Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 AUGER FOR SELF-PROPELLED SNOW REMOVING M~CHINE
3 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
4 1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to an auger for a
6 snow removing machine, and more particularly to a self-
7 propelled snow removing machine having crawlers or drive
8 wheels and an auger which are driven by a single engine.
9 2. Description of the Relevant Art:
Various snow-removing machines have heretoEore
11 been proposed which have a single engine for driving
12 crawlers or drive wheels and an auger driven by the engine
13 for removing snow. One snow-removing machine of this type
14 is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,913,247 patented October
21, 1975. The auger of the disclosed snow-removing machine
16 ha~ a shaft supported transversely in an auger cover or
17 hou~ing mounted on a front portion of a body frame and a
18 plurality of blades mounted on the shaft which is rotated
19 by the engine. Each of the blades comprises two
sector-shaped fins with their inner apexes welded to the
21 shaft. One end of the outer peripheral edge of one of the
22 fins is welded to one end of the outer peripheral edge of
23 the other fin, so that their outer peripheral edges jointly
24 form a helix around the shaft. The helical structure of
the fins allows the blades to form a cylindrical shape when
26 they are rotated around the shaft. The fins are cold formed
27 from sheet metal, preferably No. 12 gauge, and are stiff
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1 and inflexible. The helix formed by the outer peripheral
2 edqe of one blade is relatively long. Therefore, the
3 blades and the auger cover may be deformed by small stones
4 or other foreign matter that may enter between the blades
and ~he auger cover.
6 U.S. Patent No. 3,132,429 patented May 12, 1964
7 shows another snow removing machine wherein one blade of
8 the auger is constructed of racket-shaped paddles coupled
9 to a transverse drive shaft. The paddles have cylindrical
shanks fitted in respective bosses or radial bases mounted
11 on the drive shaft at prescribed pitches in a helical
12 pattern. The cylindrical shanks are fixed to the drive
13 shaft by screws threaded into the bosses. The angle at
14 which each paddle is inclined with respect to the axis of
lS the drive shaft is adjustable, so that the auger can vary
16 its shearing angle with respect to snow in various
17 conditions. When the paddle angle with respect to the
18 drive shaft i5 selected to be large in order to remove
19 heavy snow, the outer peripheral edges of the blades are
discontinuous, thus avoiding the problem experienced with
21 the former U.S. Patent. However, when the paddle angle
22 with respect to the drive shaft is selected to be small in
23 order to remove lightweight snow, the outer peripheral
24 edges of the blades are substantially continuous, and the
problem of the former U.S. Patent cannot be solved,
26 Moreover, in U.S. Patent No. 3,132,429, the screws by which
27 the paddles are fastened to the drive shaft may be loosened
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1 during use of the snow removing machine, so that the paddle
2 angle with respect to the drive shaft may vary from an
3 initial angle setting.
4 The present invention has been made in an effort
to solve the aforesaid problems of the conventional auger
6 constructions for snow removing machines.
7 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
8 It i5 an object of the present invention to
9 provide an auger structure for a self-propelled snow
removing machine, which can avoid deformation of blades and
11 an auger housing even when small stones or foreign matter
12 enters between the blades and the auger housing.
13 To achieve the above object, there is provided in
14 accordance with the present invention an auger in a
self-propelled ~now removing machine including an engine,
16 running means drivable by the engine, and a snow blower for
17 discharging snow collected by the auger, the auger
18 comprising an auger cover disposed on a front portion of
19 the snow removing machine, an auger output shaft disposed
transversely in the auger cover and drivable by the engine,
21 and at least one blade mounted on the auger output shaft
22 and having an outer peripheral edge forming a substantially
23 continuous helix around the auger output shaft, the blade
24 comprising a plurality of mutually separate fins having
outer peripheral edges jointly forming the helix and made
26 of a resilient steel material.
