Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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"SNOWPLOW BLADE"
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a snowplow =blade
adapted to be driven =by a-self-propelled unit to remove
snow or ice from a surface to be cleared, for example a
road surface, to which the =ensuing treatment will make
explicit reference, without this implying any loss in
generality.
BACKGROUND ART
In particular, the present invention relates to a =
snowplow Idade of the type comprising a mounting frame
to the self-propelled unit, an upper rolling element
coupled to the mounting frame and a lower road surface
scraping knife. The known blades of the type described
above operate in a satisfactory manner =when the road =
surface= is flat, whereas they are found to be poorly
efficient when the road surface has concavities= and/or
convexities or longitudinal bumps. In fact, in presence
of non-flat road surfaces, indicated in the =jargon as
"horseback surfaces", a segment or segments of the
straight lower edge of the knife slide in contact with
=the raised portions of the surface, other segments
remain vertically separated =from other corresponding
lower portions of the surface itself inevitably leaving
on the= lower portions themselves a layer of compacted
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snow intolerable for security issues.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to obtain a
snowplow blade, which allows to solve in a simple and
economical way the above exposed problems and, in
particular, to obtain a uniform clearing of the road
surface independently from the state of the road surface
itself.
According to the present invention a snowplow
blade is obtained, comprising a mounting frame to a
self-propelled advancement unit of the blade itself
above a surface to be cleared, an upper elongated
rolling element carried by said frame and an elongated
lower knife constituting a downward extension of the
upper rolling element and having a free sliding lower
edge, in use, in contact with said surface to be
cleared; the lower knife comprising at least two
elongated plate portions independent of one another and
aligned in a direction transverse to the advancement
direction of the blade; characterized by also
comprising, for each of said elongated plate portion, at
least a respective guide and slide assembly adapted to
allow at least a translation of the respective said
elongated plate portion to and from said rolling element
with respect to the other of said elongated plate
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portions and elastic thrust means interposed between
each of said elongated plate portion and the rolling
element to space the elongated plate portion from the
- -
.rolling elemen,t.
.Preferably, the blade defined above also
comprises, for each of said elongated plate portion, at
least one pair of said guide and slide assemblies spaced
from one another along the respective elongated plate
. portion in said cross direction.
Preferably, moreover, the blade defined above
comprises, again, for each of said plate portions,- at
least one hinge adapted to allow, in use, a rotation of
the respective said elongated plate portion with respect
to the other said elongated plate portion about an axis
of instantaneous rotation substantially orthogonal. to
the respective said elongated plate portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The invention is now described with reference to
the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-
limiting embodiment, wherein:
= Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred
embodiment of a snowplow blade obtained according to the
dictates of the present invention coupled to a thrust
tractor;
Figure 2 illustrates, in side elevation and on an
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enlarged scale with parts removed for clarity, the
snowplow blade of Figure 1;
Figure 3 illustrates, in section and on an enlarged
scale, a detail of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a front view with parts removed for
clarity of the snowplow blade of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a
detail of Figures 3 and 4; and
Figure 6 is a figure similar to Figure 3 and
illustrates a variant of a detail of Figure 3.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
In Figure I, 1 indicates, as a whole, a snowplow
blade adapted to be advanced above a surface 2 to be
cleared, generally a road surface or a square, by a
self-propelled unit 3, schematically illustrated and
known per se.
The blade 1 comprises a mounting frame 4 to the
self-propelled unit,3, an elongated rolling element 5,
known per se and not described in detail, coupled to the
frame 4 in a rotating manner about an axis 7
substantially orthogonal to the surface 2 under the
thrust of actuators 6.
The blade 1 also comprises a pair of support
wheels or vertical reference, known per se and not
visible in the attached figures, disposed in the
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vicinity of the frame 4 and in the rear of the rolling
element 5 to rotate in contact with the surface 2
cleared by blade 1.
The blade 1 comprises, finally, an elongated knife .
8, which is disposed below the rolling element,
constitutes a downward extension of the rolling element
5 and terminates below with a sliding edge 9, in use, in
contact with the surface 2.
