Patent ID: 6860041

Claim:
A snow removal machine comprising: left and right auger shafts mounted to undergo rotation about respective rotational axes thereof, the auger shafts extending horizontally from a transverse center of the snow removal machine in respective leftward and rightward directions; a left auger having an outer helical auger blade, an intermediate helical auger blade and an inner helical auger blade mounted on the left auger shaft for rotation therewith and extending sequentially from an end of the left auger shaft toward the transverse center of the snow removal machine for collecting snow toward the transverse center of the snow removal machine, the outer helical auger blade and the inner helical auger blade being disposed along a common first helical path and spaced-apart from one another along the rotational axis of the left auger shaft, and the intermediate helical auger blade being disposed along a second helical oath angularly shifted substantially 180 degrees with respect to the first helical path; and a right auger having an outer helical auger blade, an intermediate helical auger blade and an inner helical auger blade mounted on the right auger shaft for rotation therewith and extending sequentially from an end of the right auger shaft toward the transverse center of the snow removal machine for collecting snow toward the transverse center of the snow removal machine, the outer helical auger blade and the inner helical auger blade of the right auger being disposed along a common first helical path and spaced-apart from one another along the rotational axis of the right auger shaft, and the intermediate helical auger blade of the right auger being disposed along a second helical path angularly shifted substantially 180 degrees with respect to the first helical path of the outer and inner helical auger blades of the right auger.