Apparatus for removing unwanted material from the ground

Abstract

An apparatus for removing material from the ground is disclosed, with a path-clearing blade, a vehicle mounting, a body supporting the blade, and a jointed connection between the vehicle mounting and the body permitting the axis of the blade and body to rotate within a plane parallel to the ground. The jointed connection has first and second pivot arm each pivotally connected about a proximal axis of rotation relative to the vehicle mounting and pivotally connected about a distal axis of rotation relative to the body. As the body's axis rotates in the clockwise sense, the first and second arms each pivot counterclockwise about their respective proximal axes of rotation, and vice versa. The arms are preferably disposed above the body and the distal axes of rotation are mounted forwardly of the rear edge of a horizontal rotating brush mounted in the body behind the blade.

Claims

1. An apparatus for removing unwanted material from the ground when the apparatus is driven across the ground by a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a vehicle mounting permitting attachment of the apparatus to a vehicle; a body supporting a path-clearing blade, the blade having a longitudinal axis generally parallel to the ground in use, defining an axis of the body; and a jointed connection between the vehicle mounting and the body permitting the axis of the body to rotate within a plane generally parallel to the ground in use, the jointed connection comprising: a rigid first pivot arm pivotally connected about a first proximal axis of rotation relative to the vehicle mounting and pivotally connected about a first distal axis of rotation relative to the body, the first pivot arm comprising a load bearing arm having a distal portion extending over the body and being pivotally connected to the body about the first distal axis of rotation, and a rigid second pivot arm pivotally connected about a second proximal axis of rotation relative to the vehicle mounting and pivotally connected about a second distal axis of rotation relative to the body, the second pivot arm being a non-load bearing arm, wherein as the body's axis rotates in the clockwise sense relative to the ground, the first and second arms each pivot in a counter-clockwise sense about their respective proximal axes of rotation, and vice versa.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the separation between the first and second proximal axes of rotation is greater than the separation between the first and second distal axes of rotation.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the four axes of rotation define the vertices of a quadrilateral, with the first and second pivot arms defining two of the opposed sides of the quadrilateral, where the quadrilateral tapers from the mounting end towards the body end.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the geometry of the arms and the axes of rotation is selected to constrain the body to always lie within substantially the same width, regardless of the angle of rotation adopted by the body.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lateral extremities of the body, when rotated away from a neutral position, do not stray by more than a threshold amount on either side outside the body's lateral extent when it is in the neutral position, said threshold amount being not more than 12.5% of the plough blade's width.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a driven means for moving the body relative to the mounting is provided.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rotatable brush disposed on the body.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the vertical height of the blade can be varied relative to the brush to selectively bring either the brush or blade into proximity or contact with the ground.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the distal axes of rotation are disposed forwardly of the rear edge of the brush in the direction of the blade.

10. A snowplough accessory for mounting on a vehicle, comprising: a body supporting a snowplough blade at a front side thereof, the blade having a longitudinal axis generally parallel to the ground in use, defining an axis of the body; a rotatable cylindrical brush mounted on the body rearwardly of the snowplough blade with its axis parallel to the axis of the body; a vehicle mounting permitting attachment of the apparatus to a vehicle; and a pivoting connection between the vehicle mounting and the body permitting the axis of the body to rotate within a plane generally parallel to the ground in use, the pivoting connection comprising: a rigid first pivot arm pivotally connected about a first proximal axis of rotation relative to the vehicle mounting and pivotally connected about a first distal axis of rotation relative to the body, the first distal axis of rotation being located forward of the rear edge of the brush, the first pivot arm comprising a load bearing arm and having a distal portion extending over the top of the brush and being pivotally connected to the body about the first distal axis of rotation such that in normal use the brush is located below the first pivot arm and above the ground, and a rigid second pivot arm pivotally connected about a second proximal axis of rotation relative to the vehicle mounting and pivotally connected about a second distal axis of rotation relative to the body, the second pivot arm being a non-load bearing arm.

11. A snowplough accessory as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first distal axis of rotation is located forward of the axis of rotation of the brush.

12. A snowplough accessory as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first pivot arm is pivotally connected about the first proximal axis of rotation relative to the vehicle mounting and is pivotally connected to the body about the first distal axis of rotation, and the second pivot arm is pivotally connected about the second proximal axis of rotation relative to the vehicle mounting and is pivotally connected about the second distal axis of rotation relative to the body, so that as the body's axis rotates in the clockwise sense relative to the ground, the first and second pivot arms each pivot in a counter-clockwise sense about their respective proximal axes of rotation, and vice versa.

