# US 11,993,903 B2 · Chute control assembly for a snow thrower > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,993,903 B2 - Document ID: US11993903B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/850,733 - Filed: 2022-06-27 - Published: 2023-03-16 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-09 - Assignees: MTD Products Inc - Applicants: Mtd Products Inc - Inventors: Adam Hiller; Michael Wright; Keith Fortlage; Alan Dumitrescu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993903B2 ## CPC - E01H 5/045: {Means per se for conveying or discharging the dislodged material, e.g. rotary impellers, discharge chutes (dislodging apparatus provided therewith E01H5/07, E01H5/08, E01H5/104, E01H5/12)} - E01H 5/098: {about horizontal or substantially horizontal axises perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of clearing} - E01H: STREET CLEANING; CLEANING OF PERMANENT WAYS; CLEANING BEACHES; DISPERSING {OR PREVENTING} FOG IN GENERAL {CLEANING STREET OR RAILWAY FURNITURE OR TUNNEL WALLS}(cleaning in general B08B) ## Abstract A chute control assembly for a snow thrower having a housing, handle, and a chute includes a control mechanism, a connecting mechanism, and a guide mechanism. The control mechanism includes an actuator mechanism that allows an operator to manually control the orientation of the chute from a position spaced apart from the chute. The connecting mechanism transfers rotation of the actuator mechanism to the guide mechanism. The guide mechanism is attached to the chute and rotates and adjust the orientation of the chute in response to rotation of the actuator mechanism in order to change the direction that snow is thrown from the snow thrower. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A chute control assembly for a snow thrower, said snow thrower having a housing, a handle operatively connected to said housing, a pair of wheels operatively connected to said housing, and a chute operatively connected to said housing, said chute control comprising: a control mechanism attached to said handle, said control mechanism includes a casing, a spool assembly positioned within said casing, and a selectively rotatable actuator mechanism attached to said spool assembly, said spool assembly includes the core, a central portion extending radially from the core, and a pair of grooves formed on an outer circumferential surface of said central portion, said central portion has a first circumferential distance; a guide mechanism operatively connecting said chute to said housing, wherein said guide mechanism rotates said chute relative to said housing in response to rotation of said actuator mechanism, wherein said guide mechanism includes a chute adapter rotatably connecting said chute to said housing, said chute adapter having a second circumferential distance; and a connecting mechanism operatively connecting said control mechanism to said guide mechanism, wherein said connecting mechanism transfers rotation of said actuator mechanism to said guide mechanism to cause said chute to rotate relative to said housing, said connecting mechanism includes a pair of cables, and rotation of said spool assembly causes rotation of said chute adapter; wherein said guide mechanism includes a scalloped surface that provides an indexing engagement between said guide mechanism and said housing, wherein said central portion includes an upper surface and an opposing lower surface, and one end of one of said cables is attached to said upper surface of said central portion and one end of the other of said cables is attached to said lower surface of said central portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The chute control assembly of claim 1, wherein said pair of cables of said connecting mechanism is a pair of Bowden cables. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The chute control assembly of claim 2, wherein one end of each Bowden cable is directly attached to said spool assembly and an opposing end of each Bowden cable is directly attached to said chute adapter. ### Claim 4 A chute control assembly for a snow thrower, said snow thrower having a housing, a handle operatively connected to said housing, a pair of wheels operatively connected to said housing, and a chute operatively connected to said housing, said chute control comprising: a control mechanism attached to said handle, said control mechanism includes a rotatable spool assembly positioned within a casing and a selectively rotatable actuator mechanism attached to said spool assembly, said spool assembly includes a central portion extending radially from an aperture, said central portion has a first circumferential distance; a guide mechanism, wherein said guide mechanism includes a chute adapter rotatably connecting said chute to said housing, said chute adapter having a second circumferential distance; and a connecting mechanism having one end operatively connected to said control mechanism and another end operatively connected to said guide mechanism, wherein said connecting mechanism transfers rotation of said actuator mechanism to said guide mechanism to cause said chute to rotate relative to said housing; wherein said first circumferential distance is smaller than said second circumferential distance, wherein a ratio of said second circumferential distance relative to said first circumferential distance is greater than 1.5:1. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The chute control assembly of claim 4, wherein said connecting mechanism includes a pair of cables extending between said chute adapter and said spool assembly, and wherein one end of each of said cables is wrapped around an outer circumference of said central portion between about one-half and eight times. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The chute control assembly of claim 4, wherein said connecting mechanism includes a pair of Bowden cables extending between said spool assembly and said chute adapter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The chute control assembly of claim 6, wherein one end of each Bowden cable is directly attached to said central portion of said spool assembly and an opposing end of each Bowden cable is directly attached to said chute adapter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The chute control assembly of claim 4, wherein said connecting mechanism includes a pair of Bowden cables, and one end of each Bowden cable is releasably secured to said spool assembly and an opposing end of each Bowden cable is releasably secured to said chute adapter, wherein rotation of said spool assembly causes rotation of said chute adapter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The chute control assembly of claim 4, wherein said connecting mechanism includes a pair of Bowden cables, and one end of each Bowden cable is directly attached to said spool assembly and an opposing end of each Bowden cable is directly attached to said chute adapter, wherein rotation of said spool assembly is directly transferred to said chute adapter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The chute control assembly of claim 4, wherein said chute is rotatable in both a clockwise direction and a counter-clockwise direction relative to a first operative position of said chute. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The chute control assembly of claim 10, wherein said first operative position of said chute is oriented straight ahead. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The chute control assembly of claim 10, wherein said chute has an operative range of about one hundred ninety degrees (190°). ### Claim 13 A chute control assembly for a snow thrower, said snow thrower having a housing, a handle operatively connected to said housing, a pair of wheels operatively connected to said housing, and a chute operatively connected to said housing, said chute control comprising: a control mechanism attached to said handle, said control mechanism includes a rotatable spool assembly positioned within a casing and a selectively rotatable actuator mechanism attached to said spool assembly, said spool assembly includes a central portion extending radially from an aperture and a pair of helical grooves formed on an outer circumferential surface of said central portion, said central portion has a first circumferential distance; a guide mechanism attached to said housing and said chute, wherein said guide mechanism includes a chute adapter attached to said chute and operatively connected to said housing, said chute adapter having a second circumferential distance; and a connecting mechanism having one end operatively connected to said control mechanism and another end operatively connected to said guide mechanism, wherein said connecting mechanism transfers rotation of said spool assembly to said chute adapter to cause said chute to rotate relative to said housing in response to rotation of said actuator mechanism; wherein said first circumferential distance is smaller than said second circumferential distance, wherein a ratio of said second circumferential distance relative to said first circumferential distance is greater than 1.5:1.