27 The above and further objects, details and
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l advantages of the present invention will become apparent
2 from the following detailed description of preferred
3 embodiments thereof, when read in conjunction with the
4 accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
6 FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly cut
7 away, of a self-propelled snow removing machine having an
8 auger structure according to a first embodiment of the
9 present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the auger
11 structure;
12 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an auger blade;
13 FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing
14 the manner in which a single fin is attached to an auger
drive shaft;
16 FIG. 5 is a per~pective view showing a fin
17 attachment portion of the auger drive shaft;
18 PIG. 6 is a view as viewed in the direction of
19 the arrow VI in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is is a side elevational view, partly cut
21 away, of a self-propelled snow removing machine having an
22 auger structure according to a second embodiment of the
23 present invention;
24 FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the snow
removing machine shown in FIG. 7, showing the auger
26 structure;
27 FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the auger
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1 structure o~ FIG. 7;
2 FIG. lO is a view as viewed in the direction of
3 the arrow X in FIG. 9;
4 FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of an auger
shaft assembly;
6 FIG. 12 is a view as viewed in the direction of
7 the arrow XII in FIG. ll;
8 FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of an auger
g fin;
FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of an auger
11 fin;
12 FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view ta~en along
13 line XV - XV of FIG. 13; and
14 FIG. 16 is a view as viewed in the direction of
the arrow XVI in FIG. 9.
16 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
17 As shown in FIG. 1, a self-propelled snow-
18 removing tractor or snow removing machine, generally
19 designated by the reference numeral 1, has an engine 10 for
driving a pair of laterally spaced crawlers 13, an auger
21 15, and a snow blower 23. The engine 10 has an output
22 shaft 10a which drives gears 18a, 18b and also driver
23 wheels 12a for the crawlers 13 through a gear transmission
24 11. The crawlers 13 are positioned one on each side of the
body of the snow removing machine and trained around the
26 driver wheels 12a and driven wheels 12b. The gear 18b has
27 a shaft 18c coupled to a blower/auger input shaft 16
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1 through a clutch 14 disposed in a clutch housing 14a. The
2 input shaft 16 is positioned centrally in the transversely
3 direction of the snow removing machine and extends
4 longitudinally through a blower housing 20 and an auger
cover 19. The input shaft 16 has an end rotatably
6 supported by a bearing in a cover 14b which constitutes a
7 front portion of the clutch housing 14a. The input shaft
8 16 also has on its front end a worm 16a meshing with a worm
g wheel 17a on the center of an auger drive shaft 17
extending transversely through the auger cover 19. The
11 worm 16a and the worm wheel 17a jointly constitute an auger
12 transmission 22. The snow blower 23 is connected to the
13 end portion of the input shaft :L6 near the bearing 21 for
14 rotation with the input shaft 16. The snow blower 23 when
rotated diecharges through a duct 24 ~now that has been
}6 collected by the auger 15 and pu~hed from the auger cover
17 19 into the blower housing 20.
18 As shown in FIG. 2, the opposite ends of the
19 auger drive shaft 17 are rotatably supported on auger side
covers 26, respectively, by means of bearings 25. The
21 auger drive shaft 17 is rotated about its own axis in the
2Z direction of the arrow B when the input shaft 16 is
23 rotated. Blades 27, 28 are attached to the auger drive
24 shaft 17 respectively on opposite sides of the auger
transmission 22. The righthand blade 27 comprises three
26 separate fins 27a, whereas the lefthand blade 28 comprises
27 three separate fins 28a. When the auger drive shaft 17 is
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1 rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1, snow positioned in
2 front of the auger 15 is collected by the blades 27, 28
3 toward the center in the transverse direction of the snow
4 removing machine, as indicated by the arrows A, and also in
the rearward direction, and then is discharged by the snow
6 blower 23. The blades 27, 28 are angularly positioned 180
7 out of phase with each other, but are otherwise of the
8 mirror image of each other, and the fins 27a, 28a are also
9 of the mirror image of each other. Therefore, only the
blade 27 will be described below.
11 As illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 6, the three
12 fins 27a of the blade 27 have inner apexes or bases 27b
13 detachably attached to three respective radially outward
14 brackets 17a welded to the auger drive shaft 17 by means of
bolts 29 and nuts 30, the bolt~ 29 haviny their axes
16 ~ub~tantially parallel to the axis of the auger drive shaft
17 17. The brackets 17a are positioned such that the outer
18 peripheral edges of the fins 27a jointly form a
19 substantially continuous helix around the auger drive shaft
17. The helix covers substantially the entire length of
21 the auger drive shaft 17 in its axial direction. This
22 helical arrangement allows the blade 27 to follow a
23 cylindrical path around the auger drive shaft 17 when it is
24 rotated. The base 27b of each of the fins 27a has two
spaced bolt insertion holes 27c, and each bracket 17a has
26 two spaced bolt insertion holes 17b to be registered with
27 the bolt insertion holes 27c, respectively. The bolt
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1 insertion holes 27c of the fin 27a are of a rectangular
2 shape complementary with the rectangular heads of the bolts
3 29, and the bolt insertion holes 17b of the bracket 17a are
4 of a circular shape. The rectangular bolt insertion holes
27c prevent the bolts 29 from turning with respect to the
6 fin 27a and reduce the amount of projection of the heads of
7 the bolts 29 beyond the surface of the fin 27a.
