US2977695A - Snow remover - Google Patents

Description

April 4, 1961 w. w. KESECKER SNOW REMOVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 2, 1958 Woodrow W Kesecker INVENTOR.

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III I i 52 54 April 1961 w. w. KESECKER 2,977,695

SNOW REMOVER Filed April 2, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

Woodrow m Kesecker /4 IN VEN TOR.

SNOW REMOVER Woodrow W. Kesecker, RED. 4, Box 45, Keyser, W. Va.

Filed Apr. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 725,985

7 Claims. 01. 37-53 V This invention comprises a novel and useful snow remover and more particularly relates to a portable device, readily capable of manual operation for effectively removing snow from sidewalks, driveways and the like.

The primary purpose of this invention is to provide a lightweight portable snow plow which shall be of a simple,'lightweight construction especially adapted for manual operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mobile manually operated snow plow which may be readily adjusted by the rearrangement of a simple guide and discharge element for throwing the-snow to either side of the device whereby to remove snow from opposite sides of a walk or driveway while travelling in different directions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a manually operated portable snow plow which shall incorporate therein an inexpensive but highly effective heating means to greatly facilitate the movement of snow over the chute and guide surfaces of the device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a portable manually operated snow plow in accordance with the preceding objects which shall include an adjustment knife blade construction at the inlet end of the chute of the snow plow to enable the device to more effectively remove snow.

And a final important object of the invention to be more specifically enumerated resides in the provision of a heating system which shall be effectively combined in a portable manually operated snow plow whereby heat may be applied to the bottom and guiding side walls of the chute and to the snow deflecting element at the top .of the same to facilitate the passage of snow along thelonger surfaces thereof and prevent clogging of the device by snow packing thereon.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter de-v scribed and claimed,.reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a portable manually operated and heated snow plow incorporating therein the principles of this invention; I

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section .line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing details of the heating assembly and of the internal construction of the device;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3--,3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the rear portion or discharge end of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the apparatus but showing the discharge means reversed for 2,977,695 Patented Apr. 4, 1961 r ce that shown in Figure 1; and I Figure 7 is a perspective view of the reversible discharge baffle forming a part of this invention.

Although the device illustrated in the accompanying.

drawings is of extremely light weight and therefore especiallyadapted to be manually pushed by the user, it will be evident that a suitable source of power may be applied to the device if desired as by the use of power equipment such as garden tractors or the like. 1

Referring first primarily to Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that the snow plow in accordance with this invention includes a portable or mobile body 10 which consists of a bottom wall 12, a pair of side walls 14, a rear end wall. 16 together with a top wall having a forward inclined surface 18 and a substantially horizontal top surface or platform 20. The above described surfaces thus form a hollow box-like body to which a handle assembly 22 of any conventional design is secured. A pair of supporting wheels 24- under the rearward end of the bottom wall 12 of the body serves to impart ready mobility to the device to enable the same to be moved along a pavement, driveway or the like or other surface over which the device is to be passed in order to scrapeor plow snow therefrom. Upon the opposite sides of the inclined portion 18 there are provided'guide rails 26 which thus define with the surface an inclined trap or chute up which snow is adapted to pass. These guide rails are hollow, as will be apparent from Figure 5, and may be V-shaped in cross-section or of any other desired shape. At their upper ends, however, it is preferable that these guide rails shall terminate in socket end portions which are substantially square in cross-section as shown at-28. for a purpose to be subsequently set forth.

At its lower end, as will be best apparent from Figure 2, the inclined surface 18 of the trough or chute is provided with a transversely extending scraper blade or knife edged member 30 which is adapted to scrape the surface over which the device passes and lifts snow from the same onto the chute. The blade 30 is preferably U-shaped, Wlth upstanding leg portions 32 at the opposite sides of the chute, and vertically adjustable extensions 34 are secured to these legs as by fastening bolts 36 extending through apertures 38 in the upstanding legs 32 and through vertically elongated slots 40 in the extensions. The upstanding legs and extensions thus comprise vertical knives which serve to cut the snow to facilitate passage of the latter up the chute upon forward travel of the device.

. Referring now especially to Figures 2 and 4, it will be seen that the rear end Wall 16ofthe body has its upper end extending above the platform 20, and terminates in a horizontal flange 42 which overlies the platform.

A'deflector member designated generally'by the numeral 50 consists of an L-shaped member having a pair of perpendicular disposed legs 52 and 54, each leg being U- shaped in cross-section or comprising a channel member. The outer ends of these legs are closed and are adapted to be selectively received in the previously mentioned extremities 28 of the guide or side rails 26 of the chute or trough member. Either leg is adapted to be disposed over and to receive therein the flange 42 as shown in Figure 2 and in Figure 4, whereby the L-shaped deflector member may be fixedly retained upon the platform 20 in selectively the positions shown in Figure 1 or in Figure 6,

with either a leg 52 or leg 54 received in one'of the mem-' bers 28,'and the other leg extending transversely across the rear end of the platform. The inner surface of this deflector member is smoothly curved from one leg towards the other, as will be readily apparent from Figures 1, 4 and 6.

