# US 12,000,101 B2 · Rotor for snow thrower > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,000,101 B2 - Document ID: US12000101B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/377,908 - Filed: 2021-07-16 - Published: 2022-01-06 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-27 - Assignees: The Toro Company - Applicants: The Toro Company - Inventors: Paul Frederick Koltz; Brian Algot Hanson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000101B2 ## CPC - E01H 5/09: the elements being rotary or moving along a closed circular path, e.g. rotary cutter, digging wheels - 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 snow thrower includes a rotor assembly having a first auger, a second auger, and a paddle disposed between the first and second augers. The snow thrower also includes an intake housing having a first interior surface adjacent to the first auger and a second interior surface adjacent to the second auger, where an outer edge of the first auger has a clearance of less than 1 centimeter from the first interior surface across a sweep of at least 120 degrees, and an outer edge of the second auger has a clearance of less than 1 centimeter from the second interior surface across a sweep of at least 120 degrees. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A snow thrower comprising: a rotor assembly having a first auger, a second auger, and a paddle disposed between the first and second augers, the rotor assembly fixed to a shaft and the shaft configured to rotate around an axis; an intake housing having a first interior surface adjacent to the first auger and a second interior surface adjacent to the second auger, the intake housing further comprising a first kicker and a second kicker defining a chute opening therebetween, the chute opening having a width greater than a width of a throwing surface of the rotor assembly; wherein an outer edge of the first auger has a clearance of less than 1 centimeter from the first interior surface, wherein the first interior surface extends from a bottom edge to a corner edge of the intake housing, and an outer edge of the second auger has a clearance of less than 1 centimeter from the second interior surface, wherein the second interior surface extends from a bottom edge to a corner edge of the intake housing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The snow thrower of claim 1, wherein the intake housing further comprises a third interior surface portion adjacent to the paddle, wherein the outer diameter of the paddle has a clearance of less than 1 centimeter from the third interior surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The snow thrower of claim 1, wherein a width of the first auger is greater than a width of the first kicker and a width of the second auger is greater than a width of the second kicker. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The snow thrower of claim 3, wherein a ratio of the first kicker width to the first auger width is at least 0.75 and a ratio of the second kicker width to the second auger width is at least 0.75. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The snow thrower of claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly provides a degree of helix of greater than 180 degrees. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The snow thrower of claim 1, wherein the first interior surface and the second interior surface are cylindrical. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The snow thrower of claim 1, wherein the first and second augers each have a first blade and a second blade forming a double helix. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The snow thrower of claim 1, wherein the first and second augers are metal, wherein the paddle comprises a paddle body extending from the shaft to a mid-point of a throwing surface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The snow thrower of claim 1, wherein the first auger has a first blade and a second blade defining a double helix, the paddle has a first throwing surface and a second throwing surface, and wherein the first blade of the first auger is attached to the first throwing surface and the second blade of the first auger is attached to the second throwing surface. ### Claim 10 A snow thrower comprising: a rotor assembly having a first auger, a second auger, and a paddle disposed between the first and second augers, the rotor assembly fixed to a shaft and the shaft configured to rotate around an axis; an intake housing having a first interior surface adjacent to the first auger and a second interior surface adjacent to the second auger, the intake housing further comprising a first kicker and a second kicker defining a chute opening therebetween, wherein an outer edge of the first auger has a clearance of less than 1 centimeter from the first interior surface across a sweep of at least 120 degrees, and an outer edge of the second auger has a clearance of less than 1 centimeter from the second interior surface across a sweep of at least 120 degrees. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The snow thrower of claim 10, wherein the first interior surface extends from a bottom edge to a corner edge of the intake housing, wherein the second interior surface extends from a bottom edge to a corner edge of the intake housing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The snow thrower of claim 11, wherein the intake housing further comprises a third interior surface portion adjacent to the paddle, wherein the outer diameter of the paddle has a clearance of less than 1 centimeter from the third interior surface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The snow thrower of claim 12, wherein a ratio of the first kicker width to the first auger width is at least 0.75 and a ratio of the second kicker width to the second auger width is at least 0.75. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The snow thrower of claim 13, wherein the chute opening having a width greater than a width of a throwing surface of the rotor assembly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The snow thrower of claim 14, wherein the intake housing has a clearance of less than 0.5 centimeters from the outer diameter of the first and second augers through at least 120 degrees of rotation of the rotor assembly. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The snow thrower of claim 15, wherein the rotor assembly provides a degree of helix of greater than 180 degrees. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The snow thrower of claim 16, wherein the first interior surface and the second interior surface are cylindrical. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The snow thrower of claim 17, wherein the first and second augers each have a first blade and a second blade forming a double helix. ### Claim 19 A snow thrower comprising: an intake housing comprising a first kicker and a second kicker defining a chute opening therebetween; and a rotor assembly having a first auger, a second auger, and a paddle disposed between the first and second augers, the rotor assembly fixed to a shaft and the shaft configured to rotate around an axis; wherein the paddle comprises: a throwing surface; a first opening configured to receive the first auger; and a second opening configured to receive the second auger; the first auger having a leading end adjacent to a first side of the intake housing, a trailing end adjoining the throwing surface, and a conveying surface extending between the leading end and the trailing end; and the second auger having a leading end adjacent to a second side of the intake housing, a trailing end adjoining the throwing surface, and a conveying surface extending between the leading end and the trailing end. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The snow thrower of claim 19, wherein the first and second kickers define protrusions curving outwards from a rear wall of the intake housing, the intake housing having a first interior surface adjacent to the first auger and a second interior surface adjacent to the second auger, wherein an outer edge of the first auger has a clearance of less than 1 centimeter from the first interior surface across a sweep of at least 120 degrees, and an outer edge of the second auger has a clearance of less than 1 centimeter from the second interior surface across a sweep of at least 120 degrees.