Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTI_
This invention relates to a machine for compacting snow, and more parti-
cularly relates to a machine for compacting up to a truckload of snow in one
series of operations.
In cold climates, the buildup of snow on city streets and in parking lots
and the removal of such snow is traditionally an immense problem facing inhabitants.
Traditionally, snow removal in cities has involved plowing snow to the side of the
roadway or parking area and removing the same by using a snow blower, front end
loader or other such device to fill dump trucks which in turn carry the snow to an
appropriate dumping ground. The costs of such an operation are immense. One of
the main costs is in rental and operation of the dump trucks which haul the snow
away. Any reduction of the time these trucks must stand by while they are waiting
to be filled or while they are receiving a full load of snow, or reduction in the
number of runs they must make between the snow removal area and the dump will
result in cost savings for the entire operation.
Because of the compactability of snow, it has been recognized that one of
the means to reduce the number of trips such trucks must make has been to provide
snow compaction means at the snow removal site so that the truck is loaded with
compacted snow to haul away. Snow compacting devices have been described in
Breckbill, United States Patent No. 3,791,053, issued February 12, 1974; Newell,
Canadian Patent No. 957,559 issued November 12, 1974; Broman, Canadian Patent No.
985,951, issued March 23, 1976 and Huckill, Canadian Patent No. 714,752, issued
August 3, 1965.
The snow compacting devlces described in these patents of Newell, Broman
and Huckill all require at least two sets of compacting rams, one for compacting in
a horlzontal direction and the other for compacting ln a vertlcal direction. The
compacting chambers must be therefore carefully located and machlned, and the
hydraulic actions of the two rams care$ully coordinated, to permit the machines to
operate effectively.
B~eckbill, on the other hand, proposes a devlce for feedlng snow through
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; restricted section in an elongated hollow housing in order to compact the snow.
As the snow must be constantly passed through the restriction in the housing this
greatly limits the degree of compaction which can be achieved by this device.
None of the snow compacting devices described and illustrated in these
references because of the massive size and complexity of the hydraulic systems
which would be required, is practical or economically feasible for compacting
blocks of snow of a size which would in one deposit fill a dump truck.
It is an object of the present invention to provide such a machine which
will permit compacting of a block of snow up to the size of the load carrying space
of a dump truck. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an
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economical snow compacting machine having a single, hydraulically operated blade
operating in an enclosed compacting chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
- In accordance with the present invention, a machine is provided for com-
pacting in one series of operations up to a truckload of snow removed from city
streets and the like. The machine has a hopper for receiving such snow, a compact-
ing chamber and a hydraulically operated blade for compacting snow in the chamber.
; The compacting chamber is positioned below and to one side of the hopper whereby it
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is gravity fed. The chamber has opposite, parallel, fixed sides on all but the
:
blade and exit sides. The exit side is completely closed in by a gate. Means are
provided to move the blade from a first position below and to the outer side of the
hopper to a second position towards the exit gate of the chamber when in compacting
action, and from this second position back to first position when in recharge
action. Further means are provided to pivot the blade from a transverse, fixed,
vertically oriented position when in compacting action to a transverse, fixed,
horizontally oriented posltion when in recharge action. The blade pivots from
horlzontal to vertical orientation as lt begins its compacting action and pivots
from yertical to horizontal orientation, so as not to distusb the compacted snow in
the chamber, as it begins it recharge action. It then knifes through incoming snow
from the hopper to return to first position. The blade repeats its compacting and
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~echarge actions in one series of operations until a desired amount of snow has
been compacted, after which time the gate opens and the blade, acting on the com-
pacted snow, expels it from the chamber through the gate.
In one arrangement, the blade is guided in its motion between first and
second positions by means of an axle centrally transversely secured to the rear of
the blade, the ends of the axle protruding through horizontal slots on opposing
sides of the compacting chamber to be guided thereby. In accordance with another
aspect of the device, at least one hydraulically actuated articulated arm hydraulic
or telescopic ram may be provided, one end of which is secured to the rear of the
blade, the other end being secured to the machine behind the hopper, to move the
blade between first and second positions and to discharge compacted snow through
the gate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become appa-
rent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the
drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side, section view of a snow compacting machine according to the
present invention with the blade in first position, ready for compacting;
Figure 2 is a front view of the machine of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a schematic view of the compacting chamber of the machine of
Figures 1 and 2 showing the compaction blade in fully extended position;
Figure 4 is a schematic view of the compaction chamber showing the blade in
recharge motion.
Similar features in the drawings have been given similar reference
numer~ls.