8 As shown in FIG. 4, each fin 27a comprises the
9 flat attachment base 27b to be attached to the auger drive
shaft 17, and an arcuate portion 27d extending helically
11 from the outer end of the base 27b, the base 27b extending
12 substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the auger
13 drive shaft 17. The fins 27a are made of a resilient steel
14 sheet material, preferably spring steel such as carbon
steel o 835C or more, or SUP, which has been heat-treated.
16 Rotative power from the engine 10 is transmitted
17 through the gears 18a, 18b and the transmission 11 to the
18 driver wheels 12a to drive the crawlers 13. The engine
19 power is also transmitted through the auger transmission 22
to the auger drive shaft 17 to rotate the same. Therefore,
21 the blades 27, 28 of the auger 15 are rotated in a
22 prescribed direction to collect snow in front of the auger
23 15 toward the center in the transvese direction of the snow
24 removing machine and also in the rearward direction. The
collected snow is thereafter discharged by the snow blower
26 23.
27 ~s described above, the outer peripheral edges of
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1 the blades 27, 28 form a substantially continuous helix
2 around hte auger drive shaft 17, which covers substantially
3 the entire length of the drive shaft 17 in its axial
4 direction The blades 27, 28 comprise the fins 27a, 27b of
resilient steel. Therefore, even when small stones or
6 foreign matter enters between the inner surface of the
7 auger cover 19 and the outer peripheral edges of the blades
8 27, 18 during operation of the snow removing machine 1, the
g fins 27a, 28a are only caused to flex slightly by such
small stones, which can thus automatically be removed. As
11 a result, the blades 27, 28 and the auger cover 19 are
12 prevented from being damaged. Since the blades 27, 28 are
13 constructed of mutually separate fins 27a, 28a, the blades
14 27, 28 are not required to be replaced in their entirety
when one of the fin 27a, 28a is bro~en. Accordingly, the
16 maintenance procedure for the snow removing machine 1 is
17 simplified.
18 While the snow removing machine 1 is in
19 operation, the blades 27, 28 are subject to reactive forces
from snow in the direction opposite to the direction of the
21 arrows A in FIG. 1. Inasmuch as the axes of the bolts 29
22 extend parallel to the axis of the auger drive shaft 17,
23 the reactive forces acting on the blades 27, 28 do not turn
24 the bolts 29. Consequently, the bolts 29 and the nuts 30
are prevented from being loosened during use of the snow
26 removing machine 1.
27 Each of the fins 27a comprises the flat base 27b
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1 attached to the auger drive shaft 17 and the arcuate
2 portion 27d extending helically from the outer end fo the
3 base 27b. As the arcuate portion 27d covers a wider angle
4 than the conventional racket-shaped fins, the number of
parts of the auger structure of the invention is relatively
6 small.
7 FIGS. 7 through 16 show a self-propelled snow
8 removing machine 100 having an auger structure according to
g a second embodiment of the present invention. Those parts
of the second embodiment which are identical to those of
11 the first embodiment are denoted by identical reference
12 numerals, and those similar to those of the first
13 embodiment are denoted by identical reference numerals with
14 an apostrophe ~'), and will not be described in detail.
An auger drive shaft 117 is transversely
16 ~upported in the auger cover 19 of the ~now removing
17 machine 100, and is rotated by the blower/auger input shaft
18 16 through an auger transmission 122.
19 As shown in FIG. 8, two pairs of blades 127, 128
are mounted on the auger drive shaft 117 one on each side
21 of the auger transmission 122. Each of the lefthand blades
22 128 comprises three fins 128a, whereas each of the
23 righthand blades 127 comprises three fins 127a. The blades
24 128 on the auger drive shaft 117 ~re 180 out of phase with
each other, and likewise the blades 127 on the auger drive
26 shaft 117 are 180 out of phase with each other. The
27 blades 127 and the blades 128 are of the mirror image of
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129
1 each other. Therefore, only the blades 127 will be
2 described below, and the structure of the blades 128 can
3 easily be understood from the description of the blades
4 127.
