Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
018425-0042
SWEEPING BLADE AND SWEEPING BLADE ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to snowplowing vehicles. More particularly, the
present disclosure relates to sweeping blades and to sweeping blade assemblies
for vehicles, such as snowplowing vehicles.
BACKGROUND
Snowplowing vehicles are well known in countries that experience significant
snowfall and severe cold. Such vehicles include a sweeping blade which travels
over the surface of a substrate such as a road, airport, runway, parking lot
or the
like for removing snow, ice, snowpacks, icepacks, debris such as gravel or
rocks,
or the like.
The typical challenge of these vehicles is the presence of uneven surfaces and
obstacles on the road especially those of a protruding nature e.g. bumps,
which
cause uneven wear and premature damage to the blade and/or the entire
assembly accompanied by an uneven cleaning of the areas surrounding the
protruding obstacle.
Sweeping blade assemblies including displaceable sweeping blades have been
developed. More particularly, some sweeping blade assemblies have been
conceived wherein the sweeping blades can move upward to clear an obstacle on
the road surface. Depending on the location of the obstacle hit by the
sweeping
blade with respect to its scraping edge, the sweeping blade will experience a
linear
displacement or an angular displacement. When experiencing a linear
displacement, the sweeping blade will translate along a plane corresponding
substantially to an attack angle of the sweeping blade assembly. When
experiencing an angular displacement, the sweeping blade will rotate to one
side
(or tilt).
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Because the sweeping blades are configured in an adjacent configuration in a
sweeping blade assembly, the allowed angular movement is typically limited by
the
position of adjacent blades.
Therefore, there remains a need for improved sweeping blade assemblies and
sweeping blades which, by virtue of their designs and components, would be
able
to overcome or at least minimize some of the above-discussed concerns.
SUMMARY
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide sweeping blades, sweeping
blade devices and sweeping blade assemblies for vehicles adapted for sweeping
a
ground surface that overcome or mitigate one or more disadvantages of known
sweeping blades, sweeping blade devices and sweeping blade assemblies, or at
least provide useful alternatives.
In accordance with a general aspect of the invention, there is provided a
sweeping
blade assembly configured to be attached to a plow blade of a vehicle for
sweeping
debris on a ground surface. The sweeping blade assembly comprises: a blade
support securable to the vehicle; and a sweeping blade device comprising: a
blade
main portion mounted to the blade support and comprising a rigid sweeping
blade
having convexly curved and opposed lateral edges and a lower scraping edge.
In an embodiment, the blade main portion further comprises a resilient
material
layer covering at least partially the rigid sweeping blade including the
convexly
curved lateral edges of the rigid sweeping blade, the blade main portion
having
convexly and curved lateral edges formed by the resilient material layer
covering
the convexly curved lateral edges of the rigid sweeping blade.
In an embodiment, the blade main portion further comprises a resilient
material
layer covering at least partially the rigid sweeping blade including the
convexly
curved lateral edges of the rigid sweeping blade, the blade main portion
having
substantially straight lateral edges formed by the resilient material layer
covering
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the convexly curved lateral edges of the rigid sweeping blade, the
substantially
straight lateral edges of the blade main portion extending substantially
parallel to
one another.
In an embodiment, the blade main portion comprises an upper edge, spaced-apart
from the lower scraping edge and extending substantially parallel thereto. The
sweeping blade device can further comprise blade inserts contained in the
rigid
sweeping blade at the lower scraping edge and the upper edge of the rigid
sweeping blade. The blade inserts can be exposed outwardly at the lower
scraping
edge. In an embodiment, the convexly curved lateral edges of the rigid
sweeping
blade can have a radius of curvature ranging between about 70 inches and about
90 inches.
In an embodiment, the blade support has at least two of the sweeping blade
device
mounted thereto with a gap defined between adjacent ones of the sweeping blade
devices, the gap ranging between about 0.2 inch and about 0.3 inch at the
lower
scraping edge of the blade main portion.
In accordance with another general aspect of the invention, there is provided
a
vehicle comprising a sweeping blade assembly as described above.
In accordance with still another general aspect of the invention, there is
provided a
sweeping blade device comprising: a blade main portion including a rigid
sweeping
blade having convexly curved and opposed lateral edges.
In an embodiment, the blade main portion further comprises a resilient
material
layer covering at least partially the rigid sweeping blade including the
convexly
curved lateral edges of the rigid sweeping blade, the blade main portion
having
convexly curved lateral edges formed by the resilient material layer covering
the
convexly curved lateral edges of the rigid sweeping blade.
In an embodiment, the blade main portion further comprises a resilient
material
layer covering at least partially the rigid sweeping blade including the
convexly
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curved lateral edges of the rigid sweeping blade, the blade main portion
having
substantially straight lateral edges formed by the resilient material layer
covering
the convexly curved lateral edges of the rigid sweeping blade, the
substantially
straight lateral edges of the blade main portion extending substantially
parallel to
one another.
