Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SNOW PLOW ARRANGEMENT FOR MOISTURE RETENTION IN A FIELD
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for improving moisture
retention in a field and particularly for capturing additional quantities of snow during ;
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the winter season.
Up until now little attention has been given to the collection of snow -
since its importance in total moisture content of the soil during the growing season has ~
been little appreciated. Furthermore recently, particularly in view of drought ~ -
conditions or low moisture conditions in the prairies, more attention has been given to ~-
the collection of snow as an effective technique for improving soil moisture conditions
at the early stages of the growing season.
Proposals have previously been made for leaving stubble in the field as
an improved technique for trapping snow. ~;
In the absence of some technique for trapping the snow, snow tends ~-
merely to blow across the surface of the soil during windy conditions so that the snow
which has fallen is stripped from the ground and deposited at other areas aroundobstacles such as trees from where the moisture is merely lost as run-off when melting
occurs.
When the snow is left in its initial flat fallen condition, the movement of
snow particles acts as a grinding mechanism for stripping away yet further particles so
tbat in many cases the field can be left fully bare despite a nominal snow fall of a
significant
depth.
Up until now nothing has been available to prevent the snow erosion and
little or no attention has been given to this problem.
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It is of course well known that various forms of snow plow devices have
previously been used for pushing aside snow for example as shown in Canadian Patent
27,229 which can be attached to the front of a rail vehicle to push the snow to either
side of the
tracks.
In addition various forms of landscrapers, blades and cultivators have
been provided which act upon the ground to provide a leveling action or to provide
cultivation of the ground surface. However these devices are not relevant to theproblem in hand that is that of improving the retention of a snow covering on the field
to improve moisture retention.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an
improved method and apparatus for use in improving snow retention and thus totalmoisture retention in a field.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an
apparatus for improving moisture retention in the field comprising a frame, means for
transporting the frame across the ground in a working direction, and a plurality of snow
plow members each mounted on the frame and spaced in relation transverse to the
working direction, each being shaped to form a furrow in snow on the ground and each
bPi~3g spaced and arranged such that the furrow formed by one is spaced from thefurrow formed by the next, each of the snow plow members having a leading edge with
a lowermost and forwardmost apex on a bottom end thereof and a pair of diverging side
surfaces extending from the leading edge to trailing edges thereof and wherein the
distance between one snow plow member and the next snow plow member is greater
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than the width of each of the snow plow members across said trailing edges thereof,
each of the diverging side surfaces having a lowermost leading edge Iying in a
substantially horizontal plane containing the apex, the leading edge being C-shaped so
as to e~ctend in a curved line rearwardly and upwardly from the apex to a rearmost -
point and from the rearmost point in a curved line forwardly and upwardly to an -
uppermost point forward of the rearmost point. : :
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According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a snow
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plow member for attachment to a cultivator shank for use in improving moisture
retention in the field, the cultivator shank being of the type having a generally C-
shaped curved shank portion, an upper end for attachment to a tool bar and a cultivator
sweep attached to a lower end, the sweep having a forwardmost apex and a pair ofIeading edges diverging rearwardly and outwardly from the apex, the snowplow
member comprising an apex, a leading edge extending from the apex upwardly, a pair
of surfaces diverging rearwardly and outwardly from the leading edge and defining at a
lowermost edges of the surfaces a pair of side leading edges diverging outwardly and
rearwardly from the apex, means defining a pair of slots Iying in a horizontal plane and
each facing rearwardly of the respective one of the side leading edges for receiving a
respective one of the leading edges of the sweep, and clamping means for clamping the
member to the shank.
The snow plow member can thus be used after a significant snow ~11 to
move the snow into ridges, the tops of which can be nearly double the nominal depth of
the snow cover. If subsequently further snow fall or drifting occurs the moving snow
particles can be trapped in between the ridges, that is in the valleys, with the possibility
of significantly increasing the amount of moisture retained.
The use of the snow plow member which is attached to the cultivator
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shank enables the cultivator frame to act as the transport system for the snow plow
members. The construction of the snow plow members as defined above allows the
snow plow member to be attached to one of the cultivator shanks without the necessity
of removing the cultivator sweep so that the snow plow members can be readily
attached to and removed from the cultivator. In this way the farmer can modify
existing equipment by purchasing a number of relatively simple elements to carry out
the moisture retention enhancement with little further investment.
With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become
apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification
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proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings ~ -
forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the best mode known to the
application and of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present
invention, in which:
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DESCRIPrION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is side elevational view of a cultivator shank incorporating a :
snow plow member for use in the present invention.
Figure 2 is a rear elevational view showing schematically a cultivator
including the shank and snow plow member of Figure 1. -
Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the shank and, snow plow member : ~ .
of Pigure 1.
Figure 4 is an underside view of the shank and snow plow member of
Figure 1.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts ~ -
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in the different figures. - ~
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A conventional cultivator frame is shown in Figures 1 and 2 and
comprises a tool bar 10 which is mounted on ground wheels one of which is
schematically indicated at 11 for transportation across the ground in a working
direction. A hitch 12 is schematically indicated for attachment to a suitable tractor
vehicle.
