Adjustable wing plow with fixed pivot

Details Adjustable wing plow with fixed pivot Adjustable wing plow with fixed pivot

2000-10-12

2002-07-02

Pezzuto, Robert E. (Department: 3671)

Excavating

Snow or ice removing or grooming by portable device

Scraper blade

Reexamination Certificate

active

06412199

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to plows fitted on vehicles for moving snow, dirt, sand, gravel and other plowable, excavatable materials and, more particularly, to a plow for snow and other materials for use with pickup trucks, dozers, graders and other vehicles having plow wings which are individually adjustable for both extension of the main plow and forward angling of the wings for positioning the plow to prevent snow or other plowed material from slipping off the ends of the plow.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A wide variety of snow plows for pickup trucks and other utility vehicles are available and in use. These include straight bladed plows of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,026, and center-hinged, V-plows of the type show U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,074,448 and 4,658,519. Other straight bladed plows have been devised with one or both ends being slidably extendable as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,218,512; 3,807,064; and Swedish 323,974. Yet other plows have included straight blades with pivotable, non-extendable ends as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,145,825 and 3,477,151. At least one plow is shown in EPO 140,139 having permanently forwardly angled plow ends, which forwardly angled plow ends include slidable extensions wherein the entire plow swings from side to side so as to angle the entire plow left or right.
While each of the above types of prior known plows is useful in one or more situations, the overall flexibility for use of these plows has been limited. For example, for truck mounted plows which must be transported from one site to another for clearing snow or other plowable materials, it is necessary that the plow be short enough to allow transport on public highways which have limited lane width. However, when actually engaged in plowing, it is very helpful to have a greater length for the plow so that larger areas of the parking lot or other site can be cleared of snow more quickly. Yet another problem encountered is when large amounts of snow or other plowable material must be pushed or carried with the plow from one area of a clearing site to another such as the side of a parking lot. Many of the above mentioned plows allow snow or other material being cleared to slip off the ends of the plow thereby requiring additional time and work to completely clear the site.
Plows have been proposed which provide adjustable wings which are extendable and retractable and may be pivoted forwardly from their extended positions to form a generally U-shaped plow. For example, such plows are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,638,618 and 5,899,007. The plow wings are fully extended laterally from the plow and may be angled forwardly to form the generally U-shaped plow.
Many existing, prior known plows have, therefore, failed to provide a plow with sufficient flexibility to handle the varying needs encountered in plowing using pickup trucks or other vehicles, especially when such vehicles must be driven on public highways or when excavating or grading using a bulldozer, grader or the like. Such needs include a short enough plow length to allow transportation on public highways, a long enough length for fast, efficient clearing of a job site, and the carrying or pushing of plowable material from one area to another without allowing the plowed material to slip off the plow ends. In addition, plows should be as light in weight as possible while sufficiently strong to withstand the various forces imposed thereon during plowing of various materials. The plows should also allow for proper visibility during use as well as when moved to a non-use position on the vehicle, and should allow ease in repair or replacement of those parts subject to high wear during plowing use. All of these results should be accomplished while minimizing the size and space required for the plow in each of its arrangements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a plow having adjustable wings on its ends which can be adjusted to varying positions to allow transport on public highways, to provide increased plow length for fast, efficient clearing of snow or other material being plowed, and to allow carrying or pushing of plowable material from one area to another without the plowed material slipping off the plow ends. The present plow may be configured in various arrangements to handle each of these situations while minimizing the size and space required by the plow when in position on the vehicle. The present plow also allows adjustment to meet these various situations from a remote position in the cab of the vehicle without external, hands on adjustment.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a plow assembly for vehicles comprises a plow, a support for attaching the plow to the vehicle, an extendable plow wing, and at least one actuator connected to the plow wing. The plow has a front material engaging surface. The plow further includes a hinge member at one end of the plow. The plow wing is pivotally mounted to the hinge member and has an inner portion pivotally mounted at the hinge and an outer portion slidably mounted to the inner portion. Each of the inner and outer portions has a front material engaging surface. The outer wing portion is mounted for sliding movement along the inner wing portion between a retracted position in which an outer end of the outer wing portion is adjacent an outer end of the inner wing portion, and an extended position in which the outer end of the outer wing portion is spaced outwardly of the retracted position. The inner wing portion is pivotally mounted on the hinge member for movement between an aligned position in which the front surface of the inner and outer wing portions are generally aligned with the front surface of the plow, and a forwardly angled position in which the front surfaces of the plow wing extend at an angle to the front surface of the plow. The actuator is operable to move the outer wing portion between the retracted and extended positions, and to move the plow wing between the aligned and forwardly angled positions.
Preferably, the plow assembly includes a plow wing at each end of the plow. Both plow wings are movable between the extended and retracted positions and movable between the aligned and forwardly angled positions with respect to the plow. Preferably, the plow assembly includes two pair of actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders or the like. Each pair of actuators is operable to move one of the plow wings with respect to the plow. Preferably, one of the actuators of each pair is operable to move the outer wing portion along the inner wing portion between the extended and retracted positions, while the other actuator of the pair is operable to move or pivot the respective plow wing about the hinge between the aligned and forwardly angled positions. Preferably, the actuators are independently controlled such that the plow wings may be extended and/or pivoted as desired by the operator of the plow assembly.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a plow assembly for vehicles, comprises a plow, a support for attaching the plow to the vehicle, first and second extendable plow wings, first and second slides, and at least one actuator for moving the plow wings relative to the plow. The plow has opposite ends, a front material engaging surface, and a hinge member at each of the opposite ends. The front material engaging surface of the plow has a generally continuous uninterrupted surface. Each plow wing has inner and outer wing portions, each of which preferably has a cross-sectional contour corresponding to the plow and a front material engaging surface. The outer wing portion of each plow wing is mounted for sliding movement along the inner wing portion of the respective plow wing. Each of the plow wings is movable between a retracted position in which an outer end of the outer wing portion is adjacent an outer end of its respective inner wing portion, and an extended position in which the outer end of the outer wing portion is spaced outwardly from the retracted position. Each plow wing is pivot

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