13. A snowplough accessory according to claim 10, wherein the separation between the first and second proximal axes of rotation is greater than the separation between the first and second distal axes of rotation, the four axes of rotation defining the vertices of a quadrilateral, with the first and second pivot arms defining two of the opposed sides of the quadrilateral, where the quadrilateral tapers from the mounting end towards the body end.

14. A snowplough accessory according to claim 10, wherein the geometry of the first and second pivot arms and the four axes of rotation is selected to constrain the body to always lie within substantially the same width, regardless of the angle of rotation adopted by the body.

15. A snowplough accessory according to claim 10, further comprising a driven means for moving the body relative to the mounting.

16. A snowplough accessory according to claim 10, wherein the vertical height of the blade can be varied relative to the brush to selectively bring either the brush or blade into proximity or contact with the ground.

17. A snowplough accessory according to claim 10, wherein both of the first distal axis of rotation and the second distal axis of rotation are disposed forwardly of the axis of the rotatable brush in the direction of the blade.

18. A snowplough accessory according to claim 10, wherein the lateral extremities of the body, when rotated away from a neutral position, do not stray by more than a threshold amount on either side outside the body's lateral extent when it is in the neutral position, said threshold amount being not more than 12.5% of the plough blade's width.

19. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the distal axes of rotation is disposed forwardly of the axis of the rotatable brush in the direction of the blade.

20. A snowplough comprising an apparatus for removing unwanted material from the ground when the apparatus is driven across the ground by a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: (a) a vehicle mounting permitting attachment of the apparatus to a vehicle; (b) a body supporting a path-clearing blade, the blade having a longitudinal axis generally parallel to the ground in use, defining an axis of the body; and (c) a jointed connection between the vehicle mounting and the body permitting the axis of the body to rotate within a plane generally parallel to the ground in use, the jointed connection comprising: (i) a rigid first pivot arm pivotally connected about a first proximal axis of rotation relative to the vehicle mounting and pivotally connected about a first distal axis of rotation relative to the body, the first pivot arm comprising a load bearing arm having a distal portion extending over the body and being pivotally connected to the body about the first distal axis of rotation, and (ii) a rigid second pivot arm pivotally connected about a second proximal axis of rotation relative to the vehicle mounting and pivotally connected about a second distal axis of rotation relative to the body, the second pivot arm being a non-load bearing arm, wherein as the body's axis rotates in the clockwise sense relative to the ground, the first and second arms each pivot in a counter-clockwise sense about their respective proximal axes of rotation, and vice versa.

21. A snowplough comprising a snowplough accessory, the snowplough accessory comprising: a body supporting a snowplough blade at a front side thereof, the blade having a longitudinal axis generally parallel to the ground in use, defining an axis of the body; a rotatable cylindrical brush mounted on the body rearwardly of the snowplough blade with its axis parallel to the axis of the body; a vehicle mounting permitting attachment of the apparatus to a vehicle; and a pivoting connection between the vehicle mounting and the body permitting the axis of the body to rotate within a plane generally parallel to the ground in use, the pivoting connection comprising: a rigid first pivot arm pivotally connected about a first proximal axis of rotation relative to the vehicle mounting and pivotally connected about a first distal axis of rotation relative to the body, the first distal axis of rotation being located forward of the rear edge of the brush, the first pivot arm comprising a load bearing arm and having a distal portion extending over the top of the brush and being pivotally connected to the body about the first distal axis of rotation such that in normal use the brush is located below the first pivot arm and above the ground, and a rigid second pivot arm pivotally connected about a second proximal axis of rotation relative to the vehicle mounting and pivotally connected about a second distal axis of rotation relative to the body, the second pivot arm being a non-load bearing arm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic overhead view of a known snowplough connected to the front of a vehicle body, when in a neutral (straight-ahead) position;

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the known snowplough of FIG. 1, when slanted to the left-displacing configuration;

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to the invention, in perspective view from behind and below;

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 3, in perspective view from behind and above;

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 3, in perspective view from in front and below;

(6) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 3, in perspective view from in front and above;

(7) FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 3, when attached to the front of a vehicle and when in a neutral position;

(8) FIG. 8 is a top plan view, similar to FIG. 7, with the apparatus in a left-displacing configuration;

(9) FIG. 9 is a top plan view, similar to FIG. 7, with the apparatus in a right-displacing configuration;

(10) FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 7, shown from the vehicle's left-hand side is a top plan view, similar to FIG. 7, with the apparatus in a left-displacing configuration;

(11) FIG. 11 is a side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 7, shown from the vehicle's right-hand side is a top plan view, similar to FIG. 7, with the apparatus in a right-displacing configuration;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(12) Referring to FIGS. 3-6, an apparatus 50 according to the invention is shown from different perspective viewpoints. The apparatus 50 comprises a snowplough body 52 having a snowplough blade 54 mounted at the front end 56 thereof, and a cylindrical roller brush 58 mounted with its major longitudinal axis parallel to the axis of the blade 54 at a position intermediate the blade and the rear end 60 of the apparatus 50.