Attached to the tool bar 10 is a plurality of cultivator shanks generally
indicated at 13 each comprising a shank 14 and a sweep 15. The shank is generally C-
shaped including a straight upper portion 14A for attachment to the tool bar and a
lower portion to which the sweep lS is attached. An opening 16 is provided just
rearwardly of the upper forward portion attached to the tool bar for receiving the
spring mounting 17 of a trip mechanism generally indicated at 18.
The tool bar 10 carries a plurality of such conventional cultivator shanks
and generally there is provided a plurality of further tool bars parallel to the first on
which further cultivator shanks are mounted so that the shanks overlap in their
operation.
The above construction is entirely conventional and features of the
present invention relate to the novel use of the cultivator frame together with a
construction of the snow plow arrangement attached thereto. One of the snow plowdevices is indicated at 20 and is shown in detail in Figures 1, 3, and 4. As shown in
Figure 2, the snow plow members 20 are mounted on selected ones of the cultivator
shanks so they are spaced apart across the frame leaving spaces between the snow plow
members which are wider than the snow plows themselves.
Each snow plow member comprises a pair of surfaces 21 and 22 which
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are welded together along a leading edge 23. The leading edge commences at an apex
19 at the lowermost portion and extends in a straight line upwardly and rearwardly
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from the apex and then a curved C-shape which generally follt~ws the curvature of the
shank so the leading edge can be positioned just forwardly of the shank. Thus the C-
shape of the leading edge extends upwardly and rearwardly in a curved line from the
apex to a rearmost point on the curve and from that point curves forwardly and
upwardly to an uppermost point forward of the rearward most point. The two surfaces
21 and 22 diverge from the leading edge along two leading side edges 24 and 25 which
lie in a horizontal plane at a base of the snow plow member. Two trailing edges 26
and 27 of the sides 21 and 22 are curved in a shape somewhat similar to the C-shape of
the front leading edge and extend from a rearmost point of each of the side leading
edges 24, 25 up to an upper apex 28 at the uppermost point on the leading edge 23.
As best shown in Figures 3 and 4, the sweep includes a plate 35 which
bolts to the upper surface of the shank 14 at lowermost end thereof. The plate inclines
downwardly to a front apex 36 of the sweep and side edges of the sweep lie in a
horizontal plane including the apex. The side edges are indicated at 37 and 38.
Trailing edges 39 and 40 of the sweep extend from the horizontal plane at the rear part
of the sweep up to the upper plate 35. The sharp leading edges of the sweep therefore
lie in a horizontal plane. ~ -;
The snow plow member includes a pair of flat plates 45 and 46 which
are welded to the edges of the surfaces 21 and 22. The flat plates 45 and 46 together
with the surfaces therefore form a slot which faces rearwardly from the side leading ~ -
edges of the snow plow member. These slots are shaped so as to receive the leading
edges of the sweep which can be pressed into the slot as best shown in Figure 3. A
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cross brace 47 is welded across the space between the plates 45 and 46. The snow ~
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plow member can therefore be applied to the shank simply by slipping the snow plow
member in a rearward direction over the sweep so that it is held in place by resting
upon the sweep with the leading edge arranged just in front of the shank and the side
surfaces contacting the front corners of the shank and extending outwardly and
rearwardly therefrom. The cross brace allows the device to be mounted on a worn
shovel. The plates 45 and 46 extend to the rear edge of the surfaces 21 and 22 to
provide extra rigidity. In order to maintain the device clamped in position, an
additional clamping element is provided in the form of a plate 50 which has a pair of
holes for placing over bolts 51 welded to the underside of the surfaces so as to project
on either side of the shank. The plate is then clamped into position by nuts 52. In this
way the snow plow member is held rigidly in place on the shank simply by the
cooperation between the slots on the leading edges of the sweep and the clampingaction of the plate around the shank. Other types of clamping arrangement can beused.
With the device firmly located in place, the cultivator frame can be
moved across the ground with the height of the tool bar adjusted so that the sweeps
graze the ground but do not cause any cultivating action. At this height the snow plow
members engage any snow resting upon the ground and lift it away from the leading
edge to form furrows in the snow with the removed snow being lifted onto the areas
between the furrows.
This formation of furrows has two effects. Firstly, it provides grooves
for trapping further snow ~11 or drifting snow which would otherwise tend to blow
across the upper surface of the snow. Secondly, movement of the snow tends to cause
a pacl~ng action which prevents the snow particles from being stripped and driven
across the surface of the snow to grind away yet further snow particles.
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In pMctice the snow plow member might have a width of the order of 30
to 36 inches and a spacing of one snow plow member from the next being of the order
of six feet. -In an alternative arrangement (not shown) the snow plow members are :
shaped for bolting to a cultivator shank with the shovel (sweep) removed. This
arrangement provides an effective mount for the snow plow member which allows
flexing and tripping where necessary. In one arrangement, a frame may be provided
which allows lateral adjustment of the positions of the snow plow members to provide
different spacings to accommodate different snow conditions.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as heinabove :
described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the
spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and seope, it is
intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted `
as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
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