Patent ID: 8827002

Claim:
A non-powered lift mechanism suitable to be used with an associated ATV having: (1) at least a first front wheel with a front wheel/tire height; (2) at least a first back wheel with a back wheel/tire height; (3) at least one of an engine and a motor that provides locomotion for the ATV; (4) a steering device having a contact surface used by an associated operator to steer the ATV; (5) at least one operator seat; (6) at least one of: (a) a front support rack that is positioned in front of the contact surface of the steering device and above the front wheel/tire height; and, (b) a back support rack that is positioned in back of the operator seat and above the back wheel/tire height; and, (7) a snowplow assembly supported to the ATV and including a blade that: (a) has a plow surface that is suitable to contact and plow snow; and, (b) is adjustable between an operational/lowered position a non-operational/raised position; wherein the non-powered lift mechanism comprises: a frame that is mounted to the at least one of the front support rack and the back support rack; an input shaft pivotally mounted to the frame; a handle that is operatively attached to the input shaft and accessible to be adjusted by the operator while sitting on the vehicle operator seat; a cable having a first end operatively connected to the input shaft and a second end operatively connected to the blade; a first link and a second link wherein, (1) the first link has a first end that is pivotally attached to the frame and a second end; and, (2) the second link has a first end that is pivotally attached to the first link and a second end that is pivotally attached to the input shaft, wherein the first end of the cable is attached to the second end of the first link; and, wherein the handle is manually adjustable by the operator to pivot the input shaft to cause the cable to adjust the blade between: (1) the operational/lowered position; and, (2) the nonoperational/raised position.