Vertical auger snow removal device

A snow removal device comprising, in combination, a snow blower fan having a horizontal axis, a first vertical auger at one side of the fan axis and in front of the fan, a second vertical auger beside the first auger, at the other side of the fan axis and in front of the fan, said first auger having a continuous right hand helix blade originating near the bottom of the auger and ending near the top of the auger, means said second auger having a continuous left-hand helix blade originating near the bottom of said second auger and ending near the top of said second auger mounting said augers for rotation about parallel vertical axes with said right hand helix auger to the right of the fan centerline, as viewed from in front of the augers and looking toward the fan, and said left hand helix auger to the left of the fan centerline, as viewed from in front of the augers and looking toward the fan, so that the front portions of the blades of the augers slope toward each other, drive means for rotating the augers in synchronism toward each other so that said front portions of the blades which slope toward each other convey snow toward the vertical plane including the fan axis, said fan having a diameter approximately equal to the height of each auger and having its axis disposed in a generally horizontal plane mid-way between the ends of the augers so that all snow conveyed toward the fan by the augers is removed by the fan without danger of clogging in the region between the fan and the augers, and further comprising, third and fourth vertical augers in a common horizontal plane with said first and second augers, means mounting said third auger beside said first auger, and means mounting said fourth auger beside said second auger, said third auger being identical to said first auger, and said fourth auger being identical to aid second auger, and drive means for rotating said first and third augers in the same direction and toward the fan and for rotating the second and fourth augers in the same direction and toward the fan, said drive means including positive gearing for rotating said augers at the same speed and in synchronism, said auger blades of the first and third augers being essentially tangent to each other at two locations, and said auger blades of said second and fourth augers being essentially tangent to each other at two locations, to provide inwardly sloping continuous blade surfaces across the two augers at each side of the fan axis, said essentially tangent surfaces causing snow to slide toward the vertical plane of the fan axis in a continuous fashion, said drive means for rotating the augers in synchronism maintaining said essentially tangent relationship for all rotational positions of said augers.