Patent ID: 8006413

Claim:
A snowplow assembly comprising: a support member having a first end operatively attached to a vehicle; a mount member comprising: a plow blade side operatively connected to a plow blade having a snow engaging surface for use in plowing snow; a support side pivotally connected to the support member, wherein the mount member pivots about a substantially vertical axis with respect to the support member; a first stop member for use in limiting the pivotal motion of the plow blade about the substantially vertical axis in a first direction, the first stop member comprising: (1) a first stop plate having a height and a width with a first ratio of height to width between 0.5 and 5, and (2) a C-shaped portion for positioning the first stop member to contact the first side of the support member, wherein the first stop plate operatively contacts a first side of the support member defining a first contact surface, and wherein the first contact surface extends substantially the entire length from a top portion to a bottom portion of the first side of the support member, and wherein the first stop plate extends above a top portion of the C-shaped portion; a second stop member for limiting the pivotal motion of the plow blade about the substantially vertical axis in a second direction, the second stop member comprising: (1) a second stop plate having a height and a width with a first ratio of height to width between 0.5 and 5, and (2) a C-shaped portion for positioning the first stop member to contact the second side of the support member, wherein the second stop plate operatively contacts a second side of the support member defining a second contact surface, and wherein the second contact surface extends substantially the entire length from a top portion to a bottom portion of the second side of the support member, and wherein the second stop plate extends above a top portion of the C-shaped portion; and, a first actuator for use in pivoting the plow blade about the substantially vertical axis, wherein a first end of the first actuator is pivotally connected to the support member and a second end of the first actuator is pivotally connected to the mount member, and wherein a second ratio of a first distance between the second end of the actuator and the substantially vertical axis and a second distance between the stop member and the substantially vertical axis is between 1.1 and 2.0.