In an embodiment, the blade main portion comprises a lower scraping edge and
an
upper edge, spaced-apart from the lower scraping edge and extending
substantially parallel thereto. The sweeping blade device can further comprise
blade inserts contained in the rigid sweeping blade at the lower scraping edge
and
the upper edge of the rigid sweeping blade. The blade inserts can be exposed
outwardly at the lower scraping edge.
In an embodiment, the convexly curved lateral edges of the rigid sweeping
blade
have a radius of curvature ranging between about 70 inches and about 90
inches.
In an embodiment, the blade support can have at least two of the sweeping
blade
device mounted thereto with a gap defined between adjacent ones of the
sweeping
blade devices, the gap ranging between about 0.2 inch and about 0.3 inch at
the
lower scraping edge of the blade main portion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects, advantages and features will become more apparent upon reading
the following non-restrictive description of embodiments thereof, given for
the
purpose of exemplification only, with reference to the accompanying drawings
in
which:
Figure 1 is a top and front perspective view of a sweeping blade assembly in
accordance with a non-limitative embodiment, the sweeping blade assembly being
configured to be attached to a blade support of a vehicle for sweeping a
ground
surface;
Figure 2 is a front elevation view of the sweeping blade assembly of Figure 1;
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Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along section lines 3-3 of the
sweeping
blade assembly of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a top and front perspective view of one of the sweeping blades of
the
sweeping blade assembly of Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a front elevation view of the sweeping blade of Figure 3;
Figure 6 is a front elevation view of the sweeping blade of Figure 3, showing
internal details;
Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along section lines 6-6 of the sweeping
blade of
Figure 5;
.. Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along section lines 7-7 of the sweeping
blade of
Figure 5;
Figure 9 is a front elevation view of the sweeping blade in accordance with
another
non-limitative embodiment, wherein an overall outer profile of the sweeping
blade
is substantially rectangular;
Figure 10 is a front elevation view of the sweeping blade of Figure 9, showing
internal details;
Figure 11 is a front elevation view of the sweeping blade in accordance with
another non-limitative embodiment, wherein the sweeping blade includes only
one
scraping edge;
Figure 12 is a front elevation view of the sweeping blade of Figure 12,
showing
internal details.
Figure 13 is a front elevation view of the sweeping blade in accordance with
another non-limitative embodiment, wherein the sweeping blade includes two
pairs
of superposed resilient bushing assemblies; and
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Figure 14 is a front elevation view of the sweeping blade of Figure 13,
showing
internal details.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the following description, the same numerical references refer to similar
elements. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity and clarity, namely so as to
not
unduly burden the figures with several reference numbers, not all figures
contain
references to all the components and features, and references to some
components and features may be found in only one figure, and components and
features of the present disclosure which are illustrated in other figures can
be
easily inferred therefrom. The embodiments, geometrical configurations,
materials
mentioned and/or dimensions shown in the figures or described in the present
disclosure are embodiments only, given solely for exemplification purposes.
Furthermore, in the context of the present description, it will be considered
that all
elongated objects will have an implicit "longitudinal axis" or "centerline",
such as
the longitudinal axis of a shaft for example, or the centerline of a biasing
device
such as a coiled spring, for example, and that expressions such as "connected"
and "connectable", "secured" and "securable", "engaged" and "engageable",
"installed" and "installable" or "mounted" and "mountable", may be
interchangeable, in that the present sweeping blade assembly or sweeping blade
device also relates to kits with corresponding components for assembling a
resulting fully-assembled and fully-operational sweeping blade assembly or
sweeping blade device.
It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is
not
to be construed as limiting and are for descriptive purpose only. The
principles and
uses of the teachings of the present invention may be better understood with
reference to the accompanying description, figures and examples. It is to be
understood that the details set forth herein do not construe a limitation to
an
application of the invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the
invention
can be carried out or practiced in various ways and that the invention can be
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implemented in embodiments other than the ones outlined in the description
above.
Moreover, components of the sweeping blade assembly, sweeping blade device,
bushing assembly and/or steps of the method(s) described herein could be
modified, simplified, altered, omitted and/or interchanged, without departing
from
the scope of the present disclosure, depending on the particular applications
which
the present sweeping blade assembly or sweeping blade device is intended for,
and the desired end results, as briefly exemplified herein and as also
apparent to a
person skilled in the art.
In addition, although the embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings
comprise various components, and although the embodiments of the present
sweeping blade assembly or sweeping blade device and corresponding
portion(s)/part(s)/component(s) as shown consist of certain geometrical
configurations, as explained and illustrated herein, not all of these
components and
geometries are essential and thus should not be taken in their restrictive
sense, i.e.
should not be taken so as to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It is
to be
understood, as also apparent to a person skilled in the art, that other
suitable
components and cooperation thereinbetween, as well as other suitable
geometrical
configurations may be used for the present sweeping blade assembly, sweeping
blade device, bushing assembly and corresponding
portion(s)/part(s)/component(s)
according to the present sweeping blade assembly, as will be briefly explained
herein and as can be easily inferred herefrom by a person skilled in the art,
without
departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
To provide a more concise description, some of the quantitative and
qualitative
expressions given herein may be qualified with the terms "about" and
"substantially". It is understood that whether the terms "about" and
"substantially"
are used explicitly or not, every quantity or qualification given herein is
meant to
refer to an actual given value or qualification, and it is also meant to refer
to the
approximation to such given value or qualification that would reasonably be
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inferred based on the ordinary skill in the art, including approximations due
to the
experimental and/or measurement conditions for such given value.
