Snow removing machine with snow removing plate

Details Snow removing machine with snow removing plate Snow removing machine with snow removing plate

2001-06-28

2003-02-04

Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3671)

Excavating

Snow or ice removing or grooming by portable device

Scraper blade

C037S246000, C037S253000, C037S263000, C037S266000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06513267

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a snow removing machine with a snow removing plate and, more particularly, to a snow removing machine which enables height adjustment of a snow removing plate with a grip portion of its operating handle gripped by an operator.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a self-propelled snow removing machine has been used to alleviate snow removing labor. The snow removing machine of this type is propelled by means of crawler belts and operated through an operational handle to cause a rotary snow removing unit and a snow removing plate to remove snow from a road surface. Such a snow removing machine is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. SHO-53-43724. This prior art snow removing machine is shown in
FIG. 6
hereof.
In
FIG. 6
, the snow removing machine
100
has an engine
101
for driving a drive pulley
102
whose drive torque is delivered through a belt
103
to a pulley
104
whose rotation is then transferred through a chain
106
to left and right drive wheels
107
,
107
(only one shown) by which left and right crawler belts
108
,
108
(only one shown) are driven.
Driving the left and right crawler belts
108
,
108
allows the snow removing machine
100
to move forward to cause the snow removing plate
110
, mounted to the front portion of the snow removing machine
100
, to remove snow
112
.
With such a snow removing machine
100
, as the engine
101
is located in the vicinity of the snow removing plate
110
, the snow removing plate
110
is exerted with a downward force due to the weight of the engine
101
. As a result, the snow removing plate
110
is caused to bite into the snow
112
to allow the snow removing plate
110
to efficiently remove the snow
112
.
In usual practice, removal of the snow is implemented with the height of the snow removing plate
110
adjusted to conform to irregular surface conditions of the snow
112
. For adjusting the height of the snow removing plate
110
, it is desirable that the height of a lower end
110
b
of the snow removing plate
110
can be confirmed by the operator. However, it is difficult for the operator
114
to look at the lower end
110
b
of the snow removing machine
110
from his standing position. For this reason, the operator
114
operates the height of the snow removing plate
110
so as to conform to the irregular surface of the snow
112
while looking at the upper end
110
a
of the snow removing plate
110
instead of looking at the lower end
110
b
of the snow removing plate
110
.
However, in the event that the engine
101
having a large weight is mounted to the front portion of the snow removing machine
100
as shown in
FIG. 6
in order to provide improved biting capability of the snow removing plate
110
, the engine
101
and an upper end
100
a
of the vehicle body
100
partially protrude beyond a linear line
105
intersecting between the upper end
100
a
of the snow removing plate
110
and the grip of the operating handle
113
. As a result, parts of the engine
101
and the upper end
100
a
of the vehicle body
100
disturb a view line
116
of the operator
114
, making it necessary for the operator
114
to tilt his head
114
a
to look at the upper end
110
a
of the snow removing plate
110
. Consequently, it is difficult for the operator to concentrate on the operation of the snow removing machine
100
, with a resultant deteriorated workability and increased operator's work load.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a snow removing machine, equipped with a snow removing plate, which has improved workability and enables alleviation of the work load of an operator.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a snow removing machine which comprises a vehicle body, a snow removing plate mounted to a front portion of the vehicle body for removing snow and adjustably moveable upward and downward in height, an operating handle mounted to a rear portion of the body frame and having at rear portions thereof respective grips, a pair of crawler belts each driven by an electric motor mounted to the front portion of the vehicle body via a power transmission mechanism, and a battery mounted on the body frame at a position rearward of the electric motor and the power transmission mechanism to supply electric power to the electric motor, the battery, the electric motor and the power transmission being located below a linear line intersecting between an upper end of the snow removing plate and the grip of the operating handle.
In the thus-arranged snow removing machine, the battery, the electric motor and the power transmission are located below the linear line intersecting between the upper end of the snow removing plate and the grip portion of the operating handle. As a result, it is possible for the battery, the electric motor and the power transmission mechanism to be located below the view line of the operator when the operator is looking at the snow removing plate to thereby avoid an obstacle in the operator's view line while looking at the upper end of the snow removing plate, allowing the operator to look at the upper end of the snow removing plate while keeping his working posture. As a consequence, it becomes easy for the operator to simply adjust the height of the snow removing plate in dependence on the irregular surface conditions of the road surface or the snow.
Desirably, the snow removing machine further includes a cover for concealing the electric motor, the power transmission mechanism and the battery. The cover also conceals the battery charger and the control unit, which are located rearwardly of the battery. The cover may be located below the aforementioned linear line or above the same. The key point resides in that when the operator looks at the upper end of the snow removing plate, there exists no obstacle to disturb the operator's view line.
Preferably, the vehicle body includes a pair of left and right drive wheels which serves as the front wheels and a pair of left and right idle wheels which serves as the rear wheels, with respective crawler belts being trained around the respective drive wheels and the idle wheels to allow the aforementioned vehicle body to swing upward or downward about the center of the drive wheel shaft. By locating the center of the electric motor at the position forwardly of the aforementioned drive wheel shaft, the weight of the electric motor is exerted onto the snow removing plate when the vehicle body is caused to swing to lower the snow removing plate, allowing the snow removing plate to readily bite into the snow.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2476526 (1949-07-01), Badlat
patent: 2605561 (1952-08-01), Maynard et al.
patent: 3200519 (1965-08-01), Kennedy
patent: 3994081 (1976-11-01), Middleton
patent: 4023287 (1977-05-01), de Brito
patent: 4104812 (1978-08-01), Stribiak, Jr.
patent: 4130952 (1978-12-01), Dion
patent: 4150501 (1979-04-01), Hayashi
patent: 4166330 (1979-09-01), Flick
patent: 4322896 (1982-04-01), Miyazawa et al.
patent: 4514917 (1985-05-01), Ogano et al.
patent: 4532725 (1985-08-01), Trejo et al.
patent: 4541187 (1985-09-01), Phelps
patent: 4783915 (1988-11-01), Sasaki et al.
patent: 5064011 (1991-11-01), Ogano et al.
patent: 5127174 (1992-07-01), Takeshita
patent: 5410824 (1995-05-01), Pedersen
patent: 6035561 (2000-03-01), Paytas et al.
patent: 6327799 (2001-12-01), Hanafusa et al.
patent: 53043724 (1978-04-01), None
patent: 2-38606 (1990-02-01), None
patent: 2000-240026 (2000-09-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Snow removing machine with snow removing plate does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Snow removing machine with snow removing plate, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Snow removing machine with snow removing plate will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3170957