Excavating – Snow or ice removing or grooming by portable device – Snow or ice surface groomer
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-23
2004-01-06
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3671)
Excavating
Snow or ice removing or grooming by portable device
Snow or ice surface groomer
Reexamination Certificate
active
06671983
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to groomers for snow and, more particularly, to a snow groomer assembly for grooming snow.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to groom snowmobile trails by the use of drags pulled behind a tractor. These drags cut off the tops of the bumps or moguls and fill in the valleys. The resulting trail looks very smooth. However, the snow filling the valleys is made up of relatively large chunks with minimal compaction and therefore does not bond together to form a hard durable surface. The tops of the shaved off moguls are quite hard. As a result, as snowmobiles traverse the newly groomed trail, the loose snow in the valleys is compacted and displaced and the trail becomes bumpy in a short time.
It is also known to use a tiller to groom snow on a nordic ski trail and alpine ski slope. The tiller has a rotating cylinder that cuts up a surface of a snow pack on the trail or slope. Although the above tiller has worked well, it suffers from the disadvantage that the tiller works on the snow pack as a whole, thereby impacting only a minimal number of individual particles. Snow on heavily used alpine ski areas often turns into chunks of ice (called death cookies). It is desirable to turn those ice chunks back into snow without compaction to provide a good ski surface. Current equipment such as groomers or tillers will not do this. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a snow groomer that acts on the individual particles of a snow pack, thereby changing the actual structure or make-up of the snow pack and to then densely compact the particles into a smooth surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide an improved snow groomer assembly for grooming snow on snowmobile trails and alpine ski hills.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a snow groomer assembly that acts on individual snow particles and changes the structure of a snow pack.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention is a snow groomer assembly. The snow groomer assembly includes a rotor and a plurality of teeth on the rotor extending axially and spaced circumferentially about the rotor to condition a snow pack when contacted.
One advantage of the present invention is that an improved snow groomer assembly is provided. Another advantage of the present invention is that the snow groomer assembly provides increased durability and thus prolongs the smoothness of the trail or slope. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the snow groomer assembly allows ice to be turned back into snow on alpine slopes and snowmobile trails. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the snow groomer assembly acts on individual snow particles or grains and actually changes the structure of the snow pack.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood after reading the subsequent description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Alger Russell G.
Quenzi Philip J.
Board of Control of Michigan Technological University
Florio Kristine
Michael & Best & Friedrich LLP
Will Thomas B.
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