Discharge means are provided at the upper end of the chute opening laterally from the platform 20 for dis! charging snow lifted by the chute laterally to either side of the device depending upon the manner in which the deflector member 50 is positioned thereon. This discharge means is formed by the space between the extremity 28 and the transverse rearward leg of the deflector member, this being the leg 52 in Figure 1 or 54 in Figure 6. The platform adjacent this opening is provided with a pair of hinged aprons 60 and 62, which aprons may be conveniently cut from the side walls 14 and hinged to.the edge of the platform as at 64. Each apron includes a brace 66 adapted to engage the bottom edge of the opening 68 from which the aprons are cut in the side walls to thereby support the selected apron in raised position as will be apparent from Figure 3.

As will now be readily understood, When the snow plow is moved along a surface such as a sidewalk adjacent one edge thereof, one of the aprons is open corresponding to the discharge opening for which the deflector member is set. When it is desired to run the plow in the reverse direction along the other side of the sidewalk or drive, then the deflector is reversed, and the opposite apron is raised in order that the snow may be deflected to the other side thereof, as Will be apparent from an inspection of Figures 1 and 6.

The present invention also includes a means to facilitate at all times sliding of snow over the inclined trough or chute, the platform 20, past the guide rails 26 and across the deflector 50. For thispurpose, as shown best in Figure 2, there is provided a supporting shelf 70 which may conveniently be carried by the rear wall 16 upon the exterior thereof, for supporting a blow torch 72 of conventional design. This blow torch has its nozzle extending through the opening 74 in the rear wall 16 into the hollow interior of the body. The blow torch serves as a means to heat the entire interior of the body, thus applying heat directly to the inclined surface 18 of the trough or chute, to the platform 20, and as will be apparent from Figure 5, to the interior of the hollow guide rails 26. From the latter, the rising column of heated air or fumes will strike the end of the deflector arms 52 or 54, and thus heat the latter. The deflector arms may also be heated by the platform 20 upon which the deflector rests. This source of heat will melt snow tending to accumulate upon the surfaces past which the snow moves, thereby facilitating easier removal of and discharge of the snow.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A portable manually operated snowplow comprising a hollow body having an inclined chutewith a scraper blade at the forward and lower end thereof, combustion type heating means for heating the interior of said body, a pair of discharge means at the upper end of said chute projecting laterally therefrom beyond the sides of said body, a deflector reversibly mounted on said body and directing snow moving up saidchute selectively to one of said discharge means, a pair of flue openings formed in opposite sides of said body, said discharge means including a pair of discharge aprons hinged to opposite sides of said body, said aprons comprising closures for said openings which when opened serve as discharge means and also provide a means for the fumes of the heating means to escape.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein each of said discharge aprons includes means for releasably supporting said apron in a horizontally disposed and laterally projecting position.

'3. A portable snow plow comprising a hollow body having an inclined chute, rollers supporting the rear end of said body, said chute inclined downwardly toward the front end of said body, said chute including upwardly directed longitudinally extending opposite side guide rails each terminating at its rearmost ends in a rearwardly opening socket, a deflector reversably mounted on said body for directing snow moving oiT said chute selectively to one side or the other of the latter, said deflector being generally L-shaped in plan and having free end portions engageable in said sockets, and upwardly projecting flange carried by the rear end of said chute, the legs of said, Lrshaped deflector each including a downwardly opening channel selectively engageable with said flange whereby the free end of either of said legs of said deflector may be engaged in one of said sockets and the other leg engaged with said flange to rigidly secure said deflector in position upon the upper end of said chute to laterally deflect the snow travelling there up to one side or the other.

.4. The combination of claim 3 including combustion type heating means for heating the interior of said body, apair of discharge means at the upper end of said chute projecting laterally therefrom beyond the sides of said body, a pair of fiue openings formed in opposite sides of said body, said discharge means including a pair of discharge aprons hinged to opposite sides of said body for movement about horizontally disposed longitudinally extending axes between 2. depending position overlying said openings and a horizontal position extending outwardly from the opposite sides of said body thereby comprising closures for said openings which when opened serve as discharge means and also provides a means for the fumes of the heating means to escape from the interior of said body.

5. The combination of claim 3 including a pair of discharge means at the upper end of said chute projecting laterally therefrom beyond the sides of said body.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said discharge means comprises a pair of aprons hinged to opposite sides of said body for movement about longitudinally extending horizontally disposed axes between a depending position overlying the adjacent side of said body and a horizontal position projecting laterally beyond the adjacent side of said body.

7. Thecombination of claim 3 including means for heating'said deflector.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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