Abstract:
The present invention relates to snowplow ( 200 ) systems provided with a shovel ( 105 ) utilized generally for scraping snow ( 106 ). Articulated blades ( 20 ), resembling a hand ( 21 ) having a Y or a H shape, wherein wear knives ( 22 ) are inserted and locked in place between twin blades ( 23 ), by particular means of retention, permitting to increase the longevity of the blades during frequent passages over altered roads. The blades are provided also with a skate ( 129 ) system at an attack corner ( 139 ) preventing the breaking of the blade and allowing the blade to follow the irregularities of the road. The blades are installed lengthwise along the snowplow.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     1. Field of Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates to the field of snowplow with articulated blades, provided with fortified knives inserted and maintained in place into the blades to offer a greater durability during passages over altered roads in frequent uses. This patent proposes a modification to the blade to increase the resistance by providing a complete system of inserted wear knives replacing the known thin carbides and by also offering a device preventing blades from breaking up, by providing a skate mean for the sake of a fluid deflection of snow.  
         [0003]     This invention belongs to the maintenance of the road system particularly the ones using snowplow, and particularly snowplow provided with articulated blades for scraping the snow by means of blades containing fortified wear knives inserted and locked in place by particular means of retention inside. This patent proposes a modification to the blade to increase the durability and the quality of the snow removal and to diminish the use of salt and sand used for removing ice on roads particularly on altered and damaged roads revealing difficulty in cleaning.  
         [0004]     Furthermore, the invention comprises a modification to a blade by offering a mean of skate gauging the depth of the blade movement permitting the articulated blade to follow the irregularities of altered roads.  
         [0005]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0006]     The present invention is an improvement over an invention from one of the present inventors so being utilized by other articulated snowplow scraper comprising some of the present characteristics: namely an articulated. The prior patent from one of the present inventors refers to the following: 
    CA 2,423,830; Articulated scraper blade system.    
 
         [0008]     Other searches of the prior art revealed the following patents: 
    U.S. Pat. No. 2,282,298; Vogel, 1942     CA 2,242,278; Daniels, 1998     U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,997; Isaacs, 1997     U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,577; Brucher, 1973     FR 2,539,438; Kueper, 1984     U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,797; Mckenzie, 1978    
 
         [0015]     The patents seen do not offer the same particularities as the present invention: wherein an articulated blade system provided with fortified knives and a skate mean increasing the durability and preventing the blade break during frequent passages on altered roads fulfilled with holes.  
       OBJECTIVES  
       [0016]     In use the removal of snow on the road system is effectuated by means of a snowplow provided with at least a shovel comprising a scraper blade and sometimes articulated blades which the invention refers to. The articulated blades can be provided with fortified inserted knives increasing resistance according to their hardness, determined by the material used in their conception. The articulated blades move slightly vertically to adapt to the irregularities of altered roads by means of shock absorbers. The pressure of the snow and the abrasion against the road surface increase correspondently while the snowplow moves and removes the snow. The snow removal depends then on the quality of the material used in the conception, particularly in the blade quality and the assembly of the components. The advantages of the present invention lie in the method of inserting wear knives between two blades, so to lock the knives in place, to prolong the life expectancy and the durability of the blades. These knives being made of a more resistant alloy composition than the blades themselves limit and slow down the wear. The knives endorse the wear, when positioned between blades, touching the ground at the same level as the blades themselves. Furthermore, comparatively to the prior invention a thickened conception of the blades and the knives replacing the prior thin carbide contribute equally to increase a durability of the device. The inserted knives in the blades are maintained in place by means of retention as notches or catches and hems similar to small excrescences and a side retaining plate to prevent the release of the knives from their locked position in the blades and limiting their movement. As well, another important modification intervenes by incorporating means for preventing the breaking up of the blade, by installing skate means at an attack corner being more exposed slightly at the front, during passages over declivities, avoiding the blade digging a the road way and letting slide the blade following irregularities of the same road ways. The articulated blades are moved vertically according to the rolling of the road by means of shock absorbers disposed on each blade and mounted on a shovel by attach means. The sliding of the blades procured by means of a skate preventing the digging of the blades into the road is preferably molded at the attack corner of each blade but could be placed in another location on the blade or could be added to the blade as a separate piece.  
         [0017]     This device is casual but nevertheless not essential and does not limit the invention; the blades provided with fortified knives could be used without the intake of the shock absorbers neither the skate means but only used by itself: the fortified knives inserted into the blades. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     The present invention will be further understood from the following description with reference to the drawings in which:  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the device in action.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2A  is a side view of the blade.  