(13) The blade is carried at either side on a swivel arrangement 62 which permits it to be raised and lowered (by hydraulic control 64) relative to the body 52. A spring 66 biases the front breakaway edge of the plough into its normal working position, but allows the bottom edge to breakaway by pivoting up and back when a hard obstruction is struck, in known manner.

(14) A pair of rear castor wheels 68 support the rear end 60 of the apparatus on the ground, so that the combined load of the body, plough and brush is primarily supported by the castors 68 and the pivot arm 74 (described below). The same unit could be fully supported on a load-bearing pivot arm from the front of a tractor without any castors, slides or other ground-engaging support.

(15) The blade height when in the lowered position can be controlled, and is adjustable to give the required clearance over the surface being ploughed, with typical adjustments being 0-20 mm above the ground surface

(16) The brush 58 can be lowered to the ground under air pressure when the blade is raised, to contact the ground and sweep the ground by rotation of the brush, again in known manner.

(17) Rearward of the body 52 is a vehicle mounting 70 which could take many forms but in the illustrated embodiment is in the form of a plate having a recess 72 which is adapted to receive a complementary mounting structure (not shown) provided on a vehicle. The form of the vehicle mounting shown is proprietary but can be varied to suit any particular vehicle's pick-up and mounting system.

(18) The vehicle mounting is connected to the apparatus body by a jointed connection in the form of a first pivot arm 74 and a second pivot arm 76, which will be described now in further detail with reference to FIG. 7.

(19) In FIG. 7, the apparatus 50 is shown mounted on a vehicle the front of which 78 is illustrated. One can see in FIG. 7 the left front wheel 80, right front wheel 82, front headlights 84 and a proprietary pick-up and mounting structure 86 which engages with the vehicle mounting 70 of the apparatus 50. Lock bolts 88 project inwardly into receiving holes 90 (FIG. 4) provided in the vehicle mounting to secure the apparatus on the mounting structure 86 of the vehicle 78.

(20) The apparatus 50 is shown in FIG. 7 in a neutral position, i.e. with the axis defined by the blade, shown as A-A transverse to the straight-ahead direction of travel of the vehicle. The first pivot arm 74, which is connected at a first proximal axis of rotation 92 to the vehicle mounting and at a first distal axis of rotation 94 to the body 52, is parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle. This is a load-bearing arm and can be thought of as taking the place of a primary pivot arm in a conventional arrangement.

(21) The second pivot arm 76 is connected which is connected at a second proximal axis of rotation 96 to the vehicle mounting, and at a second distal axis of rotation 98 to the body 52. This arm 76 is not load-bearing but acts as a link arm constraining the movement of the body. The second pivot arm 76 is arranged to converge towards the first pivot arm as it approaches the apparatus body 52.

(22) The four axes of rotation 92, 94, 96, 98 define the vertices of an irregular quadrilateral, with the first and second pivot arms 74, 76 defining two of the opposed sides of the quadrilateral, where the quadrilateral tapers from the mounting end 92, 96 towards the body end 94, 98.

(23) The body can be rotated clockwise or counter-clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 7 by the action of a hydraulic cylinder 100 which, in the embodiment shown extends from approximately the middle of the first pivot arm to a pivot point 102 located on the top of the body. It will be appreciated that other motive mechanisms may be used such as electrical motors, pneumatic mechanisms, geared arrangements driven by a power take-off from the body, or any other suitable means for applying a rotating force. Also, where an extending cylinder arrangement such as the hydraulic cylinder 100 is used, this may be provided between alternative connection points, e.g. between either arm 74, 76 and either of the body 52 and mounting 70, or directly between the mounting 70 and body 52.

(24) Referring next to FIG. 8, the apparatus is shown having been rotated counter-clockwise (as viewed from above), i.e. to a left-displacing position. This has been achieved by contracting the cylinder 100 to draw the cylinder's pivot point 102 closer to the first pivot arm 74. The distances between each adjacent pair of the four vertices, i.e. the distances 92-94, 94-98, 98-96, and 96-92, are fixed in length but the internal angles at each vertex are variable. The angles at vertices 94 and 96 have opened up and those at vertices 92 and 98 have become more acute.

