Foldable snow compactor with side wings pivotable behind central blade

A foldable snow compactor of the type adapted to be towed behind a vehicle, said compactor comprising:

• a center pan having a lower working edge, a forwardly facing front surface and laterally outwardly facing end surfaces defining the overall width of said center pan;
• a pair of wings, each having a lower working edge, a forwardly facing front surface and a laterally inwardly facing end surface, said wings being adapted to be operatively positioned at opposite ends of said center pan, with their front surfaces and working edges providing continuing extensions of the front surface and working edge of said center pan, and with the end surfaces of said wings being in contact with respective ones of the end surfaces of said center pan;
• connecting means for joining said wings to said center pan for pivotal movement about first axes inclined forwardly from the vertical and located rearwardly of the front surfaces of said center pan and wings, said connecting means including first arms fixed to and extending rearwardly from said center pan, and second arms extending rearwardly from said wings and being pivotally connected to said first arms at said first axes;
• operating means associated with said connecting means for pivoting said wings between said operative positions and inoperative positions located rearwardly of said center pan and substantially entirely within said width dimension, said operating means including first links pivotally connected to said first arms, second links pivotally connected to said second arms, said first and second arms being pivotally interconnected at second axes located rearwardly of said first axes, with a pair of hydraulically actuated piston-cylinder units each of which is pivotally connected at one end to said first and second links at said second axis and at the opposite end to said center pan, said piston-cylinder units being extended by the application thereto of high pressure hydraulic fluid via fluid conduits in order to operatively position said wings;
• and
• relief means communicating with said fluid conduits for receiving and temporarily storing hydraulic fluid to prevent overpressurization of said fluid conduits in the event that fluid is expelled from said piston-cylinder units as a result of said operatively positioned wings being forced rearwardly against the holding action of said piston-cylinder units.