As can be seen from Figures 1 and 4, the knife 8 is
constituted-by a row 10 of modules 11 independent from
one another and juxtaposed one to the other.
Each module 11 comprises a flat elongated plate 12,
which is conveniently made of Metallic material and, in
,a -scraping condition, illustrated in Figures 1-to 3; is
juxtaposed and aligned to the'other plates 12 in a .
rectilinear direction 13 (Fig. 1) transverse to an
advancement direction of the blade 1, orthogonal ,to the
axis 7 and substantially parallel to a generatrix of the
= rolling element 5 to define a portion of the knife 8.
Each module 11 comprises, furthermore, a supporting
guide and slide assembly 15 thereof of the respective
plate 12 and a mounting plate block 16, elastically
yielding, of the assembly 15 to the rolling element. In
particular, each block 16 has an upper end firmly
connected to a lower end portion of the rolling element
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by means of respective bolts 18 and a lower end firmly
connected to the guide and slide assembly 15 by means of
respective bolts 19. Each plate block 16 is dimensioned
so as to maintain the relative plate 12 in a scraping
operative advanced position, illustrated in Figures 1
and 4, and to allow the backward rotation of the
relative assembly 15 and of the relative plate 12 with
respect to the rolling element 5 about a hinge axis 20
parallel to the rectilinear direction 13 and orthogonal
to axis 7 when the plate 12 meets on the surface 2 a
fixed located obstacle.
According to a variation not =illustrated, each
block 16 is replaced by a mechanical hinge and a forcing
elastic element and preloaded the hinge to maintain the
plate in the scraping operative position.
Still with reference to Figures 1 and= 2 and, =in
particular, to Figure 3, each assembly 15 comprises a
flat rear metal plate 22 disposed partially in abutment
on a front surface of the respective block 16 and a flat
front metal plate 23 disposed parallel one another and
spaced from each other by an upper = spacer 24 of an
amount approximately rounded up to the thickness of the
relative plate 12.
The plates 22 and 23 the spacer 24 and the block 16
are pack-tightened one another by the bolts 19. The
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=
plates 22 and 23, the,spacer 24 and the block 16 delimit
one another a seat 27 open downwards, in which an upper
portion 12a of the relative plate 12 is slidably
inserted, the remaining portion 12b .thereof projects
downwards in a cantilever manner beyond the plates 22 e
23 themselves.
Each assembly 15 comprises, furthermore, a further
row of bolts 28 disposed below the bolts 19 and crossing
both plates 22 and 23. Each bolt 28 also crosses a
respective slot 30, which is elongated in a
substantially vertical direction and is attained in the
upper'portion 12a of the plate 12. Preferably, each slot
has a length measured in a substantially vertical
direction variable between 15 and 35, millimeters,
conveniently 20 millimeters, and houses with radial play
a respective bushing or sleeve 31, in turn crossed with
radial play by the stem of the respective bolt 28.
With explicit reference to Figure 4, each upper
portion 12a= is delimited on the side facing the spacer
24 by a peripheral surface 33, which delimits with the
Spacer 24 itself and with part of the plates 22 and 23
an elongated chamber 35, in which a plurality of elastic
bodies 36 conveniently made of a single piece of
elastomeric material is housed, preferably a
polyurethane material and independent from one another,
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Each elastic body 36 is =retained in an operative
position thereof; spaced from the other bodies 36 by
prominences 37 protruding, in the particular example
described, both from the plate 12 and from the spacer =
24.
Also in the particular example described, each body
36 has an inverted eight shape and comprises two tubular
portions 39, which are connected one another by a
transverse arm 40 and have respective axes 41 orthogonal
to the plates 12,22 and 23 and parallel one another and
to bolts 18,19 and 28.
The tubular portions 39 have outer = diameters
greater than the maximum distance d (Fig. 4) of the
surface 3-3 from the spacer 24 so as to push and maintain
the respective plate 12 in an extracted position and the
bushings 31, together with the stems of =the bolts 28 to
= the upper end of the relative slots 30 (Figure 4).
