portion  18 . The manually operated snow removal device  10  is preferably made from a single piece of high grade aluminum of not less than 0.080 inches thick to provide for the required strength and structural integrity. In the first preferred embodiment, the body is cut from a single piece of high grade aluminum 52 inches long and 7 inches wide at the widest point  20  and 4 inches wide at the narrowest point  22 , giving the front  24  and rear  26  edges of body the wavy “scalloped” shape necessary which serves to cut through hard and/or crusted snow. 
         [0024]    By forming 3 90° bends in the single piece of material, a box-shaped body portion measuring 16 inches wide by 10 inches tall may be formed. The  2  ends are brought together and welded, while the body may be drilled for parts and hardware as will be explained below. Although the present invention will be described in a first embodiment in terms of predetermined measurements, this is not a limitation of the present invention as the body or box portion may be made wider and/or taller. In addition, the side portions  12  and  14  may be made adjustable instead of a fixed size such that they can be made taller if the snow conditions will allow for dealing with a greater “depth” of snow. 
         [0025]    The bottom portion  16  is formed as part of and integral with the body portion and serves as a no-drop leading edge. A portion of the no-drop leading edge (that portion indicated generally by section  28 ) protrudes approximately 1½ inches to 4 or 5 inches from the body portion and allows the manually operated snow removal device  10  of the invention to be inserted into snow along the edge of the roof while providing a support lip for the device to rest on the roof without fear that it will fall off the roof. 
         [0026]    The device  10  according to the present invention also includes a snow lock tab  30  which, in one embodiment, may be made from 0.040 inch-thick HDPE plastic measuring approximately 3 inches wide by 16¼ inches long and is attached to and extends from the upper rear edge  32  of the device  10 . The snow lock tab  30  includes a 1½ inch downward protruding flap portion  34  angled downward at approximately 20°. The snow lock tab  30  serves to hold the snow within the body (sides, bottom and top) of the device  10  and the loading belt  38  when pushing the device  10  back for transport and unloading, as will be explained in greater detail below. The load belt  30  is attached to the rear portion of the device  10  and is a 15¾ inch wide by 96 inch long semi-rigid HDPE plastic sheet that is attached using bolts or rivets through the load belt  30  and the bottom portion of the device  10 . The load belt  30  is shaped and naturally formed into a retractable coil shape which will self-store inside the sides  12  and  14  of the device  10  when not in use, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The load belt is configured to move or transport the snow by the manually operated snow removal device once the snow is loaded onto the load belt. The load belt  38  preferably includes an upward angled end portion  42 ,  FIG. 8 , which has a 70°, 4 inch upward bend, which serves to hold the snow on the load belt  38  when transporting the snow to the edge of the roof for discharge, thereby preventing unintentional discharge of snow during loading and transport. The coiled retractable load belt  38  will flatten and roll out as snow enters the body of the device  10  from the front end  42 . 
         [0027]    The device  10  also includes a top support plate  40  including a forward oriented angled portion pointing up at a 70° angle and spanning the distance between the vertical sides  12  and  14 . This portion serves to provide additional strength and stability to the handle (via a handle rod which extends through a hole in this upward shaped portion); regulates the bite depth of the manually operated device  10 ; prevents overloading of the device and allows smooth frictionless operation by preventing snow buildup in front of the handle. 
         [0028]    The device  10  according to the present invention also includes a handle support rod portion  50 ,  FIG. 2 , which is preferably made from approximately 1 3/16 inch thick walled aluminum pipe 8½ inches long having two 1 inch wide by ¼ inch deep flat notches  52  and  54  on the bottom of the handle rod  54  to provide proper alignment and placement on top of support plate&#39;s  56  and  58  respectively. The handle rod  50  is inserted through the hole  60  in top plate  40  and then bolted to the top of the body frame using appropriately sized bolts or nuts. I-bolt  62  may additionally be provided for hanging the device  10  for storage during the off-season. The no-drop leading edge  42  may also include a plurality of roof guard elements  64  which serve to keep the bottom of the device  10  spaced up and away from the surface of the roof to prevent damaging the roof and also to maintain a thin layer of snow to assist in moving the device around the roof once it is fully loaded with snow. The roof guard elements  64  may consist of a number of rubber or plastic coated stainless steel acorn nuts or any other kind of “feet” or elements which might serve to keep the leading edge  42  and the entire device  10  generally spaced up and away from the roof surface by a small amount. 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the device  10  will naturally retain a stored state ready for use with the loading belt  38  coiled within the side portions  12  and  14  of the device  10 . In addition, a telescopic handle  70  is provided. The handle is preferably made from a nonconductive fiber glass tubing in order to prevent electrical shock from buried or non-buried electrical hazards. The handle  70  is attached to the handle rod  50  utilizing one or more bolts or pins  72 . The handle  70  may be adjustable any length from between approximately 8 feet up to 16 feet as necessary for easy and safe operation. In addition, pin  72  may also provide an eyebolt to which a tether may be secured between the operator and the device  10  to prevent the device from falling off a roof. 
         [0030]    In operation, the device  10  is brought to the edge  76 ,  FIG. 6 , of a roof  78  and pulled through the snow  80  in the direction of arrow  82  until the load belt  38  is loaded with snow  80 ,  FIGS. 7 and 8 . The operator than moves the entire device  10  including the snow  80  contained on the load belt towards the edge of the roof  76 ,  FIG. 9  and as the load belt  38  drapes or folds over the edge  76  of the roof  78 , the snow  80  falls off the load belt  38  onto the ground below. In this manner, snow loaded onto the load belt  38  can be transported wherever on the roof the user desires and thereby the user can control exactly where the snow is dumped from the roof irrespective of where it was removed from. The snow can be dumped in a convenient area on the ground that allows for safe dumping and removal of the snow. 
         [0031]    Accordingly, the present invention provides a manually operated snow removal, carrying and dumping device which allows an operator to easily, quickly and a large volume of snow (approximately 10 ft. 2 ) and hundreds of pounds of weight to be quickly and easily removed and transported any distance across the roof to a safe and favorable drop area for unloading over the roof edge. Using repeated back and forth movements, an operator this capable of clearing and area measuring 1000 ft. 2  of snow per hour with minimal effort whether the snow was light, fluffy, packed, drifted, heavy, wet or even ice encrusted. 
         [0032]    Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention, which is not to be limited except by the allowed claims and their legal equivalents.