Patent ID: 12195935

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the accompanying figures, number1indicates, as a whole, a motorized snowplow vehicle, which is partially shown and is designed to remove snow from a snow-covered road surface2.

The snowplow vehicle1comprises a tractor3, which is partially shown, and a snowplow blade4moved by the tractor3in a direction A. The blade4comprises a known rolling body5and a snow removal cutting edge6, which is firmly connected to a lower portion7of the rolling body5and projects downward in order to remove at least part of the snow present on the road surface2.

Preferably, both the rolling body5and the cutting edge6are made of a metal material or of a polymer material.

The blade4further comprises a motorized assembly8for attaching the rolling body5to the tractor3and for moving the rolling body5relative to the tractor3.

The assembly8comprises an attachment plate9fixed to the tractor3, a mobile plate10coupled, in a known manner, to the rolling body5and an articulated arm12comprising a plurality of arms13hinged to the fixed plate9, on one side, and to the mobile plate10, on the other side.

The assembly8further comprises a hydraulic actuator14, which is controlled by an operator in order to vertically move the rolling body5and the cutting edge7from and to the road surface2between a lowered snow removing operating position, which is shown inFIG.1, and a lifted waiting position, which is shown inFIG.2.

With reference toFIGS.1and2, again, the blade4further comprises a feeding assembly15for feeding a de-icing material onto the residual snow remaining on the road surface2following the passage of the cutting edge6.

The de-icing material can be a granular material or, conveniently, a liquid solution or a liquid, like in the example described herein.

The assembly15comprises one single delivery channel or one or more delivery nozzles16, which are known and not described in detail, only one of them being schematically shown in the accompanying figures. In the example described herein, the delivery nozzles16are arranged inside the cutting edge6. Alternatively, the delivery nozzles16are arranged on the outside of or adjacent to the cutting edge6.

Regardless of the position of the delivery nozzles16, the assembly15comprises a (schematically shown) circuit18for feeding and controlling the de-icing liquid flow delivered by the delivery nozzles16as a function of the position or height of the blade4relative to the road surface2.

The circuit18comprises a monostable shut-off valve20, namely of the on-off type, which is mechanically operated.

With reference toFIGS.1and2, the valve20comprises a valve body21, which is arranged in a position adjacent to the cutting edge6and is preferably, though not necessarily, fixed to the mobile plate10behind the rolling body5and the cutting edge6.

Conveniently, the position of the valve20is chosen so as to be as close as possible to the nozzles16, so as to minimize the quantity of de-icing liquid present between the nozzles16and the valve20.

The valve20has an inlet connected to a de-icing material feeding pipe22and an outlet22A connected to the nozzles16in a direct manner or by means of one or more manifolds (which are not shown herein).

The valve20further comprises a mobile switching member23, which is mechanically connected to a mechanical control device24arranged downstream of the cutting edge6in the forward direction of the blade4. Hereinafter, “mechanical control device” indicates a completely mechanical device without electric position detecting or commanding and controlling parts.

In the example described herein, the device24comprises a stem25, which is guided in a sliding manner an in opposite directions by a straight guide26integral to the fixed plate10, and a feeler27, conveniently of the type having a slide, which is fixed or hinged to the lower end of the stem25.

Preferably, the stem25and the feeler27are pushed towards the road surface2and are arranged in an extracted limit stop position of theirs by an elastic body, conveniently a schematically shown helical spring28, as visible inFIG.2.

Alternatively, the stem25and the feeler27move towards their extracted position only due to their weight when the cutting edge is lifted.

In any case, when it is arranged in its extracted position, the stem25holds the valve20in a closing position of its, in which it prevents the de-icing liquid from flowing towards the nozzles16.

The position and the length of the stem25can be chosen in such a way that, when the cutting edge6is arranged in its lowered snow removing position, the feeler27cooperates, in a sliding manner, with the road surface2or with the residual snow mixed with the de-icing liquid and moves the stem25to a retracted position of its, in which it holds the valve20in an opening position of its, allowing the de-icing liquid to flow towards the nozzles16, as visible inFIG.1.

The operation of the blade4will now be described starting from the condition, shown inFIG.2, in which the rolling body5and the cutting edge6are arranged in their lifted position and in which the feeler27is spaced apart from the road surface2and is arranged, due to the spring28or to its own weight, in its extracted position, which corresponds to a closing condition of the valve20.

In this condition, the delivery of the de-icing liquid towards the nozzles16is inhibited. Starting from this condition and before moving the blade4in the direction A, the operator of the machine lowers the rolling body5and the cutting edge6towards their lowered snow removing position. Owing to the above, during this lowering, the feeler27meets the road surface2slightly in advance relative to the instant in which the cutting edge6reaches its lowered snow removing position and, due to the thrust of the rolling body5moving downward, the stem25draws back overcoming the action of the spring28, when present, and switching the valve20to an open state so as to start the delivery of the de-icing liquid.

When, for whatever reason, the rolling body5and the cutting edge6lift, hence moving away from the road surface2by a predetermined amount, which exceeds the maximum stroke of the feeler27, the feeler27loses contact with the road surface2and the valve20is switched to its closing position and the delivery of the de-icing liquid is interrupted.

Owing to the above, it is evident that the feeding assembly15described herein limits the quantity of de-icing liquid to the essential, since it continuously detects the position or the height of the cutting blade6relative to the road surface2and interrupts the delivery when the distance of the cutting edge6from the road surface2exceeds a predetermined threshold value, beyond which delivering the de-icing liquid is useless. In other words, the feeding assembly15operates in a continuous manner and as a function of the height position of the cutting edge6.

Therefore, the feeding assembly15evidently controls the delivery of the de-icing material in a completely autonomous manner, with no intervention of the operator of the machine and with no need for any electronic control.

The use of a common ON/OFF valve and the mechanical control of said valve by means of a simple feeler make the feeding assembly15easy to be manufactured, not expensive and extremely efficient and reliable, regardless of the environmental or climatic conditions in which the machine operates.

In the variant shown inFIGS.3and4, the valve body21and the guide26are fixed to the fixed plate9and the feeler27is arranged so as to strike against one of the arms13. Contrary to the solution described above, in this variant the valve20is configured to be closed when the stem25is arranged in the retracted position and to be open when the stem25is pushed by the spring26to its extracted position. In this variant as well, the stroke of the feeler27is such that it switches the valve20an opening state immediately before the cutting edge6reaches its lowered snow removing position and to a closing state when the cutting edge6is arranged at a height from the road surface that is greater than the expected removal height. In this variant as well, therefore, the feeler27detects, always in a continuous manner, the height position of the cutting edge6and the stem25causes the valve20to close when the arm13rotates in a clockwise direction inFIGS.3and4.

Owing to the above, it is evident that blade4described herein can be subjected to changes and variants, without for this reason going beyond the scope of protection set forth in the claims.

In particular, the valve20could be arranged in a position other than the one indicated above and the feeler27could be manufactured in a different manner from the one described herein by way of example and be coupled to the mobile switching member23of the valve20in a different manner, for example by means of hinges, levers or other transmission or deflection elements.

Finally, the feeler could cooperate with other mobile elements of the blade4or with other mobile elements of the motorized attachment assembly8, which, in turn, could be different from the one indicated herein by way of example. For example, the feeler27could cooperate with mobile members carried or moved by the hydraulic actuator14or the feeler27could cooperate with the output rod of the hydraulic actuator14.