According to variations not shown, the bodies 36 of
=elastomeric material are not made in one piece =have
different geometries with respect to that indicated by
way of example, or are in whole or in part replaced by
=
other elastic elements such as, for example, coil
compression springs or leaf springs or other equivalent
component elastically yielding.
In use, i.e. when the plates 12 scrape =the surface
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=
2, the elastic ,bodies .36, independently of whether .
elastomeric or metal or a combination thereof, by
deforming elastically, each; =acdording". to the action
_ .
receiliedfroffi.the respectiVe underlying portiOn of 'the =
.- -
plate 12 allow the plate 12 itself=to transl,ateorSlide:'
within the seat 27 towards the roiling-element 5 in a
substantially rectilinear direction and/or rotate with
respect to the plates 22 and 23 for coupling effect with
the play of the. plates 22 and 23 themselves tothe ,
respective bolts '28, about an instantaneous rotation
axis orthogonal to the plates 12, 22 and 23 . and
substantially parallel to the bolts 1=9,and 28.
In. this way, each plate 12 according to the entity
of the 'thrust received by the underlying portion of the
.surface 12=determined by the geometry of the portion of
the surface itself moves with respect to the rolling
element 5 and with respect to the other plates 22 and 23
and following the profile of the surface 12 so that; in
= use, the.lower edge 9 of the knife 8 is found to be
rectilinear in case the knife 8 itself slides on a flat -
surface and at a broken curve when it slides in contact
with convex or 'bumpy surfaces. In both cases, the knife
8 adapting to the geometry of the surface 12 to be
cleared clears in the same way any area of the surface
12 itself. =
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According to a first variant, each block 16, is a
rigid block adapted to connect permanently and
integrally the respective assembly, 15 to the rolling'
element 5
Alternatively, each plate 22 is directly and
permanently connected to the rolling element 8. -
In both cases-, between the rolling ,eleMent' 5 and,
the frame 4 elastically yielding means are provided, and
known per se, adapted to allow the backward rotation of
the rolling element 5 together with the knife 8 about a
hinge, axis practically parallel to the -rectilinear
direction 13 when the knife 8 meets on 'thesurface 2 a
fixed located obstacle.
According to a further variant illustrated in
Figure _6, the blocks 16 are replaced by a rigid load-
bearing or support ,structure 45, which is Common to,, and
supports all, assemblies 15, and is hinged to the
rolling element 5 by means of a hinge 46 elastically
preloaded by an elastic device, preferably with wire
springs or elastomeric material, generically indicated
with 48, to maintain the structure 45 in a reference or
=limit operating advanced position and allow the
structure 45 itself and to the plates 9 to rotate
simultaneously backwards with respect to the rolling
element 5 about a common hinge axis 47 parallel to =the
rectilinear direction 13 in the presence of fixed
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=
obstacles on the surface 2 to be cleared.
From the foregoing it will be evident that the
õblade 1 described May be made ,to further modifications
and variations:Which-:do:ot depart from the protective
, . .
:
scope definedby the independent claim.- In particular,
the knife 8 could include a 'number of modules or plates
9 different from that illustrated and for ,example only
two modules and therefore also only two independent
plates, although it is obvious that the greater the
number of plates 12 the better the knife edge 8
approximates the curvature of the surface 2 and the more
accurate is the clearing of' the surface 2 itself. '
Finally, -at least part of the guide and slide
devices 15 may be shaped so as to allow only the .
translation of the relative plate 12 from and to the
rolling element 5.
In particular, the plates 12 may be coupled to the
rolling element 5 in order to translate or slide only
from and to the rolling element 5 itself. In this
condition, the lower edge of the knife .8 approximates,
in use, the curvature of the surface 12 to be cleared,,
thereby clearing the surface 12 in a rough but still
acceptable manner. Obviously, both in such condition and
in the case of roto-translation of the blades 12 above
described, the clearing of the surface -12 is much
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--better, the greater ,the number of units 11 and therefore
the greater the number of plates 12. -