While the inYention will be described ln connection with an example
embodiment, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to
that embodiment. On the contrary, it iS intended to coYer all alternatives,
modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirlt and scope of the
invention as de~lned by the appended claims.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INyENTIoN
Turning to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a vehicle mounted compacting
machine 2 having an operator's cabin 3 towards the front of the device. A hopper
entrance 4 is provided into which snow to be compacted is placed to fall to hopper
5. Compacting chamber 6, of generally rectangular shape, is positioned below and
to the left of hopper 5 (Figure 1), the chamber having opposite, parallel, fixed
sides on all but blade and exit sides of the chamber. Suitable dimensions for the
compaction chamber would be, for ~xample, 15 feet long by 7-1/2 feet wide by 5-1/2
feet high. Hydraulically operated blade 8, of generally concave front profile to
permit even distribution of snow at the point of compaction, serves as the ram by
which snow is compacted in chamber 6. During the compacting operation, exit gate
10 to the rear of compacting chamber 6, remains closed. Blade 8 is provided with
transverse axle 12 centrally secured to the rear of the blade, the ends of axle 12
extending through and being guided by horizontal slots 14 in the sides of compact-
ing chamber 6. The blade is moved from side to side within the compacting chamber
by means of hydraulically actuated, articulated arms 18. While the preferred
embodiment having two such arms is illustrated, each arm acting on one end of axle
12, a single such articulated arm centrally disposed, is seen as an alternative
construction. As a further alternative, an hydraulic or telescopic ram 13 (shown
in phantom in Figure 1) may be used in place of such arm or arms. Hydraulic cylinders
19 are appropriately positioned to act on articulated arms 18, these cylinders
being fed by hydraulic reservoir 20. Also fed by this reservoir is one or more
hydraulic cylinder 21 acting to open and close exit gate 10.
The blades move from a first position, illustrated in Figure 1, when in
compacting action, to a second position, as in Figure 3. The location of the blade
in secQnd position will yary, dependin~ upon the amount of snow being compacted,
and becomes closer to the fi~st position as increasing amounts of snow are compacted
in chamber 3. Blade 8 moyes from this second position back to first position when
in recharge action where, back at first position, it picks up another charge of
snow from hopper 5 to be compacted in chamber 6.
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Blade 8 is secured to arms 16 so as to pivot about axle 12 in a vertical
plane, from the vertical position shown in Figure 3 to the horizontal position seen
in Figure 4, under the action of hydraulic cylinder 24. Hydraulic cylinder 24 is
similarly fed by reservoir 20. The blade is pivoted from its vertical compacting
position of Figures 1 and 3, to the horizontal position seen in Figure 4 when the
blade begins its recharge action, and pivots from that horizontal position back to
its vertical orientation (phantom, Figure 4) when it begins its compacting action.
The bottom of the blade is sharpened to a "V" shape 26 to enable the blade to knife
through snow of the hopper as it returns to first position (Figure 4~. To prevent
buildup and compaction of hopper snow to the rear of the blade, curved wall 28 is
provided at the lower, rear section of the machine below hopper 5.
As an optional feature, to prevent compacting of snow at hopper entrance
4 or in hopper 5, an agitator disc or worm gear 30, for example, energized from the
existing hydraulic system, may be provided.
A rear hydraulically operated tailgate 32 is provided beneath the machine's
exit gate 10 to withdraw the bottom rear part of the machine in the area of the
exit gate and permit trucks to back in more closely to receive compacted snow.
Additionally, appropriate hydraulic lifts 34, illustrated schematically in Figure
3, may be provided on the vehicle beneath the machine to raise or lower the machine
with respect to the vehicle body to account for variations in dump truck heights
and assist in discharging the compacted snow directly from the machine onto the
dump truck or indeed, to enable the machine to directly stock compacted blocks,
e.g. to one side of a parking lot.
In operation, snow to be compacted is placed in hopper 5 for example by
a snow blower, front end loader or the like. Blade 8, moving from first position
tQ second, picks up so~e o~ the snow from the hopper and compacts it in chamber 6,
against closed exit gate 10 and the sides of chamber 6. Blade 8 pivots from its
yertically oriented position, ~o as not to disturb compacted snow in the chamber,
as it be~ins its recharge action (Figure 4~ and knifes back to its ~irst position
in the area below hopper 5 where it again piyots to yertical position and picks up
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u,ore snow to be compacted with the snow which was originally compacted. This
series of operations is repeated until a desired volume of compacted snow has been
formed in the compacting chamber. The machine is of a size and strength to enable
compacting of up to a truckload of snow in one series of such operations.
When sufficient snow has been compacted, exit gate 10 is opened and
hydraulic tailgate floor section 32 is lowered (Figure 3) to enable a dump truck to
back up to the rear of the vehicle. Blade 8 then forces the compacted block of
snow through the rear of the compaction chamber 6 onto the truck. Hydraulic
tailgate floor section 32 is positioned, with respect to the rearward limit of
blade 8 permitted by grooves 14, such that when it is lowered, the block of com-
pacted snow will clear the floor of the machine when the blade is in this extreme
position.
Once the compacted snow has been loaded onto a truck, exit gate 10 and
tailgate 32 are closed and the compacting operation may be repeated. It will be
noted that snow compacted in this way is in a more cohesive form for cartage.
Thus it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the
invention, a machine for compacting snow which fully satisfies the objects, aims
and advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in conjunc-
tion with an example embodiment thereof, it is evident that many alternatives,
modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light
of the foregoing description. For example, while the invention is described as be-
ing a snow compacting machine, it is envisaged that the machine of this invention
will effectively compact other things such as leaves or even garbage, prior to
placing such in a truck for removal to a dump. Accordingly, it is intended to
embrace all such alte~natives, modifications and variations as fall within the
spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
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