Patent Application
20160327080
The present disclosure generally relates to an installation bolt. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an installation bolt for attaching a plow blade or scoop to the moldboard of a vehicle.
In a typical plowing configuration, a plow blade is connected to a moldboard via installation bolts, and the moldboard is in turn connected to a vehicle. The term “blade” refers to the contoured shovel that moves or lifts snow, dirt, soil or other materials. Blades typically range between three and eleven feet in length. The moldboard refers to the flat metal plate operatively affixed to a vehicle. A plow blade is typically connected to the moldboard of a heavy-duty or utility truck, although moldboards can be used in conjunction with many types of automobiles.
While the blade is on the plow, the blade and installation bolt can become corroded by sand, salt, calcium, magnesium, or exposure to weather. Depending on the environment, corrosion of the installation bolt can normally occur within one to three years. When the installation bolt that connects the blade to the moldboard becomes corroded it requires replacement due to the significant increase in the potential for fatigue failure, excessive stress, or thread stripping. The plow blade may also require replacement. For example, a blade may need to be replaced upon contact with surface irregularities such as manhole, catch basin, water or gas box covers, granite curbing, rocks, cement, asphalt, or tree stumps.
In the typical plowing configuration described above, changing the plow blade on a vehicle can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Corrosion of the plow blade, moldboard, and/or installation bolts can create difficulties with removing the installation bolts in order to remove the blade from the vehicle. In some situations, the installation bolt will rotate freely within the attachment hole of a plow blade, making it impossible to seize or grip the bolt head 102 in order to tighten or loosen it. When disassembling the blade, moldboard, and installation bolts it is always the case that the installation bolt is destroyed in the disassembling process because the blade has to be burned off with a blowtorch. Replacement of installation bolts adds to the cost of replacing or changing out a plow blade. For cities with numerous plows that are used simultaneously on a plowing mission, the cost of bolts, nuts and washers plus the additional manpower for all plows is significant.
Once the blade has been removed from the moldboard, the replacement blade is affixed to the moldboard which is attached to the vehicle. For the longer blades this requires three or more people to hold up the blade and align it as another person inserts installation bolts through their slots. To achieve this, the slots in the blade must be exactly aligned with those of the moldboard. The blunt end of existing installation bolts necessitates perfect alignment of the slots in both components. If they are not perfectly aligned, and the operator tries to physically force the bolt into the slot by, for example, striking the bolt with a hammer, the threads on the bolt can be stripped.
Currently, traditional standard bolts vary in tensile and shear strength. However, traditional standard bolts require changes to the mechanical design where applications increase the frequency of use and replacement.
Thus, there is a need for an improved installation bolt for attaching a plow blade to a moldboard. The present invention meets that need.
The present disclosure is directed to an improved installation bolt that obviates many of the deficiencies cited above. Specifically, the present disclosure is directed to an improved installation bolt which facilitates an increased frequency of plow blade replacements or changes, re-use of the installation bolt, and improved ease of use.
The present disclosure is generally directed to an installation bolt created from a monolithic elongated member. Monolithic for the present disclosure means consisting of or constituting a single unit. The member has a first section designed to be introduced into a bolt hole comprising a tapered end and a threaded section to interconnect a nut or similar affixing means that is connected to a smooth second cylindrical section which is connected to a third section that comprises a squared portion that divergently tapers into a round flat head with a non-rounded head, such as a hexagonal head, on top of the round flat head.
The present disclosure is also directed to a method of replacing a plow blade comprising:
The foregoing and other advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings.
While the present disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the present disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
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In some embodiments, the second section 122 is configured as a smooth elongated cylinder. The cylindrical design can be used in applications requiring circular bolts. In some embodiments, the second section 122 is an elongated square section. In still further embodiments, the second section 122 is an elongated hexagonal shaped section.
In some embodiments, the third section 123 is formed from a hexagonal shaped head 109 that protrudes above the plane of the blade bolt holes. For example,
In some embodiments, improved installation bolt has a diameter of ⅝ inches. In some embodiments, improved installation bolt has a diameter of ½ inches. The improved installation bolts in various embodiments can accommodate any variety of diameter, length, and strength.
In some embodiments the improved installation bolt 104 is comprised of metal or similar alloy necessary for the application. In some embodiments, the installation bolt 104 is coated with a non-rusting substance or material. In other embodiments, the installation bolt 104 comprises a non-metallic material.
The present disclosure includes many advantages over the existing art. Most notably, the improved installation bolt simplifies the process of installing and/or removing the bolt as is done, for example, when changing a plow blade secured by such bolts. The improved installation bolt 104 resolves multiple problems of prior art bolts. First, the bolt saves time during removal of the used blade for attachment of a new blade to a moldboard. Second, if the improved installation bolt becomes corroded, rusted, or worn, it can still be removed because it is always possible to seize the hexagonal head with a socket and ratchet, open-end wrench, allen or phillips head wrench. Concurrently, the tapered design smoothly introduces the installation bolt into blade bolt hole and the moldboard at the slots in which they align. In a typical plowing assembly, the tapered end of an improved installation bolt passes through the bolt hole of a moldboard and into the bolt hole of a plow blade. Once the threads of the first section of the improved installation bolt are engaged in the threaded bolt hole of the plow blade, the bolt holes of the plow blade and moldboard are pulled into alignment. This self-alignment improvement thus obviates the need to perfectly align the bolt holes of the moldboard and plow blade before insertion of the installation bolt. The tapered design therefore requires less time and resources and avoids risks caused by physically jamming the installation bolt into the blade bolt hole. Finally, the design of the installation bolt as disclosed herein renders the installation bolt reusable thereby saving the cost of a full set of new bolts and other components for every re-attachment.
Although discussed above in the context of attaching a plow blade to the moldboard of a vehicle, the present disclosure is not so limited in its application. The improved installation bolt disclosed herein may be suitable for a wide range of applications, not limited to the attachment of additional equipment such as a snow plow, soil grader, scoop to the moldboard of a vehicle.
It may be emphasized that the above-described embodiments, particularly any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments of the disclosure without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure.
While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any disclosures, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiment. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62158143 | May 2015 | US |
