Patent ID: 8793907

Claim:
A snowplow blade articulator assembly comprising: a mounting frame for attaching a snowplow blade to a vehicle chassis; a hydraulic pump attached to the mounting frame; a hydraulic reservoir attached to the mounting frame, the hydraulic reservoir supplying hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic pump; an articulating assembly attached to the mounting frame for moving the snowplow blade when the snowplow blade is attached to the mounting frame, the articulating assembly being fluidly connected to the hydraulic pump, the articulating assembly including a lift cylinder and a hydraulic manifold; wherein the hydraulic manifold includes a downforce circuit that fluidly isolates the lift cylinder from the hydraulic pump when a first control valve is closed and the downforce circuit fluidly connects a lift chamber of the lift cylinder with a lower chamber of the lift cylinder to maintain equal hydraulic pressure in the lift chamber and in the lower chamber.