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US 2014/0109445 A1Published application
Rotationally molded snowplow assembly
AssigneeMeyer Products, LLC
InventorsMartin Warchola, James A. Kost
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A snowplow assembly may include a vehicle attachment component, a blade support component and a snowplow blade that are each formed in a rotational molding process. These components may be manually assembled and manually attached to the vehicle. The snowplow blade may be manually positioned adjusted.
Claims20
A snowplow assembly comprising:
- a mounting member that is mountable to an associated vehicle to support the snowplow assembly to the associated vehicle;
- a hollow vehicle attachment component formed in a rotational molding process and comprising:
- a surface that is attached to the mounting member;
- first and second arms;
- first and second channels;
- and, a hole;
- a hollow blade support component formed in a rotational molding process and comprising:
- first and second arms;
- first and second channels;
- first and second holes;
- a slot;
- and, an opening;
- wherein the first arm of the vehicle attachment component is received in the first channel of the blade support component;
- the second arm of the vehicle attachment component is received in the second channel of the blade support component;
- the first arm of the blade support component is received in the first channel of the vehicle attachment component;
- and, the second arm of the blade support component is received in the second channel of the vehicle attachment component;
- a hollow snowplow blade formed in a rotational molding process and comprising:
- a snow contact surface designed to contact and plow associated snow;
- first and second holes;
- and, a first opening;
- a first connection pin that is manually insertable into the first opening in the snowplow blade and into the opening in the blade support component to pivotally attach the snowplow blade to the blade support component about the first connection pin;
- a second connection pin that is manually adjustable into:
- (1) a first condition where the second connection pin is removed from at least one of the first hole in the blade support component and the hole in the vehicle attachment component to permit the blade support component to slide relatively downward with respect to the vehicle attachment component as the first arm of the vehicle attachment component slides relative to the first channel of the blade support component, the second arm of the vehicle attachment component slides relative to the second channel of the blade support component, the first arm of the blade support component slides relative to the first channel of the vehicle attachment component and the second arm of the blade support component slides relative to the second channel of the vehicle attachment component so that the snowplow blade is positioned at a snowplow operation height with respect to an associated ground surface;
- (2) a second condition where the second connection pin is inserted into the first hole in the blade support component and into the hole in the vehicle attachment component to maintain the snowplow blade in a positioned that is above the snowplow operation height;
- and, (3) a third condition where the second connection pin is inserted into the slot in the blade support component and into the hole in the vehicle attachment component so that the snowplow blade and the blade support component can float up and down with respect to the vehicle attachment component based on the snowplow blade's contact with the associated ground surface;
- and,
- a third connection pin that is manually adjustable into:
- (1) a first condition where the third connection pin is inserted into the first hole in the snowplow blade and the second hole in the blade support component so that the snowplow blade is positioned at a first angle with respect to the associated vehicle;
- and, (2) a second condition where the third connection pin is inserted into the second hole in the snowplow blade and the second hole in the blade support component so that the snowplow blade is positioned at a second angle with respect to the associated vehicle that is significantly different than the first angle.
26 more elements
A snowplow assembly comprising:
- a mounting member that is mountable to an associated vehicle to support the snowplow assembly to the associated vehicle;
- a hollow vehicle attachment component formed in a rotational molding process and comprising:
- a surface that is attached to the mounting member;
- a first arm;
- a first channel;
- and, a hole;
- a hollow blade support component formed in a rotational molding process and comprising:
- a first arm;
- a first channel;
- a first hole;
- and, an opening;
- wherein the first arm of the vehicle attachment component is received in the first channel of the blade support component and the first arm of the blade support component is received in the first channel of the vehicle attachment component;
- a hollow snowplow blade formed in a rotational molding process and comprising:
- a snow contact surface designed to contact and plow associated snow;
- and, a first opening;
- a first connection pin that is insertable into the first opening in the snowplow blade and into the opening in the blade support component to attach the snowplow blade to the blade support component;
- a second connection pin that is adjustable into:
- (1) a first condition where the second connection pin is removed from at least one of the first hole in the blade support component and the hole in the vehicle attachment component to permit the blade support component to move relatively downward with respect to the vehicle attachment component as the first arm of the vehicle attachment component moves relative to the first channel of the blade support component and the first arm of the blade support component moves relative to the first channel of the vehicle attachment component so that the snowplow blade is positioned at a snowplow operation height with respect to an associated ground surface;
- and, (2) a second condition where the second connection pin is inserted into the first hole in the blade support component and into the hole in the vehicle attachment component to maintain the snowplow blade in a positioned that is above the snowplow operation height.
16 more elements
A method comprising the steps of:
- (A) providing a snowplow assembly comprising:
- (1) a mounting member;
- (2) a hollow vehicle attachment component formed in a rotational molding process and comprising:
- a surface that is attached to the mounting member;
- a first arm;
- a first channel;
- and, a hole;
- (3) a hollow blade support component formed in a rotational molding process and comprising:
- a first arm;
- a first channel;
- a first hole;
- and, a first opening;
- and, (4) a hollow snowplow blade formed in a rotational molding process and comprising:
- a snow contact surface designed to contact and plow associated snow;
- a first opening;
- (5) a first connection pin;
- and, (6) a second connection pin;
- (B) attaching the vehicle attachment component to the associated vehicle by manually mounting the mounting member to the associated vehicle;
- (C) attaching the blade support component to the vehicle attachment component by manually inserting:
- the first arm of the vehicle attachment component within the first channel of the blade support component;
- and, the first arm of the blade support component within the first channel of the vehicle attachment component;
- (D) attaching the snowplow blade to the blade support component by manually inserting:
- the first connection pin into the first opening in the snowplow blade and into the first opening in the blade support component;
- and,
- (E) positioning the snowplow blade to an above snowplow operation height by:
- (1) manually sliding the blade support component upward with respect to the vehicle attachment component by sliding the first arm of the vehicle attachment component relative to the first channel of the blade support component and sliding the first arm of the blade support component relative to the first channel of the vehicle attachment component;
- and, (2) manually inserting the second connection pin into the first hole in the blade support component and into the hole in the vehicle attachment component.
24 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.