         [0021]      FIG. 2B  is a side view of the knife.  
         [0022]      FIG. 3A  shows a perspective of the blade.  
         [0023]      FIG. 3B  shows a perspective of the knife.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3C  shows a perspective of the plate.  
         [0025]      FIG. 3D  shows a perspective of the blade support.  
         [0026]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the blade showing the inside.  
         [0027]      FIG. 5  is a view of the prior art showing a snowplow.  
         [0028]      FIG. 6A-6B  are views of the prior art showing a shovel.  
         [0029]      FIG. 7A  is a view of the prior art seen from the back.  
         [0030]      FIG. 7B  is a view of the prior art seen from the front.  
         [0031]      FIG. 8A  is a view of  FIG. 7 .A the rear being in upward position.  
         [0032]      FIG. 8B . is a view of  FIG. 7 .A the rear being in downward position.  
         [0033]      FIG. 9  is an exploded view of the prior art showing the device. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0034]     Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the figures wherein the same numbers identify the same characterizing elements.  
         [0035]      FIG. 1 , shows a snowplow shovel  105  wherein is fixed a shovel plate  104  provided with a front support  107  and with a rear support  109 ; in between is inserted an articulated blade  20  held by an attach  80  fixed to the supports  107 - 109  and to the shovel plate  104 . One sees the blade overhung by a shock absorber  40  permitting a slightly vertical movement, the shock absorber being held by a seat  110 . One sees also the blade resembling a hand  21  having two twin blades  23  and an inclined part  29 . The twin blades integrate a wear knife  22  comprising a rear hem  24  and a front hem  25  fixing the knives into the blade at a front notch  125  of  FIG. 2A  opposite the front hem and at a rear notch  124  of  FIG. 2A  opposite the rear hem; the knife comprises also an excess  29 . The blade comprises a front inferior face  128  and a skate  129  meant to help the following of irregularities of the road while the blade is pushed downward by the shock absorber. The blades and the knives touch the road  108  to remove the snow  106 .  
         [0036]      FIG. 2A  shows a blade  20  comprising a front superior face  126 , an inclined front face  127 , a front inferior face  128 , a skate  129 , a blade top  130 , a rear superior face  131 , an inclined rear face  132 , a rear inferior face  133  and a blade bottom  136 . The blade comprises also an interior  135  serving to insert the wear knife  22  of  FIG. 2B , a front notch  125  and a rear notch  124  retain the wear knife of the following figure.  
         [0037]      FIG. 2B  shows a wear knife  22  comprising a knife front  32 , a knife back  30 , a knife foot  34 , and a knife head  27 , a front hem  25  and a rear hem  24 ; both serving to retain the knives for they are inserted in the two notches of the blade.  
         [0038]      FIG. 2C  shows a shovel plate  104 , a blade spring hand  48 , a maximal ark  50  and a minimal ark  51 .  
         [0039]      FIG. 2D  shows a blade spring  46 .  
         [0040]      FIG. 3A  shows a blade  20  comprising holes  44  permitting the slightly vertical movement of the blade, one sees also a shock absorber axes  42 , the blade interior  135  and the skate  129  on a blade attack corner  139 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 3B  shows a rear knife  22 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 3C  shows a retaining plate  36  meant to lock in place the knife in the blade interior so to seal tight the aperture of the blade interior once the knives are inserted.  
         [0043]      FIG. 3D  shows a front support  107  an a rear support  109  positioned on each side of the blades for maintaining the blades in place against the snowplow plate  104  shown in  FIG. 1 , by attach means  80  and support attach  82 .  
         [0044]      FIG. 4  shows a blade  20  comprising a blade interior  135  and a knife separator  137 .  
         [0045]      FIG. 5  shows a snowplow  200  provided with an articulated blade device  20 .  
         [0046]      FIG. 6A-6B  shows a snowplow shovel  105  and an articulated blade device  20 , provided with a shock absorber  40  and attach means  80 .  
         [0047]      FIG. 7A-7B  shows an articulated blade device  20  provided with a shock absorber  40  and a shock absorber seat  110 , furnished also of holes  44  which pass attaches  80 .  
         [0048]      FIG. 8A-8B  shows in use the vertical movement of the articulated blade  20  in its upward and downward positions, in the upward position the spring being compressed.  
         [0049]      FIG. 9  shows an embodiment comprising the preferred components mentioned above.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0050]     A snowplow shovel  105  provided with at least a blade  20  comprising; at least a hand  21  in U, comprising a blade interior  135  creating twin blades  23 ,  23 ′ and an adapted part  140  to the shovel, at least a wear knife  22  fortified, inserted in the interior blade  135 , means of retention of the knives to the blades  23  in a way so the knives take preferably the wear instead of the blades.  