(25) The result is that the first and second pivot arms 74, 76 have each pivoted about their respective proximal axes of rotation 92, 96 in a clockwise rotation as the body 52 and its axis A-A has rotated in a counter-clockwise direction relative to the vehicle mounting 70. As a consequence the distal axes of rotation have moved laterally towards the vehicle's right (relative to FIG. 7), and this has pulled the entire body sideways, offsetting the normal lateral movement which would result from a conventional rear-mounted pivot as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It can thus be seen that the path which will be ploughed, defined by the rearward projection or track between the outermost edges 104, 106 of the plough blade, continues to coincide with the tracks of the wheels 80, 82.

(26) FIG. 9 shows the body when rotated fully in the opposite direction, i.e. with the cylinder 100 fully extended and the plough in a right-displacing configuration. Now the shape of the quadrilateral 92, 94, 96, 98 has distorted in the opposite manner relative to the FIG. 7 shape, with the distal axes of rotation (and hence the apparatus body 52) shifted to the vehicle's left, i.e. as the body rotates clockwise, the first and second pivot arms 74, 76 rotate counter-clockwise about their proximal axes of rotation 92, 98.

(27) It can again be seen that this has the effect of keeping the track defined between the plough blade edges 104, 106, aligned with the track of the wheels 80, 82 when the vehicle drives straight ahead. (It is noted that as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the castors 68 have not rotated to trail along the line of the direction of travel as they would in fact do if the apparatus was driven in contact with the ground.)

(28) FIGS. 10 and 11 show the arrangement of FIG. 7 from either side, i.e. the front of the vehicle 78 with its pick-up and mounting structure 88 in engagement with the apparatus's vehicle mounting 70. It can be seen in this view that arm 74 is in two sections 74a and 74b. Section 74a extends rearwardly from the first distal axis of rotation or pivot point 94, over the top of the vehicle body 52, and section 74b connects downwardly at an angle to the first proximal axis of rotation 92 at the vehicle mounting 70.

(29) The second pivot arm, best seen in FIG. 11, extends in a straight line, between the second distal axis 96 and second proximal axis 98, again over the top of the body 52 and above the brush.

(30) This has the effect of allowing the distal axes of rotation to be positioned forwardly of the rear of the body and even forwardly of the axis 48 of the brush 58. In this way, the centre of pivoting of the body, defined by the distal axes of rotation, is at a point which is between the brush axis and the blade, minimising the extent to which the brush and blade swing out to the side when the body is pivoted.

(31) When compared with the arrangement in FIGS. 1 and 2, the result is that the snowplough and brush can clean the path along which the wheels will travel, without requiring an unduly wide blade.

(32) Thus, if the width of the blade, as measured by the distance between the edges 104, 106 (FIGS. 7-9), is w, the effective ploughing path, as defined by the rearward projection of those edges (FIGS. 8 and 9) will be w(cos ) where is the angle of rotation of the axis A-A from its centred position as shown in FIG. 7. In FIGS. 8 and 9, a is approximately 30 degrees.

(33) The geometry of the arrangement, taking into account the depth of the body from front to back, and the compensation against lateral swinging provided by the first and second pivot arms, means that the working width of the vehicle and snowplough accessory is within 85 mm of its mean width (as in FIG. 7) throughout the entire range of angles of rotation moving from FIG. 8 to FIG. 7 to FIG. 9.

(34) Put another way, if one considers that the width of the exemplary snowplough and vehicle in FIG. 7 is 1500 mm, i.e. with the plough in the neutral position. One could drive this vehicle in a straight line along the centre of a pathway of constant width 1670 mm (i.e. 85 mm more than the neutral working width on either side), while swinging the plough out to one side (FIG. 8) or the other (FIG. 9). This provides a significant advantage when working in tight areas such as along footpaths or among machinery and equipment such as aeroplanes. In contrast, the neutral width of a commercially available (larger) snowplough is 2400 mm, but to accommodate this vehicle in the same manner one would need a path of width 3100 mm, i.e. on each side it swings out by a further 350 mm as it is slanted towards that side as shown in e.g. FIG. 2. Since the difference of scale is linear, the comparative percentage figures (i.e. 85 mm as a percentage of 1500 mm, and 350 mm as a percentage of 2400 mm) are 5.6% for the illustrated embodiment of the invention and 14.6% for the conventional snowplough of FIG. 1.

(35) It is to be understood that the snowplough may be made in many different widths to fit different vehicles and to be used in various environments. No limitation to particular dimensions is in any way implied by the comparison of these different embodiments, which simply illustrate the advantages of employing the claimed invention.

(36) The apparatus of FIGS. 3-11 also includes several hydraulic lines (not shown) for connection to hydraulic feed lines provided from the vehicle (not shown). These hydraulic lines power the apparatus for rotation of the brush, and for raising of the blade.

(37) The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown which may be varied or modified without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the statements of invention herein.