The present disclosure describes a sweeping blade assembly that is configured
to
be attached to a vehicle and, more particularly, to a plow blade of the
vehicle, in a
lower portion thereof, for sweeping a ground surface. It is appreciated that a
plurality of sweeping blade assemblies can be mounted to the plow blade of the
vehicle, in an adjacent configuration, to cover a length thereof. Each one of
the
sweeping blade assemblies can include a plurality of sweeping blade devices.
The
sweeping blades devices can be configured in an adjacent configuration to
enhance removal of snow, ice and/or other debris that are provided on the
ground
surface and/or to maintain the resistance of the whole sweeping blade
assembly,
and which, by virtue of its design and components, overcomes or at least
minimizes some of the above-discussed drawbacks.
Indeed, in accordance with a non-limitative embodiment, the sweeping blade
assembly includes a blade support securable to the plow blade of the vehicle
and
one or more sweeping blade devices, securable to the blade support to be
engaged with the vehicle. In an embodiment, the sweeping blade assembly
includes a plurality of sweeping blade devices mounted in an adjacent
configuration. Each blade support supports a plurality of the sweeping blade
devices and the vehicle and its plow blade can have a plurality of blade
supports
also mounted in an adjacent configuration.
The sweeping blade assembly can be mounted to the plow of a vehicle, either a
personal or a commercial vehicle, which can be a pickup truck, a tractor, an
ATV, a
UTV, a loader/backhoe, a skid-steer, a larger vehicle such as a spreader
truck, a
dump body truck, and the like. It can be used either as light or heavy duty
snowplow blades.
Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, there
is
shown a sweeping blade assembly 10 in accordance with a non-limitative
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embodiment, which is configured to be attached to a vehicle (not shown) for
sweeping a ground surface. The sweeping blade assembly 10 can be attached to a
plow blade (not shown) of a snowplowing vehicle, in a lower portion thereof,
as will
be described in more details below.
Still referring to the non-limitative embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the
sweeping
blade assembly 10 includes a blade support 12 which an upper portion thereof
is
superposable and securable to the plow blade of the vehicle, and a plurality
of
sweeping blade devices 26, which in turn are secured to the blade support 12.
Therefore, the sweeping blade devices 26 are indirectly mounted to the plow
blade
of the vehicle through the blade support 12. In the non-limitative embodiment
shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sweeping blade assembly 10 comprises two
sweeping blade devices 26 mounted to the blade support 12 and configured in an
adjacent configuration. However, it is appreciated that, in an alternative
embodiment, each one of the sweeping blade assemblies 10 can comprise only
.. one sweeping blade device or more than two sweeping blade devices 26.
As mentioned above, it is noted that in one scenario, the sweeping blade
devices
26 can be detachably securable to the blade support 12 using mechanical
fasteners as will be described in more details below. The sweeping blade
devices
26 are configured so as to travel over the ground surface, such as a road, a
landing runway of an airport, a runway, a parking lot or the like, for
removing snow,
ice, debris or the like. The configuration of the multiple longitudinally-
adjacent
sweeping blade devices 26 helps in efficiently clearing snow and ice debris,
even
in harsh conditions, as it will be described in more details below. In one
implementation, the sweeping blade devices 26 can also be secured to a blade
support 12 in a way to work substantially independently (i.e., to move
relative to the
blade support 12 substantially independently from one another), for sweeping
uneven ground surfaces more efficiently, for example (not shown). In the
context of
the present description, substantially independently with respect to the
relative
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movement of the adjacent sweeping blade devices 26 is intended to mean that
they can be independently mounted to the blade support 12.
Referring now more particularly to the non-limitative embodiment of Figures 1
to 3,
the blade support 12 comprises a vehicle mounting portion or first plate 14
and a
sweeping blade mounting portion or second plate 20, which is spaced-apart from
the vehicle mounting portion 14 in a manner such that the sweeping blade
devices
26 can be located (sandwiched) inbetween. The blade support 12 includes a
plurality of spaced-apart apertures 16 which extend through the vehicle
mounting
portion 14, in an upper portion thereof, and which are spaced-apart from one
another along a length L of the blade support 12. The apertures 16 allow
universal
attachment of the blade support 12 to the vehicle, such as to the plow blade
of the
vehicle, using a plurality of suitable mechanical fasteners (not shown)
insertable
therein, for example. Thanks to the plurality of spaced-apart apertures 16,
the
blade support 12 is configured so as to fit substantially any vehicle or plow
blade. A
plurality of mechanical fasteners (not shown), spaced-apart along the length L
of
the sweeping blade assembly 10, can be used to mount the blade support 12 to
the vehicle. In the non-limitative embodiment shown, the length L of the
sweeping
blade assembly 10 substantially corresponds to the length of the blade support
12.
