Excavating – Snow or ice removing or grooming by portable device – Scraper blade
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-30
2004-06-22
Will, Thomas S. (Department: 3671)
Excavating
Snow or ice removing or grooming by portable device
Scraper blade
C037S232000, C037S281000, C172S265000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06751894
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to apparatuses and methods for moving snow, and more particularly to apparatuses and methods for removing snow from travel surfaces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the snow removal industry, snow is ordinarily removed from travel surfaces such as roads, runways, driveways, bridges, parking lots, and the like for purposes of safety and improved user travel. Generally, snow is removed with a snowplow, a shovel, a blower, an auger, a broom, or a combination thereof. Despite numerous developments in snow removal technology, several problems still exist with conventional snow removal apparatuses and methods.
There is also a need for a snow removal apparatus which can remove snow from a travel surface with varying cross-sectional elevations. For example, travel surfaces such as roads and runways are often sloped or provided with a crown having a high central elevation and lower outer edges. Generally, the wider the travel surface, the larger the difference between such elevations. Alternatively, travel surfaces can slope inwardly from high outer edges to a central depressed gutter. This type of travel surface shape can serve a number of different purposes, such as to facilitate drainage down the center of the travel surface or to prevent pooling of melted snow, rainwater, runoff, waste, and the like.
Conventional snow removal apparatuses generally remove snow relatively well from areas of the travel surface having the highest elevations. However, conventional snow removal apparatuses generally leave snow on areas of the travel surface having the lowest elevations. In applications in which it is particularly necessary to remove snow from crowned or centrally-depressed travel surfaces (e.g., freeways, highways, airport runways, and taxiways), conventional snow removal apparatuses must often make several passes to remove all or nearly all snow from the travel surface. Alternatively, multiple vehicles are needed to clear snow from the travel surface. Often, even after multiple passes have been made with conventional snow removal apparatuses, snow still remains in areas having the lowest elevations. Therefore, a need exists for a snow removal apparatus capable of removing snow from a travel surface having a varying cross-sectional elevation without necessitating numerous passes and without missing significant quantities of snow.
The cross-sectional shape of a travel surface typically changes along the travel direction (or otherwise along the travel direction of a vehicle clearing snow from the travel surface). For example, a travel surface can have a crown for a distance followed by a relatively horizontal surface without a crown, and/or by a section having a depressed region. Similarly, the travel surface can have bumps, cracks, rumble strips, steps, or other discontinuities which can significantly alter the contours of the travel surface. Additionally, travel surfaces having similar profile shapes often vary in one or more manners (e.g., crown height, slope angle from center, etc.). It is therefore desirable for a snow removal apparatus to be able to adjust to changes in cross sectional elevation of the travel surface. It is also desirable that such adjustment can be made with minimal or no operator input. Because snow removal often takes place in severe operating conditions, automatically adjustable snow removal apparatuses (adjustable from inside or outside of the vehicle) are also preferable.
As discussed above, an important consideration for the design of a snow removal apparatus is the need to remove all or nearly all of the snow from a travel surface. Some travel surfaces (e.g., airport runways and freeways) cannot be used or are dangerous to use unless snow is entirely or nearly entirely removed from the travel surface prior to use. In these applications it may not be sufficient to remove most of the snow from a travel surface, leaving patches of missed snow. These areas of missed snow can be highly dangerous and/or unacceptable and can cause slippery spots on the travel surface. Therefore, airports, freeways, and other similar facilities can be subject to shut-down until snow is entirely or nearly entirely removed from the travel surface. In these cases, delays in removing snow from the travel surface can cost the owners, operators, users, and customers of the travel surfaces significant amounts of lost time and/or money. It is therefore highly desirable to have a snow removal apparatus capable of removing all or nearly all snow from a travel surface or from a given area of a travel surface.
The speed with which a snow removal apparatus removes snow from a travel surface is also an important consideration. Removal of snow is generally a relatively labor intensive operation, and can therefore be fairly expensive and can require skilled operators for satisfactory results.
The ability to store and transport snow removal apparatuses is another important consideration in the design of snow removal apparatuses. Conventionally, snow removal apparatuses are found in increasingly large sizes so that they can remove relatively large amounts of snow in a single pass or in a minimal number of passes. Unfortunately, these relatively large snow removal apparatuses can often be difficult to transport and store. In particular, snowplows are often so wide that it is difficult to store them in garages or other locations. Similarly, these plows can be so large that they present unique issues in transporting such plows on roads and highways. It is therefore desirable for larger snow removal apparatuses to be foldable, collapsible, or to otherwise take a more compact form for storage and transportation.
Another important consideration in the design of snow removal apparatuses is the need to be able to quickly and easily remove the snow removal apparatus from a vehicle and to quickly and easily remount the snow removal apparatus on the vehicle. In the snow removal industry, it is often necessary to remove snow removal apparatuses from vehicles when snowfall is unlikely or when the vehicle is needed for other purposes. Also, when a vehicle is not removing snow, it can be desirable to remove the snow removal apparatus from the vehicle to better preserve the snow removal apparatus and to reduce the weight of the vehicle. The need to remove or remount a snow removal apparatus on a vehicle can occur relatively frequently, particularly when the vehicle is used for snow removal and for other operations such as waste hauling, transportation of material, and the like. For example, snowplows are often coupled to garbage trucks, dump trucks, and other vehicles used for multiple purposes.
Durability is another important design consideration for snow removal apparatuses. Snow removal apparatuses which, push, pull, or throw snow can experience significant and potentially damaging forces. Also, travel surfaces are often paved or covered with gravel, sand, asphalt, concrete, or other similarly abrasive materials. Frequent exposure to these surfaces is likely to damage or to wear away at snow removal apparatuses. Similarly, potholes, rumble strips, speed bumps, and other surface discontinuities can be located on or in a travel surface. Often these discontinuities are hidden under snow or in darkness and are not visible to an operator of the snow removal apparatus. The resulting contact of such elements and features with the snow removal apparatus can damage the snow removal apparatus in some cases. Also, travel surfaces are often covered with corrosive substances such as salt, antifreeze, de-icing solutions, gasoline, oil, and the like. In combination with water, slush, and snow, these substances can cause rust and other corrosion of the snow removal apparatus.
In addition to the above design considerations, snow removal apparatuses that are easy to manufacture, easy to assemble, and inexpensive are highly desirable for obvious reasons. In light of the problems and limitations discussed above, a need exists for a snow removal apparatus which provides go
Beach Thomas A
Michael & Best & Friedrich LLP
Schmidt Engineering and Equipment, Inc.
Will Thomas S.
LandOfFree
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