A snowplow blade has a rolling body, a snow removal cutting edge connected to a lower portion of the rolling body, a motorized assembly for attaching the rolling body to a means for moving the snowplow blade forward; a plurality of nozzles delivering a de-icing liquid for the residual snow left on the road surface by the cutting edge; and a circuit for feeding and controlling the de-icing liquid sent to the nozzles; the feeding and control circuit having a mechanically operated monostable valve and a feeler, which is designed to cooperate, in use, with the road surface or with a mobile member of the motorized attachment assembly in order to close the monostable valve when the height of the cutting edge from the road surface exceeds a predefined threshold value.

An apparatus for de-icing a pathway, the apparatus comprising a frame including a set of wheels, a salt dispenser, a servo attached to the salt dispenser, one or more motors, the motors attached to at least one of the set of wheels, and a microcontroller communicatively coupled to the servo and the one or more motors, wherein the microcontroller instructs the servo to operate the salt dispenser and activates the one or more motors to drive the at least one of the set of wheels.

Handheld spreaders and methods of operating the same. The spreader can include a cup to hold particulate material and having an open upper end, a scoop assembly provided proximate the open upper end of the cup and including a scoop for directing particulate material being dispersed from the cup, and a sifter assembly removably coupled to the scoop assembly for metering an amount of the particulate material being dispersed from the cup. When the sifter assembly is removed from the scoop assembly, the scoop remains attached to the cup to direct particulate material being provided into the cup via the open upper end. The method can include opening the cup by removing the sifter assembly from the scoop assembly, placing particulate material into an open interior of the cup, closing the cup by replacing the sifter assembly, and dispersing the particulate material through the sifter assembly.

Handheld spreaders and methods of operating the same. The spreader can include a cup to hold particulate material and having an open upper end, a scoop assembly provided proximate the open upper end of the cup and including a scoop for directing particulate material being dispersed from the cup, and a sifter assembly removably coupled to the scoop assembly for metering an amount of the particulate material being dispersed from the cup. When the sifter assembly is removed from the scoop assembly, the scoop remains attached to the cup to direct particulate material being provided into the cup via the open upper end. The method can include opening the cup by removing the sifter assembly from the scoop assembly, placing particulate material into an open interior of the cup, closing the cup by replacing the sifter assembly, and dispersing the particulate material through the sifter assembly.

A snow plow is pivotally mounted to a tractor by a compound mount allowing for multiple blade positions. The mount has an inner portion pivotally mounted about a first horizontal axis to the front of the tractor and an outer portion pivotally mounted about a vertical axis to the inner portion. The plow blade is pivotally mounted about a second horizontal axis to the outer portion. Deicer nozzles spray liquid and a spreader distributes salt and other materials in front of the front wheels of the tractor.

An automatic treatment material spreader device that is designed to automatically spread a treating material such as a salt or fertilizer for treating lawns, gardens, driveways, and parking lots. The device includes a rectangular body having a truck bed for storing treatment material, tank treads for mobility, and a funnel with rotating blades for metering and spreading the treatment material to a target area. The device is remotely controlled by an operator through a software application wherein the device can run on electrical supply provided through an internal battery. The internal batter can be charged by a wireless charging dock. The device can be programmed through the software application to spread the treatment material within a specified area and a specified treatment schedule. The device provides real time information about its location, material volume, and battery status.

Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for dispensing a travel path applicant. For example, a computing entity can monitor the location of a maintenance vehicle and/or its travel path to dispense travel path applicants accordingly.

A robotic vehicle (10) may include a chassis supporting a storage tank (14) in which an aqueous solution is contained, a mobility assembly operably coupled to the chassis to provide mobility for the robotic vehicle (10) about a service area, a positioning module configured to provide guidance for the robotic vehicle (10) during transit of the robotic vehicle (10) over the service area, a spray assembly and control circuitry. The spray assembly may be operably coupled to the storage tank to spray the aqueous solution via a nozzle and a pump during the transit of the robotic vehicle (10) over the service area. The control circuitry (12) may be operably coupled to the spray assembly. The control circuitry (12) may be configured to determine characteristics of the nozzle to control an amount of the aqueous solution applied to the service area based on the characteristics of the nozzle.

A spreader comprises a hopper for containing sand, salt or other granular material to be spread upon snow or ice on paved surfaces, the hopper being adapted to be installed in or on a bed of a truck, the hopper having a trough, a shaftless auger positioned in the trough, an auger motor for driving the auger, a spinner positioned at one end of the auger for slinging the granular material upon the snow or ice, a spinner motor for driving the spinner, and at least one keeper supported by the trough and extending over the auger for retaining the auger in place during operation and thereby reducing flexure of the auger and resulting loss of efficiency of material transport by the auger during operation of the spreader.

A spreader assembly may include a hopper, a pair of augers positioned in a dual auger arrangement and a metering gate assembly including a gate and a biasing force generator. The gate may have a general M-shape with an inner extension and may be positioned generally above the augers with the inner extension extending between the augers. The biasing force generator may be operable to apply a biasing force to the gate causing the gate to operate as a metering gate.