The blade support 12 further includes sweeping-blade mounting apertures 19a,
19b (Figures 1 to 3) which extend through the sweeping blade mounting portion
20
and the vehicle mounting portion 14 respectively and which are spaced-apart
from
one another along the length L thereof. The sweeping-blade mounting apertures
19a, 19b are provided in pairs with a first aperture 19a extending through the
sweeping blade mounting portion 20 and a second aperture 19b extending through
the vehicle mounting portion 14. In the vehicle mounting portion 14, the
sweeping-
blade mounting apertures 19b are located below the plurality of spaced-apart
apertures 16 and are hidden by the sweeping blade devices 26, as shown in
Figures 1 to 3. As will be described in more details below, in a non-
limitative
embodiment, each one of the sweeping blade devices 26 is mounted to the
vehicle
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mounting portion 14 through two pairs of sweeping-blade mounting apertures
19a,
19b. Thus, the blade support 12 includes two pairs of sweeping-blade mounting
apertures 19a, 19b for each sweeping blade device 26. When superposed, the
sweeping-blade mounting apertures 19a, 19b of each pair are in register. It is
appreciated that the number of pairs of sweeping-blade mounting apertures 19a,
19b for each sweeping blade device 26 can differ from the embodiment shown.
Now referring more particularly to the non-limitative embodiment of Figures 1
to 8,
each sweeping blade device 26 comprises a blade main portion 28 and two
bushing assemblies 31. The blade main portion 28 extends between a scraping
edge or lower edge 30 (or a sweeping edge), which is adapted to contact with
the
ground surface, and a blade upper edge 32, which is found opposite to the
scraping edge 30. The blade main portion 28 also defines a front or debris-
contacting surface 37 and a rear surface or trailing surface 35, which is
found
opposite to the front surface 37.
Adjacent blade main portions 28 are separated by a gap 23 to allow rotation
and
translation of the blade main portion 28. More particularly, the gap 23 is
dimensioned to allow sufficient angular and translational (horizontal and/or
up/down) movement, as permitted by the bushing assemblies 31, as will be
described in more details below.
Referring now to Figures 4 to 8, in the non-limitative embodiment shown, each
one
of the blade main portions 28 comprises a rigid blade 40 at least partially
coated by
a resilient material layer 42.
The blade main portion 28 further includes two blade-support mounting
apertures
33 which extend therethrough between the front surface 37 and the rear surface
35. The blade-support mounting apertures 33 are spaced-apart from one another
along the length L of the blade main portion 28. In the non-limitative
embodiment
shown, the blade-support mounting apertures 33 are located substantially
centrally
of a height of the blade main portion 28. However, it is appreciated that, in
an
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alternative embodiment (not shown), they could be located in an upper half of
the
blade main portion 28. As will be described in more details below, the blade-
support mounting apertures 33 allow attachment of the sweeping blade devices
26
to the blade support 12, using suitable mechanical fasteners (not shown)
insertable
therein, for example.
it is appreciated that, in an alternative embodiment (not shown), the blade
main
portion 28 can include a single blade-support mounting aperture 33, which
could
be located centrally therein along a length L of the blade main portion 28.
Therefore, the sweeping blade assembly 10 would comprise only one bushing
assembly 31 for each sweeping blade device 26 and each one of the sweeping
blade devices 26 would mounted to the vehicle mounting portion 14 through a
single pair of sweeping-blade mounting apertures 19a, 19b.
As mentioned above, the sweeping blade device 26 further comprises two
resilient
bushing assemblies 31, one for each blade-support mounting aperture 33. The
sweeping blade 40 comprises two bushing holes 50 (Figure 6) extending
therethrough, spaced-apart along the length L of the sweeping blade 40. In the
non-limitative embodiment shown, the bushing holes 50 are located
substantially
centrally of a height of the sweeping blade 40. However, it is appreciated
that, in an
alternative embodiment (not shown), they could be located in an upper half of
the
sweeping blade 40. In the non-limitative embodiment shown, the bushing holes
50
have a substantially rectangular cross-section, with rounded corners, but it
is
appreciated that it can be characterized by a different shape (oval, circular,
elliptic,
square, etc).
More particularly, each one of the resilient bushing assemblies 31 is received
in a
corresponding one of the bushing holes 50. Since both bushing holes 50 are
substantially identical, only one will be described in the paragraphs below. A
diameter of the bushing hole 50 is wider than a diameter of the mechanical
fastener (not shown) used to connect the blade main portion 28 to the blade
support 12. The resilient bushing assembly 31 comprises a resilient bushing 34
at
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least partially filing an internal space in the bushing hole 50 and defined
between a
periphery of the bushing hole 50 and the mechanical fastener (not shown)
received
therein. In the non-limitative embodiment shown, the resilient bushing
assembly 31
further comprises a rigid sleeve 36, such as rigid polymeric or a metal-based
sleeve, received in an aperture defined in the resilient bushing 34. The rigid
sleeve
36 defines the blade-support mounting aperture 33, which extends therethrough
and is designed to receive the mechanical fastener (or sweeping blade
fastener).
