Wheeled shovel
AssigneeSnow Solutions LLC
InventorMark Noonan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus comprising a shovel disposed on a relatively large wheel and a method of using the apparatus for handling a load of material. The apparatus involves a shovel having a handle formed at the end of an elongate yoke, the yoke being mounted, at its middle portion, onto the axle of a relatively large wheel for the purpose of picking up of a load, transporting it to a location, and propelling the load overboard with a quick arm/body motion on the part of a person operating the handle. The substantially waist-high wheel is adapted to receive the body force of an operator as an effective leverage through the handle and cause a recoil action from the wheel to enhance the throwing power of the apparatus of the invention, comprising the shovel, the wheel and the yoke as the driving member.
Claims59
An apparatus for removal and disposal of materials comprising:
- a wheel assembly having an axle and a single wheel with a diameter equal to or greater than about 30 inches, the axle including a fulcrum member capable of transmitting a recoil reaction to an action applied at the axle;
- a driving member having two spaced-apart members, an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion, wherein the middle portion is attached to the fulcrum member of the axle with the axle positioned adjacent the middle portion having longitudinal adjustability relative to the middle portion that allows selective adjustment to the axle longitudinal positioning without substantially changing the axle height relative to the surface on which the apparatus is being supported;
- a handle disposed at about the upper portion of the driving member for moving the wheel assembly;
- and
- a blade disposed at about the lower portion of the driving member, the blade adapted to pick up a load of material from a surface when the blade is lowered to the surface by raising the handle and pushing the handle forward;
- wherein the wheel is substantially centrally disposed between the two spaced-apart members of the driving member, and wherein the apparatus is configured such that, when the handle is pushed generally downwards, the blade springs generally upwards and forwards throwing the load of material briskly upward and away from the blade in response to a recoil through the fulcrum member at the axle of the wheel assembly and pivoting of the driving member about the axle of the wheel assembly.
An apparatus for removal and disposal of materials comprising:
- a wheel assembly having an axle and a single wheel having a diameter equal to or greater than about 30 inches, the axle comprising a tubular body having two end portions;
- the axle adapted to act as a fulcrum and transmit a recoil reaction to an action applied at the axle;
- an elongate driving member having a curved upper portion, a generally straight middle portion, and an open curved lower portion, wherein the middle portion is attached to each end portion of the axle such that the wheel is disposed relative to the driving member for travel within a width of a footprint of the driving member, the axle positioned adjacent the middle portion and having longitudinal adjustability relative to the middle portion that allows selective adjustment to the axle longitudinal positioning without substantially changing the axle height relative to the surface on which the apparatus is being supported;
- a handle disposed at about the upper portion of the driving member for moving the wheel assembly;
- and
- a shovel blade disposed at about the lower portion of the driving member, the shovel blade adapted to pick up material from a surface when the shovel blade is lowered to the surface by raising the handle and pushing the handle forward;
- wherein the shovel blade is configured to spring generally upwards and forwards throwing the material briskly upwards and away from the shovel blade in response to a recoil reaction through the fulcrum at the axle of the wheel assembly and pivoting of the elongate driving member about the axle of the wheel assembly when the handle is pushed downwards.
An apparatus for removal and disposal of materials comprising:
- a wheel assembly having an axle, the axle comprising a tubular body having two ends;
- the axle adapted to receive a plurality of springs at the two respective ends of the axle to act as a fulcrum and transmit a recoil reaction to an action applied at the axle;
- an elongate driving member having a curved upper portion, a generally straight middle portion, and an open lower portion, wherein the middle portion is attached to the springs at each end of the axle;
- a handle formed from the upper portion of the driving member for moving the wheel assembly;
- a shovel blade attached to the lower portion of the driving member, the shovel blade adapted to pick up material from a surface when the shovel blade is lowered to the surface by raising the handle and pushing the handle forward;
- wherein the shovel blade springs generally upwards and forwards, thereby releasing the material briskly away from the apparatus when the handle is pushed downwards to cause the springs to compress and recoil through the fulcrum member at the axle of the wheel assembly;
- and
- wherein the plurality of springs comprises a pair of springs, one spring at each end of the two ends of the axle.
A method of snow removal with an apparatus comprising a single wheel having a diameter equal to or greater than about 30 inches, a yoke having a handle at a first end portion of the yoke, a shovel blade at a second end portion of the yoke, wherein the yoke is mounted onto an axle of the wheel such that the wheel is disposed relative to the yoke for travel within a width of a footprint of the yoke, the axle positioned adjacent the middle portion and having longitudinal adjustability relative to the yoke that allows selective adjustment to the longitudinal positioning of the axle without substantially changing the axle height relative to the surface on which the apparatus is being supported;
- the method comprising:
- moving the apparatus along a path by pushing the handle and rolling the single wheel in a direction commanded by the handle;
- shoving onto the shovel blade a load of material lying along the path of the apparatus;
- pressing the handle downwards, after picking up the load of material, to lift the shovel blade to a level that clears the path;
- transporting the balanced load of material to a destination;
- at the destination, briskly applying a force at the handle of sufficient magnitude for pivoting the yoke about the wheel axle such that the shovel blade throws the load of material a substantial distance away from the apparatus in response to the pivoting of the yoke.
A method of snow removal with an apparatus comprising a wheel having a portion substantially at the waist level of an operator, a yoke having a handle at a first end portion of the yoke, a shovel blade at a second end portion of the yoke, wherein the yoke is mounted onto an axle of the wheel, the method comprising:
- moving the apparatus along a path by pushing the handle and rolling the wheel in a direction commanded by the handle;
- shoving onto the shovel blade a load of material lying along the path of the apparatus;
- pressing the handle downwards, after picking up the load of material, to lift the shovel blade to a level that clears the path;
- adjusting further the level of the shovel blade to achieve a balanced load with respect to and over the axle of the wheel;
- transporting the balanced load of material to a destination;
- at the destination, briskly applying a force at the handle to propel the load of material to a substantial distance away from the apparatus;
- wherein the axle is adapted to receive a plurality of springs at the two respective ends of the axle to act as a fulcrum and transmit a recoil reaction to an action applied at the axle.
A wheeled shovel comprising a wheel assembly having a single wheel and an axle, the wheel having an outer diameter of greater than about 30 inches such that a portion of the wheel assembly is substantially at a user's waist level, a driving member having an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion, the middle portion being coupled to the axle, the axle positioned adjacent the middle portion and having longitudinal adjustability relative to the middle portion that allows selective adjustment to the axle longitudinal positioning without substantially changing the axle height relative to the surface on which the apparatus is being supported, a handle attached to the upper portion of the driving member for moving the wheel assembly, and a shovel blade attached to the lower portion of the driving member for picking up a load of material, the wheel disposed relative to the driving member for travel within a width of a footprint of the driving member.
A wheeled shovel comprising a wheel assembly having a wheel and an axle configured for transmitting a recoil reaction in response to an action applied at the axle, the wheel having an outer diameter of between about 30 inches to about 36 inches such that a portion of the wheel assembly is substantially at a user's waist level, a driving member having an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion, the middle portion being coupled to the axle, a handle attached to the upper portion of the driving member for moving the wheel assembly, and a shovel blade attached to the lower portion of the driving member for picking up a load of material, whereby the shovel blade propels the load of material away from the shovel blade when the handle is pushed generally downwards to cause the wheel assembly to compress and recoil through the axle, wherein the axle comprises a tubular body having two ends with at least one spring at each said end of the tubular body, whereby the springs are compressed when the handle is pushed generally downwards such that the compression of the springs provides a recoil action.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.