Title of Invention: DEVICE FOR LIFTING SNOW FROM ROAD

SURFACES

Technical Field Technical Field

[1] The present invention regards a device for lifting snow from road surfaces.

Background Art Background Art

[2] It is known that during winter, dangerous snow and ice accumulations deriving from snowy precipitations can form on the road bed. In order to clean streets from snow it is a common use of having resource to road machines that make use of scraper blades.

[3] Such machines, commonly denominated snowploughs, are basically constituted of a road tractor vehicle equipped with a blade device usually carried overhanged at the front. The scraper blade is constituted of a single blade rigidly connected to a snowplough blade which performs the discharge of the lifted snow. The snowplough blade is connected to the road tractor vehicle and subjected to suitable actuator means which allow the lifting thereof or vice versa the positioning thereof on the road paving.

[4] In operative position, the weight of the frame weighs on the blades generating charges which can cause damages to the paving. On the other hand, the charge generated on the scraper blades represents a functional element of the system, as otherwise the lifted snow could create on the snowplough blade an upward thrust such as to lift the same snowplough blade from the paving, and the scraper blades therewith.

[5] Furthermore, the blades that provide to the cleaning of snow generally have a width such as to cover a large part of the road paving. Nevertheless, this implies that the scraper blades cannot adapt suitably to the transverse profile of the road paving which usually is not level. It derives therefrom a non homogeneous cleaning and a further possibility of exerting harmful stresses on the paving. Disclosure of Invention Disclosure

[6] The task of the present invention is that of overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks, devising a device which allows to carry out the lifting of snow in an optimal way, in particular by adapting to the conformation of the road paving in order to avoid to damage it.

[7] A further object of the present invention is that of providing a device for lifting the snow which easily applies to conventional road tractor vehicles.

[8] Another object of the invention is that of providing a versatile device for lifting snow, that is easy to use and of reliable functioning.

[9] The above mentioned objects are attained, according to the present invention, by the device for lifting snow from road surfaces according to claim 1. Description Of Drawings

[10] Details of the invention shall be more apparent from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the device for lifting snow from road surfaces according to the invention, illustrated for indicative purposes in the attached drawings, wherein:

[11] figure 1 shows a lateral view of the device according to the invention in the use position on a road tractor vehicle;

[12] figure 2 shows the same lateral view of the device in the non-operating position;

[13] figure 3 shows a detail lateral view of the same device, in the use position;

[14] figure 4 shows a corresponding plan view thereof;

[15] figure 5 shows the aforementioned detail lateral view of the device according to the invention in a different operating phase;

[16] figure 6 shows a different embodiment of the device according to the invention.

Best Mode

[17] With particular reference to such figures, the device for lifting snow from road surfaces according to the invention is indicated in its entirety with 1. The lifting device 1 is suitable to be borne by a road tractor vehicle 2, for example in the front position.

[18] The lifting device 1 comprises a concave-shaped snowplough blade 3, suitable to be rigidly connected to the road tractor vehicle 2 by means of suitable connection members 4. The snowplough blade 3 bears articulated at the lower part, according to a substantially horizontal axis defined by a pin 5, a frame 6 tilting, as better explained in the following, between a lifted transport position and a lowered work position.

[19] The frame 6 bears articulated at the lower part, according to a substantially horizontal axis defined by a second pin 7, a support member 8 to which a cleaning blade 9 is connected. More precisely, the cleaning blade 9 is pivoted on the support member 8 through a further transverse pin 10, in order to result rotating on a suitably inclined plane with respect to the road paving. The support member 8 is stressed by elastic means 11 connected to the frame 6 and traction acting at the upper portion of the same support member 8. The angular rotation of the support member 8 is suitably guided by means of pins 12 which slidingly engage a symmetric couple of eyelets 13, which are obtained on suitable shoulders of the frame 6 (see particularly fig. 3).

[20] The frame 6 is subject to the action of actuator means 15 connected to the snowplough blade 3. Such actuator means 15 are for example made of a double chamber hydraulic cylinder controlled by a suitable control unit.

[21] The functioning of the device for lifting snow from road surfaces is described as follows.

[22] In the non-operating transport configuration, which can be seen in figure 2, the frame

6 of the device is maintained in a lifted position by action of the actuator means 15. In such a lifted position, the cleaning blade 9 results lifted with respect to the road paving and therefore non-operating.