The rigid sleeve 36 prevents direct contact between the resilient bushing 34
and
the mechanical fastener. More particularly, the resilient bushing 34 can be
configured to surround the rigid sleeve 36. The rigid sleeve 36 is used to
operatively and detacheably/removeably secure the blade main portion 28 to the
blade support 12, whereby as the blade main portion 28 vibrates and moves at
an
attack angle and angularly in response to road obstacles, these vibrations and
shocks are absorbed and/or dampened by the resilient bushing 34 which is
provided between the metal portion of the blade main portion 28, i.e. the
sweeping
blade 40, and the rigid sleeve 36 to avoid any metal to metal contact. A metal
to
metal contact (for instance, without the resilient bushing 34) results in an
increase
in wear and repair due to vibration which causes costs increase to the user of
such
a blade for removing snow from all kinds of roads and surfaces.
In the non-limitative embodiment shown, the rigid sleeve 36 is centrally
mounted
with respect to the bushing hole 50. However, in an alternative embodiment
(not
shown), it can be mounted eccentric with respect to the bushing hole 50, for
instance and without being limitative, in an upper portion thereof.
In an embodiment, one or more airgaps (not shown) can be provided within the
resilient bushing 34 for improving the compressibility thereof. This
arrangement
allows for increased movement flexibility of the blade main portion 28,
wherein,
when the resilient bushing 34 is compressed, the blade main portion 28 may
move
upward to avoid the obstacle and reduce its impact on the entire sweeping
blade
assembly 10. Whereas when the obstacle happens to be closer to one lateral
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edges 29 of the blade main portion 28 than the other, the bushing assemblies
31
allow to the blade main portion 28 to move angularly and rotate to one side
(or to
tilt) to reduce the impact of the obstacle onto the sweeping blade assembly
10.
In the embodiment shown, each one of the sweeping blade devices 26 comprises
two bushing assemblies 31, spaced-apart from one another along the length L of
the sweeping blade devices 26. However, in an alternative embodiment (not
shown), each one of the sweeping blade devices 26 can comprise a single
bushing
assembly 31, which can be centrally mounted along the length L thereof. In
still
another alternative embodiment (not shown), each one of the sweeping blade
devices 26 can comprise more than two bushing assemblies 31.
The blade-support mounting apertures 33 and the sweeping-blade mounting
apertures 19a, 19b have a circumference sufficient to allow a respective
sweeping
blade fastener (not shown) to pass therethrough. Furthermore, when assembled
together, corresponding blade-support mounting apertures 33 and sweeping-blade
mounting apertures 19a, 19b are aligned or in registered in a manner such that
a
respective one of the sweeping blade fasteners can be inserted therein. Each
sweeping blade fastener is of a sufficient length such that a distal end
thereof can
pass through the sweeping-blade mounting apertures 19b that extends through
the
vehicle mounting portion 14 of the blade support 12, through a corresponding
blade-support mounting aperture 33 which extends through the blade main
portion
28 of one of the sweeping blade devices 26, and through a corresponding
sweeping-blade mounting aperture 19a which extends through the sweeping blade
mounting portion 20 of the blade support 12, such that a nut (not shown), for
example, can be threaded onto the distal end of the sweeping blade fastener.
When the distal ends of the sweeping blade fasteners are passed through the
mounting apertures 19a, 19b, 33, and nuts (not shown) are fastened thereto,
the
sweeping blade devices 26 can be held securely between the vehicle mounting
portion 14 and the sweeping blade mounting portion 20 of the blade support 12
with the lower or scraping edge 30 of each sweeping blade device 26 extending
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downwardly from the blade support 12, i.e. from the vehicle mounting portion
14
and the sweeping blade mounting portion 20, and can be positioned for scraping
the surface, a road covered with snow, ice or other debris, for example. A
person
skilled in the art to which the present sweeping blade assembly 10 pertains
would
however understand that other attachment means could be used to secure the
sweeping blade devices 26 to a blade support 12. For example, the sweeping
blade devices 26 can also be detachably engageable with a corresponding blade
support, as mentioned above. In an embodiment, the sweeping blade assembly 10
can be free of sweeping blade mounting portion 20.
The resilient bushing 34 and the resilient material layer 42, if any, are at
least
partially made of a resilient material. The expression "resilient material" is
intended
to mean a material which absorbs energy when it is deformed elastically and
then,
when the force causing the deformation is removed, unloads this energy by
substantially taking back its initial shape. Examples include, without
limitations,
natural rubber, polymeric material, a wide range of composite material and the
like.