         [0051]     The blade  20  is articulated and the means of retention comprise; at least means of notching  125 ,  124 , in a hand  21 , the knife comprises means of hem  25 ,  24  meant to insert and lock in place the knife correspondingly to the blade interior.  
         [0052]     The articulated blade may have an attack corner  139  comprising at least a skate  129 .  
         [0053]     A snowplow shovel comprises at least one articulated blade  20  having a hand in U  21  moving along a shock absorber  40  on an inclined part  28  following the irregularities of the road to clean, the shock absorber being either hydraulic, mechanical or pneumatic; the hand in U comprises at least a knife  22  blade comprising support means  107 ,  109 , and means of at least an attach  80  to the snowplow shovel  105  or to snowplow plate ( 104 ) mounted on the snowplow.  
         [0054]     In the articulated blade the blade interior is of at least ¼″ thick and up. The knife is at least of ¼″ thick and up and is inserted into the blade, knife could be of infinite sizes as long as it corresponds to the size of the blade interior. The blade is closed once the knife is inserted by means of a plate. The blade comprises a shock absorber which permits a slight vertical movement, slightly inclined to follow the irregularities of the road to clean.  
         [0055]     The shock absorber may be of various types, hydraulic, mechanical and pneumatic.  
         [0056]     A method to improve the durability of snowplows provided with at least a blade and a wear knife, the method comporting at least the following step:  
         [0057]     Create at least an open interior  135  into a blade opposite a wear knife to let it enter and then lock it in place by retention means, the blade grabbing the knife as a hand.  
         [0058]     A snowplow shovel  105  provided with at least a blade, the blade being provided with a front inferior face  128  disposed beyond a front superior face  126  on which is positioned a front support  107  producing a thickness differential  39  generating snow deflection.  
         [0059]     The blade  20  has a thickness differential  39  of a ¼″ to ½″.  
         [0060]     The blade has an excess  29  of 0 to ¼″.  
         [0061]     In a snowplow shovel  105  a shock absorber  40  is a leaf spring  46  placed longitudinally on an inclined plane  28 , the hand in U comprising oppositely a U adapted to insert a knife, a second U meant to act as a sheath to receive a shovel plate  104 .  
         [0062]     An adapted part  140  has an I shape  141 , support means  109 , 107  being exposed externally to the I. The I may be disposed in continuation along the blades  23 ,  23 ′ defining the hand  21  as an L shape. The adapted part  140  may have a H shape  142 , a shovel plate  104  being inserted into the H shape  142 , the H shape being the result of a reversed U attach to the wear knife  22  and of a straight U attach to the shovel plate  104  superposed to the reversed U.  
         [0063]     It is well accepted that the embodiment of the present invention which was described above, in reference to the matched drawings, was given indicatively and certainly not limitative, and that modifications and adaptations could be brought without moving away from the object of the present invention. Other embodiments are possible and limited only by the scope of the appended claims.  
       LEGEND  
       [0000]    
       
           20 —Articulated blade  
           21 —Hand  
           22 —Wear knife  
           23 —Twins blades  
           24 —Rear hem  
           25 —Front hem  
           27 —Knife head  
           28 —Inclined part  
           29 —Excess  
           30 —Knife back  
           32 —Knife front  
           34 —Knife foot  
           36 —Retaining plate  
           38 —Blade point  
           39 —Thickness differential  
           40 —Shock absorber  
           41 —Compressed spring  
           42 —Shock absorber axis  
           44 —Holes  
           46 —Blades springs  
           48 —Blades springs end  
           50 —Maximum ark  
           51 —Minimum ark  
           80 —Attach  
           82 —Attach support  
           104 &#39;Shovel plate  
           105 —Snowplow shovel  
           106 —Snow  
           107 —Front support  
           108 —Road  
           109 —Rear support  
           110 —Shock absorber seat  
           124 —Rear notch  
           125 —Front notch  
           126 —Front superior face  
           127 —Inclined front face  
           128 —Front inferior face  
           129 —Skate  
           130 —Blade top  
           131 —Rear superior face  
           132 —Inclined rear face  
           133 —Rear inferior face  
           135 —Blade interior  
           136 —Blade bottom  
           137 —Knife separator  
           139 —Blade attack corner  
           140 —Adapted part  
           141 —Straight I  
           142 —Reversed U  
           200 —Snowplow