As shown in FIGS. 9 through 12, the three ~ins
6 127a of each of the blades 127 have respective bases 127b
7 detachably fixed to three respective flanges 117a welded at
8 prescribed intervals to the auger drive shaft 117 by means
9 of bolts 129 and nuts 130. The bolts 129 have their axes
extending parallel to the axis of the auger drive shaft
11 117. Each of the flanges 117a has four circular bolt
12 insertion holes 117b. These flanges 117a are welded to the
13 auger driver shaft 117 at positions which are successively
14 60 out of phase, i.e., angularly spaced. The three fins
127a oE one of the blades 127 have outer peripheral edges
16 forming a sub8tantially continuous first helix around the
17 auger drive shaft 117, whereas the three fins 127a of the
18 other blade 127 have outer peripheral edges forming a
19 substantially continuous second helix around the auger
drive shaft 117. The secon~ helix is 180 out of phase or
21 angularly spaced from the first helix around the auger
22 drive shaft 117. In FIG. 9, the auger drive shaft 117
23 rotates about its own axis in the direction of the arrow B,
24 and snow as collected by the blades 127 i6 moved in the
direction of the arrow A which is parallel to the axis of
26 the auger drive shaft 117.
27 As shown in FIGS. 13 through 15, the flat base
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1 127b of each of the fins 127a has two spaced rectangular
2 holes 127c through which the bolts 129 are inserted,
3 respectively. The fin 127a has the base 127b attached
4 substantially perpendicularly to the auger drive shaft 117
and also lncludes an arcuate portion 127d extending
6 helically from the outer end of the base 127b. The fins
7 127a are made of a resilient steel sheet material,
8 preferably spring steel such as carbon steel of S35C or
9 more, or SUP, which has been heat-treated. Accordingly,
the fins 127a are prevented from elastic deformation when
11 small stones or other foreign matter enters between the
12 fins 127a and the auger cover 19. The arcuate portion 127d
13 of each fin 127a has an arcuate edge 127h of a relatively
14 large radius of curvature at an end 127e near the base
127b, and a rib 127g extending arcuately along its center
16 ln the transverse direction thereof~ ~s shown in FIG. 14,
17 the arcuate portion 127d is twisted such that the end 127e
18 of the arcuate portion 127d and an opposite distal end 127f
19 thereof are located forwardly and rearwardly of the base
127b transversely thereof.
21 As shown in FIG. 9, as the auger drive shaft 117
22 rotates, the three fins 127a of each of the blades 127 are
23 successively caused to bite into snow from the base end
24 127e toward the distal end 127f of the arcuate portion 127d
to collect the snow in the direction of the arrow A.
26 As illustrated in FIG. 10, two successive fins
27 Fl, F2 ~i.e., 127a, 127a) are spaced from each other in
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1 side elevation, defining a small gap S between the distal
2 end 127f of one of the fins Fl and the base end 127e of the
3 other fin F2. The gap S allows small stones or other
4 foreign matter that has entered between the fins and the
auqer cover to escape through the gap S relatively easily.
6 In FIG. 16, the distal end 127f of one of the
7 fins 127a in its free state is spaced a distance H from the
8 base end 127e of the next fin 127a in the direction of the
9 arrow A in which snow is collected. The distance H is
selected such that the distal end 127f of one fin 127a, as
11 it is flexed by the reactive force of collected snow, is
12 aligned with the base end 127e of the next fin 127a.
13 The auger 115 of the second embodiment offers the
14 same advantages as those of the auger of the first
embodiment.
16 As described above, the distal end 127f of one of
17 the fins 127a in its free state is spaced the distance H
18 from the base end 127e of the next fin 127a in the
19 direction of the arrow R, and the distal end 127f can be
flexed into alignment with the base end 127e of the next
21 fin 127a under the reactive forces of snow being collected.
22 Therefore, snow can effectively be collected without
23 leakage by the successive fins 127a which are continuously
24 held in helical alignment at their ends 127e, 127f during
operation of the auger 115, in the same manner as the
26 conventional augers with continuous blades.
27 Although there have been described what are at
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1 present considered to be the preferred embodiments of the
2 present invention, it will be understood that the invention
3 may be embodied in other specific forms without departing
4 from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The
present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all
6 aspects as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of
7 the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather
8 than by the foregoing description.
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