The expression "rubber material" is intended to mean a material in which bond
lengths deviate from the equilibrium (minimum energy) and strain energy is
stored
electrostatically. Examples include, without limitations, compositions of
nitrile,
hydrogenated nitrile, ethylene-propylene, fluorocarbon, chloroprene, silicone,
fluorosilicone, polyacrylate, ethylene acrylic, styrene- butadiene,
polyurethane,
rubber material and the like.
In a non-limitative embodiment, the resilient bushing 34 and the resilient
material
layer 42 are integral forming a single continuous unit.
In the non-limitative embodiment shown, the resilient material layer 42 covers
the
sweeping blade 40 along its entire height H, from the lower edge 30 to the
upper
edge 32. However, in an alternative embodiment, the resilient material layer
42
could cover only a portion thereof and, in still another alternative
embodiment, the
blade main portion 28 could be free of resilient material layer.
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The resilient bushing 34 being compressible, they allow for limited free
movement
of the blade main portion 28 with respect to the blade support 12. More
particularly,
the blade main portions 28 can translate/slide between the vehicle mounting
portion (or first plate) 14 and the sweeping blade mounting portion (or second
plate) 20. They can slide substantially linearly with the lower or scraping
edge 30
remaining substantially parallel to longitudinal edges of the vehicle mounting
portion 14 and the sweeping blade mounting portion 20 or in an angular manner
wherein the blade main portion 28 tilts or pivots. When displaced in an
angular
manner, the lower or scraping edge 30 of the blade main portion 28 defines an
oblique angle with the longitudinal edges of the vehicle mounting portion 14
and
the sweeping blade mounting portion 20.
The blade support 12 and the rigid blade 40 of the sweeping blade devices 26
can
be made of a hard, durable material. Each sweeping blade device 26 can
therefore
be made from a variety of materials depending on the application of the
sweeping
blade assembly 10. For example, the sweeping blade devices 26 can be made
from steel, cast iron, and the like. As shown in Figures 3, 4, 6, and 7, the
sweeping
blade devices 26 can be provided with a plurality of blade inserts 58 or a
hard
facing (not shown) along the scraping edges 30 thereof. Indeed, in one
scenario,
each sweeping blade device 26 can include a downwardly-opened longitudinal
insert-receiving channel which can be configured for receiving the plurality
of blade
inserts (hard-material blade inserts), such as and without being limitative,
carbide
inserts. On the other hand, the blade inserts 58 or hard facing can be made of
various durable materials known to the person skilled in the art, for example,
carbide, ceramic, etc.
In the embodiment shown, each one of the sweeping blade device 26 comprises a
first blade insert, made of carbide, inserted in an insert-receiving channel
located at
a first edge of the sweeping blade 40, for instance the lower edge 30 in the
figures,
and a second blade insert, made of carbide, inserted in an insert-receiving
channel
located at a second edge of the sweeping blade 40, opposed to the first edge,
for
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instance the upper edge 32 in the figures. The sweeping blade devices 26 being
removably attachable to the blade support 12, they are therefore reversible to
sweep the ground with the second scraping edge when the first scraping edge is
worn out, i.e. the sweeping blade device 26 can be mounted upside down and the
other sweeping edge, still unused, can be used instead, thereby substantially
doubling the life time of the sweeping blade device 26.
As mention above, depending on the location of the obstacle hit by the blade
main
portion 28 with respect to its lower or scraping edge 30, the blade main
portion 28
will experience a linear displacement or an angular displacement. As the
properties
of the material of the resilient bushing 34 and the diameter of the bushing
hole 50,
amongst others, limits the linear displacement of blade main portion 28 with
respect to the blade support 12, the angular displacement is limited by the
relative
position of adjacent sweeping blade devices 26, i.e. the gap 23 defined
between
adjacent sweeping blade devices 26. For the purpose of this description, the
tilting
angle corresponds to the angle defined between the lower or scraping edge 30
of
the blade main portion 28 and the longitudinal edges of the vehicle mounting
portion 14 and the sweeping blade mounting portion 20 (or the ground surface
or
an horizontally-extending axis).
In an embodiment, the blade support 12 has at least two of the sweeping blade
devices 26 mounted thereto with the gap 23 between the lateral edges 38 of
adjacent ones of the sweeping blade devices 26 ranging between about 0.2 inch
and about 0.3 inch at the lower scraping edge 30 of the blade main portion 28
and,
in a particular embodiment is around 0.25 inch 15 %.
In the non-limitative embodiment shown, the blade main portions 28 includes
substantially parallel lower and upper edges 30, 32 connected together by two
spaced-apart curved lateral edges 38. More particularly, the lateral edges 38
are
curved outwardly, i.e. a convex curvature, to provide clearance and allow
increased angular displacement of the blade main portion 28 when an obstacle
on
the road surface is hit. In the embodiment shown, the curvature of the lateral
edges
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38 is smooth and regular. However, it is appreciated that, in an alternative
embodiment, the curvature of the lateral edges 38 can increase going towards
either the lower edge 30 or the upper edge 32.
