Powered snow removal apparatus

A portable powered snow removal apparatus comprising:

• an elongated support;
• first and second handles spaced apart on said support and adapted for carrying and maneuvering said apparatus to remove snow from a surface;
• a prime mover connected to said support;
• a shroud supported by said support including a rear wall portion extending upward in the normal working position of said apparatus and forming a discharge chute for snow removed from said surface by said apparatus;
• a drive mechanism including a housing enclosing drive means substantially centrally disposed with respect to the sides of said rear wall and in front of said rear wall and supported by said support, said drive mechanism including a rotatable output shaft extending from opposite sides of said housing for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to said support, said output shaft supporting snow impeller means disposed on opposite sides of said housing and drivably connected to said prime mover, said impeller means comprising a plurality of generally radially projecting angularly spaced blades for engaging snow on a surface and impelling said snow upward along said rear wall of said shroud for discharge in a direction generally away from said handle means.

A portable power operated snow removal apparatus comprising:

• an elongated support;
• handle means on said apparatus for maneuvering said apparatus to remove snow from a surface;
• a power unit including a prime mover and a power takeoff shaft, said power unit being mounted on one end of said support;
• drive mechanism mounted at the opposite end of said support, said drive mechanism including a housing rotatably supporting an output shaft having opposed end portions projecting from said housing;
• snow impeller means connected to said output shaft in driven engagement therewith;
• and
• an elongated drive shaft mounted on said support and drivably interconnecting said power takeoff shaft with a pinion rotatably mounted in said housing, said pinion being drivably meshed with a gear mounted on said output shaft.

A power operated snow removal apparatus comprising:

• a support;
• a center drive gear housing mounted on said support including an output shaft having opposed end portions projecting from opposite sides of said housing;
• motor means drivably connected to said output shaft;
• and
• snow impeller means connected to each of said end portions, said snow impeller means including a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced blades, said blades including portions extending longitudinally with respect to the axis of rotation of said output shaft to overlie opposed portions of said housing to minimize the accumulation of packed snow around said housing and increase the swath of said impeller means.

A power operated snow removal apparatus comprising:

• an elongated support;
• a center drive gear housing mounted at one end of said support;
• an output shaft rotatably supported in said housing and having opposed end portions projecting from opposed sides of said housing;
• snow impeller means connected to each of said end portions;
• motor means drivably connected to said impeller means;
• and
• a dirve shaft disposed on said support and drivably interconnecting said motor means with said output shaft;
• said housing comprising a pair of housing members adapted to be joined together along a plane coincident with the axis of rotation of said drive shaft.

A portable power operated snow removal apparatus comprising:

• an elongated support;
• a power unit including a prime mover and a power takeoff shaft, said power unit being mounted on one end of said support;
• handle means on said apparatus for maneuvering said apparatus to remove snow from a surface;
• drive mechanism mounted at the opposite end of said support, said drive mechanism including a housing rotatably supporting an output shaft having opposed end portions projecting from said housing and means drivably interconnecting said output shaft with said power takeoff shaft;
• and
• separate snow impellers mounted on respective ones of said opposed end portions of said output shaft, each of said impellers comprising a plurality of generally radially projecting paddle blades connected to a hub portion, a bore in said hub portion adapted for mounting said impeller on said output shaft, a recess in said hub portion, and said output shaft includes drive key means mounted on said output shaft and projecting into said recess, said key means comprising a pair of spaced apart radially projecting drive pins mounted on said output shaft, and a force distributing band interconnecting said pins and disposed in said recess in driving engagement with said impeller.

A portable power operated snow removal apparatus comprising:

• an elongated support;
• handle means on said apparatus for maneuvering said apparatus to remove snow from a surface;
• a power unit including a prime mover and a power takeoff shaft, said power unit being mounted on one end of said support;
• drive mechanism mounted at the opposite end of said support, said drive mechanism including a housing rotatably supporting an output shaft having opposed end portions projecting from said housing;
• means drivably interconnecting said power takeoff shaft with said output shaft;
• separate snow impellers mounted on respective ones of said opposed end portions of said output shaft, each of said impellers comprising a plurality of generally radially projecting paddle blades connected to a hub, said blades extending longitudinally at their radially outermost end portions to overlie said housing, and a bore in said hub adapted for mounting said impeller on said output shaft;
• and
• means drivably interconnecting said output shaft with said impellers.

A portable power operated snow removal apparatus comprising:

• an elongated support;
• handle means on said apparatus for maneuvering said apparatus to remove snow from a surface;
• a power unit including a prime mover and a power takeoff shaft, said power unit being mounted on one end of said support;
• snow impeller means mounted at the opposite end of said support;
• means drivably interconnecting said impeller means with said power takeoff shaft including drive mechanism mounted at the opposite end of said support, said drive mechanism including a housing rotatably supporting an output shaft, said impeller means being connected to said output shaft in driven engagement therewith;
• a shroud at least partially enclosing said impeller means and forming a discharge chute for directing snow generally upward and away from said power unit, said should including a rear wall including upper and lower portions forming a substantially continuous smooth inner wall surface for guiding a flow stream of snow impelled by said impeller means, a recess in said rear wall and a flange delimiting said recess and adapted for removably mounting said shroud on said housing, and said housing includes a flange adapted to form a contoured closure over said recess to provide a substantially uninterrupted wall surface in the vicinity of said recess.

A powered snow removal apparatus comprising:

• a support member;
• a power unit connected to said support member and drivably connected to a drive shaft;
• a gear housing supported on said support member;
• gear means disposed in said housing and drivably connected to said drive shaft;
• an output shaft rotatably mounted in said housing and drivably connected to said gear means, said output shaft comprising a one piece shaft of substantially one diameter and extending through said housing so that its end portions project from opposite sides of said housing, a gear slidably mounted on and secured to said output shaft by a removable drive pin, said output shaft being supported in said housing by spaced apart bearings disposed on opposite sides of said gear in said housing;
• and
• snow impeller means drivably connected to respective ones of said oppositely projecting end portions of said output shaft.