Snow thrower
AssigneeMurray, Inc.
InventorRichard A. Heismann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A snow thrower of compact proportions is obtained by a single piece housing which supports an engine having a vertical output shaft extending within the housing. The housing also supports a horizontally disposed auger drive shaft. A belt drive connects the engine drive shaft and the auger drive shaft via a pair of idler pulleys, one disposed at an inclined angle and the other being mounted on an idler arm pivotally mounted within the housing. The belt and idler arm pass through an opening in the housing to achieve the belt drive connection. A control member is provided to move the idler arm to tension the belt for driving the auger drive shaft or to relax the belt to interrupt the belt drive connection. In the latter condition, the belt is braked while retaining light contact between the engine and auger drive pulleys.
Claims12
A snow thrower comprising a housing for supporting an engine having a vertical output shaft which extends downwardly to within the housing;
- a drive pulley joined to said shaft;
- an auger drive shaft supported by said housing for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis;
- an auger drive pulley joined to the auger drive shaft outside of said housing;
- an idler arm pivotally connected within said housing;
- an opening in said housing through which one end of the idler arm extends;
- a first idler pulley rotatably joined to said one end of the idler arm outside of the housing;
- a second idler pulley rotatably connected to said housing, said second idler pulley lying in an inclined plane;
- a belt extending about said drive pulley, auger drive pulley and said idler pulleys and passing through said opening;
- and
- a control member joined to said idler arm, said control member being selectively operable to pivotally move the idler arm between a first position in which the first idler pulley tensions the belt to translate rotation of the drive shaft to rotation of the auger drive shaft and a second position in which the belt is not tensioned by the idler pulley.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.