In the embodiment shown, referring to Figures 6 and 8, the lateral edges 38a
of the
sweeping blade 40 are curved. The resilient material layer 42 covering the
surfaces
of the sweeping blade 40, except the lower and upper edges 30, 32, wherein the
blade inserts are exposed at least at the scraping edge, follows the shape of
the
sweeping blade 40 and its lateral edges 38b are also curved.
In an embodiment, the radius of curvature of the lateral edges 38, 38a, 38b
can
range between about 50 and about 110 inches for a sweeping blade device having
a length L ranging between about 1 foot and, in an embodiment, the radius of
curvature of the lateral edges 38, 38a, 38b can range between about 70 and
about
90 inches.
The curvature in the lateral edges 38 increases the clearance between two
adjacent sweeping blade devices 26 and thereby increasing the possible angular
displacement before the adjacent sweeping blade devices 26 abut and further
angular displacement is prevented. Thereby, blade main portions 28
characterized
by a greater curvature in the lateral edges 38 and/or having a greater gap 23
inbetween, are allowed to a greater tilting angle. On the contrary, to limit
the
allowed tilting angle, the gap 23 between adjacent sweeping blade devices 26
and/or the curvature in the lateral edges 38 of the blade main portions 28 can
be
reduced.
Referring now to Figures 9 and 10, there is shown an alternative embodiment of
the sweeping blade assembly 10, wherein the features are numbered with
reference numerals in the 100 series which correspond to the reference
numerals
of the previous embodiment.
The features of the embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10 are substantially
identical to the one described above in reference to Figures 1 to 8. However,
the
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shape of the resilient material layer 142 covering the sweeping blade 140
along its
entire height H is different. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 8, the
shape
of resilient material layer 42 is substantially similar to the shape of the
sweeping
blade 40 including the convex curvature in the lateral edges 38b, i.e. it
substantially
.. conforms thereto. In the embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10, the
resilient
material layer 142 exhibits substantially straight lateral edges 138b,
extending
substantially parallel to one another. Therefore, the sweeping main blade 128
has
a substantially rectangular outer profile.
Since the resilient material layer 142 is deformable, the substantially
straight lateral
edges 138b, i.e. the additional resilient material adjacent to the upper and
lower
edges 132, 130, does not entirely prevents the angular displacement of the
sweeping blade devices 126 when an obstacle is hit but decelerates the
rotation
movement when two adjacent sweeping blade devices 126 come into contact upon
hitting an obstacle and being engaged in rotation.
Referring now to Figures 11 and 12, there is shown an alternative embodiment
of
the sweeping blade assembly 10, 110, wherein the features are numbered with
reference numerals in the 200 series which correspond to the reference
numerals
of the previous embodiment.
The features of the embodiment shown in Figures 11 and 12 are substantially
identical to the one described above in reference to Figures 1 to 8 and
Figures 9
and 10. However, the sweeping blade device 226 includes a single row of
inserts
258, located at the lower edge 230. Therefore, the main blade portion 228 is
not
reversible. It is appreciated that the resilient material layer 242 exhibits
convexly
curved lateral edges 238b, as the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 8, but it
could
include substantially straight lateral edges, extending substantially parallel
to one
another, as the embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10.
In the embodiment shown in Figures 11 and 12, the main blade portion 228
comprises two spaced-apart bushing assemblies 231 wherein the blade-support
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mounting apertures 233 are located in an upper portion of the main blade
portion
228 and are substantially elliptical in shape. Once again, it is appreciated
that the
shape and the configuration of the bushing assemblies 231 can vary from the
embodiment shown.
Referring now to Figures 13 and 14, there is shown an alternative embodiment
of
the sweeping blade assembly 100, wherein the features are numbered with
reference numerals in the 300 series which correspond to the reference
numerals
of the previous embodiment.
The features of the embodiment shown in Figures 13 and 14 are substantially
identical to the one described above in reference to Figures 9 to 10. However,
the
sweeping blade device 326 includes two pairs of resilient bushing assemblies
331,
respectively located in an upper portion and a lower portion of the the main
blade
portion 328. Thereby, when the sweeping blade device 326 is reversed to expose
the second row of inserts 358 to the road surface, the sweeping blade device
326
is mounted to the blade support 12 using a second one of the resilient bushing
assemblies 331.
In the non-limitative embodiment shown, the blade-support mounting apertures
333
and the associated rigid sleeves 36 are not centered in their respective
bushing
holes 350 but are located closer to their respective row of inserts 358.
The bushing holes 350 and resilient bushing 334 have a substantially
rectangular
cross-section, with rounded corners, but it is appreciated that it can be
characterized by a different shape (oval, circular, elliptic, square, etc).
Once again, the resilient material layer 342 exhibits convexly curved lateral
edges
338b, as the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 8, but it could include
substantially
straight lateral edges, extending substantially parallel to one another, as
the
embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10.
