Snowplow blade articulator assembly with passive downforce mechanism

Abstract

A snowplow blade articulator assembly includes a mounting frame for attaching a snowplow blade to a vehicle chassis. A hydraulic pump and a hydraulic reservoir are attached to the mounting frame, the hydraulic reservoir supplying hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic pump. An articulating assembly is attached to the mounting frame for moving the snowplow blade when the snowplow blade is attached to the mounting frame, the articulating assembly is fluidly connected to the hydraulic pump, and the articulating assembly includes a lift cylinder and a hydraulic manifold. The hydraulic manifold includes a downforce circuit that fluidly isolates the lift cylinder from the hydraulic pump when a first control valve is closed and the downforce circuit fluidly connects a lift chamber of the lift cylinder with a lower chamber of the lift cylinder to maintain equal hydraulic pressure in the lift chamber and in the lower chamber.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.