[23] To carry out the cleaning of snow from the road paving, the rotation of the frame 6 is operated into a lowered work position, to bring the blade into contact of the road bed (see figures 1 and 3). Such a handling is operated by the hydraulic actuator 15 through the suitable control unit. In particular, the pressure differential generated by the control unit in the two chambers of the hydraulic actuator 15 determines the necessary thrust of the blade 9 on the road paving.

[24] It must be pointed out that the thrust of the hydraulic actuator 15, in operating conditions, is relatively low as, for the positioning of the pin 5 of the frame 6 and for the reduced vertical surface of the unit formed by the support member 8 and the blade 9, the pushed snow does not cause any significant alteration of the above mentioned thrust.

[25] The cleaning blade 9 can rotate on a longitudinal vertical plane borne by the frame 6 rotating on the pin 7, as well as on a transverse plane through rotation about the further pin 10. This allows the blade 9 to adapt in any operating condition to the conformation of the road paving.

[26] If the blade 9 comes into contact with an obstacle A (see figure 5), the angular rotation of the support member 8 about the relative pin 7 is performed, in contrast to the returning action of the elastic means 11. Therefore the blade 9 assumes an inclined position which causes an upward thrust of the hydraulic actuator 15 and allows to go over the obstacle. Obviously after having gone over the obstacle, the elastic means 11 determine the return of the blade 9 in the initial work position.

[27] According to a preferred embodiment, the device for lifting snow is provided with a plurality of cleaning blades 9 each borne by a respective support member 8, rotating on a transverse plane, on a relative pin 10. The support members 8 of the cleaning blades 9 are connected to respective frames 6 independently supported at the lower part of the snowplough blade 3 and can be operated by relative hydraulic actuators 15.

[28] Therefore the device according to the invention attains the object of carrying out in an optimal way the lifting of snow, in particular adapting to the conformation of the road paving in order to avoid the damaging thereof.

[29] In fact the frame 6, which bears the cleaning blade 9, can rotate vertically about its axis 5, while the central pin 10 of the blade allows the transverse rotation thereof. These rotations allow the cleaning blade 9 to adapt to the variations of the road paving. Furthermore the presence of a plurality of cleaning blades 9, arranged side by side in series, borne and capable of being operated independently, allows to obtain an optimal adaptation to the transverse profile of the road paving, also if the road paving is not level. Obviously the number of used blades 9 can be different depending on the width of the road paving to be cleaned.

[30] A characteristic of the device according to the present invention is that of being suitable to correctly and accurately carry out the cleaning of the road from the snow, without damaging the road bed, also in presence of obstacles or variations of the profile of the paving.

[31] A further advantage of the device according to the invention consists of the fact that it results suitable to maintain the adherence on the road bed in any condition, without requiring the use of ballasting on the motor axis of the road tractor vehicle.

[32] It also must be pointed out that the device according to the invention has a versatile use, being suitable to be mounted easily on conventional road tractor vehicles.

[33] In figure 6 is illustrated a different embodiment of the device according to the invention, wherein the same device 1 for lifting the snow is borne at the rear part of the road tractor vehicle 2 through a tilting support device, indicated in its entirety with 16. More particularly, the tilting support device 16 is suitable to be connected in use to the road tractor vehicle 2 through articulation means 17. To the tilting support device 16 is connected at least a wheel 18, resting on the road paving and equipped with sensor means suitable to detect the charge that weighs on the same wheel 18. Suitable actuator means 19 are suitable to operate the aforementioned articulation means 17 to determine the transfer of part of the weighing charge from the wheel 18 to the rear axis of the road tractor 2, when such a charge goes over a predetermined threshold. The snowplough blade 3 is connected to the tilting support device 16 by means of a fifth wheel 20 suitable to shift vertically, always maintaining its base on a horizontal plane.

[34] In practice, the embodiment of the invention, the materials used, as well as the shape and dimensions, may vary depending on the requirements.

[35] Should the technical characteristics mentioned in each claim be followed by reference signs, such reference signs were included strictly with the aim of enhancing the understanding of the claims and hence they shall not be deemed restrictive in any manner whatsoever on the scope of each element identified for exemplifying purposes by such reference signs.