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The other features of the sweeping blade assembly 10 can be embodied in the
embodiments of Figures 9 and 10, Figures 11 and 12, and Figures 13 and 14,
such
as and without being limitative the blade support 12, the mechanical
fasteners, and
the like.
It can also be appreciated by a person skilled in the art to which the
sweeping
blade assembly 10, 110, 210, 310 pertains that vehicles other than snowplowing
vehicles can be equipped with the above-described blade support 12. It is also
noted that the blade support 12 can be comprised of one elongated blade
support
12, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, or can be comprised of multiple blade supports
mounted to the vehicle in an adjacent configuration (not shown).
The blade support 12 can be secured to a front, rear or side of a snowplowing
vehicle or snowplowing apparatus. The blade support 12 can be secured to the
front, rear or side of the vehicle using the plurality of suitable mechanical
fasteners
(not shown) insertable in at least some of the spaced-apart apertures 16, for
example, which are then inserted into corresponding apertures (e.g., threaded
apertures) provided on the front, rear or side of the vehicle or apparatus
(not
shown).
The sweeping blade fastener (not shown) can be shaped such that a head of the
mechanical fastener can sit beneath a surface defined by the vehicle mounting
portion 14 once it has been inserted through a respective mounting apertures
19a.
While the blade support 12 can be releasably secured to the vehicle using
suitable
mechanical fasteners, such as bolts and locknuts, it can be appreciated by the
person skilled in the art that various other attachment methods can be used,
including studs, press fit studs, rivets or adhesive, for example. The blade
support
12 can even be permanently attached to the vehicle or apparatus by, for
example,
welding, tack welding or other methods. It is noted that the blade support 12
can be
of varying lengths and heights. For example, the blade support 12 can be
between
about 36 and 60 inches in length.
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The sweeping blade devices 26, 126, 226, 326 can be of varying lengths and
heights. For example, the sweeping blade devices 26, 126, 226, 326 can be
between about 4 and 12 inches in height. On the other hand, the sweeping blade
devices 26 can be between about 6 inches and 24 inches in length.
As best shown in Figures 1 to 3, once the sweeping blade devices 26, 126, 226,
326 are securely held in place between the vehicle mounting portion 14 and the
sweeping blade mounting portion 20 of the blade support 12, lower portions 27
of
the sweeping blade devices 26, 126, 226 extend outwardly (i.e., downwardly)
past
the blade support 12. The lower portions 27 of the sweeping blade devices 26,
126, 226, 326 are therefore exposed.
In some implementations, the blade support 12 (i.e., the vehicle mounting
portion
14 and the sweeping blade mounting portion 20,), the plurality of reinforced
sweeping blade devices 26, 126 226, 326 and/or the plurality of sweeping blade
fasteners can be secured one to another by preventing metal to metal contact
between the components/parts of the sweeping blade assembly. The ability to
have absolutely no metal to metal contact (or to reduce the metal to metal
contact)
can significantly reduce the vibration throughout the whole sweeping blade
assembly 10, 110, 210, 310 and can result in more complete and efficient snow
removal by way of example only. It can also reduce overall operating costs.
Another benefit of using the resilient layer 42, 142, 242, 342 is that, as the
resilient
layer deforms, it can allow the reinforced sweeping blade devices 26, 126,
226,
326 to move slightly in response to uneven surfaces, obstructions or debris,
while
not placing undue stress on the blade support 12 of the sweeping blade
assembly
10, 110, 210, 310.
In the above description, an embodiment is an example or implementation of the
inventions. The various appearances of "one embodiment," "an embodiment" or
"some embodiments" do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments.
Reference in the specification to "some embodiments", "an embodiment", "one
embodiment" or "other embodiments" means that a particular feature, structure,
or
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characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at
least
some embodiments, but not necessarily all embodiments, of the inventions.
Although various features of the invention may be described in the context of
a
single embodiment, the features may also be provided separately or in any
suitable
combination. Conversely, although the invention may be described herein in the
context of separate embodiments for clarity, the invention may also be
implemented in a single embodiment.
It is to be understood that the terms "including", "comprising", "consisting"
and
grammatical variants thereof do not preclude the addition of one or more
components, features, steps, or integers or groups thereof and that the terms
are
to be construed as specifying components, features, steps or integers.
If the specification or claims refer to "an additional" element, that does not
preclude
there being more than one of the additional element. It is to be understood
that
where the claims or specification refer to "a" or "an" element, such reference
is not
be construed that there is only one of that element.
It is to be understood that where the specification states that a component,
feature,
structure, or characteristic "may", "might", "can" or "could" be included,
that
particular component, feature, structure, or characteristic is not required to
be
included.
Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and
illustrated herein. The embodiments of the invention described above are
intended
to be exemplary only. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate
the
features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and
variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would
further
appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination
with
the other embodiments disclosed herein. It is understood that the invention
may
be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the central
characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are
to
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be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the
invention is
not to be limited to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific
embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come
to mind. The scope of the invention is therefore intended to be limited solely
by the
scope of the appended claims.
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