Patent Application
20230131279
In many applications, plows can be supported at extended positions and orientations relative to a truck frame. The plows can be raised and lowered with hydraulics or other actuator systems.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a plow lift cushion assembly. The plow lift cushion assembly can include a housing with a top. The housing can define a chamber. A slider with a sled and a shaft extending from the sled can also be included. The sled can be configured to translate within the chamber. The shaft can extend out of the top of the housing and can be configured to be coupled to a plow lift arm. A spring-cushion system can be positioned within the chamber and can extend between the top and the sled. A set of flanges can extend from the housing. The set of flanges can be configured to interface with a set of chains coupled to a plow frame.
Some embodiments can provide a plow lift cushion assembly including a sled positioned within a housing. The sled can be coupled to a plow lift arm and the housing can be coupled to a plow blade. A spring-cushion system can be positioned between the sled and the housing and can be configured to compress to absorb forces between the plow lift arm and the plow blade.
Some embodiments can provide a plow assembly. The plow assembly can include a plow blade coupled to a plow mounting frame. A plow lift arm can be coupled to a plow mounting structure configured to be coupled to a plow vehicle. A plow lift cushion system can be coupled between the plow mounting frame and the plow lift arm. The plow lift cushion system can include a housing with a top, a sled within the housing, and a spring-cushion system positioned between a wall of the housing and the sled to absorb forces from the plow mounting frame and the plow lift arm via movement of the sled within the housing.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of embodiments of the invention:
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
Also as used herein, unless otherwise specified or limited, directional terms are presented only with regard to the particular embodiment and perspective described. For example, reference to features or directions as “horizontal,” “vertical,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “upper,” “lower,” and so on are generally made with reference to a particular figure or example and are not necessarily indicative of an absolute orientation or direction. However, relative directional terms for a particular embodiment may generally apply to alternative orientations of that embodiment. For example, “front” and “rear” directions or features (or “right” and “left” directions or features, and so on) may be generally understood to indicate relatively opposite directions or features for a particular embodiment, regardless of the absolute orientation of the embodiment (or relative orientation relative to environmental structures). “Lateral” and derivatives thereof generally indicate directions that are generally perpendicular to a vertical direction for a relevant reference frame.
Also as used herein, ordinal numbers are used for convenience of presentation only and are generally presented in an order that corresponds to the order in which particular features are introduced in the relevant discussion. Accordingly, for example, a “first” feature may not necessarily have any required structural or sequential relationship to a “second” feature, and so on. Further, similar features may be referred to in different portions of the discussion by different ordinal numbers. For example, a particular feature may be referred to in some discussion as a “first” feature, while a similar or substantially identical feature may be referred to in other discussion as a “third” feature, and so on.
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which like elements in different figures have like reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will recognize the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the invention.
In some contexts, it may be useful to be able to mount a plow to a plow truck so as to absorb, or cushion, the movement of the plow. For example, vibrations and/or acceleration-induced loading (e.g., when lifting or dropping the plow or while driving the truck with the plow attached and lifted off the ground) can be transmitted to the plow, the plow truck, and/or the driver. Cushioning the plow suspended from the front of the plow truck can reduce these negative effects. Further, it may be useful to be able to install a cushioning assembly to an existing plow system without substantial modification or replacement of the existing system. Embodiments of the invention can be useful for these purposes, and others. For example, embodiments of the invention can be used to cushion the movement of a plow when moving the plow up and down, and when driving a truck with the plow attached, including when plowing or when not plowing (e.g., with the plow in a stowed position above the ground). For example, the load of a plow can be upwards of 3000 lbs. nominal, which, when moving, can induce a relatively large moment on the truck and a plow lift arm. Thus, appropriate cushioning of plow movement and related forces can be substantially beneficial. Embodiments of the invention can also be retrofitted to existing plow systems. For example, some embodiments of a cushion system can be removably coupled between the plow lift arm and a plow mounting frame. Some embodiments can be coupled to the plow lift arm with a clevis. Some embodiments can be coupled to the plow lift arm with chain.
In some embodiments, the cushion system can provide cushioning through compression of at least one spring. In some embodiments, the cushion system can provide cushioning through compression of a pair of springs (e.g., two identical springs). The pair of springs can be positioned and aligned in parallel. The pair of springs can be located within an enclosure, or housing, and can be positioned between a movable slider at the bases of each of the springs and a top of the housing at the top of the springs. In some embodiments, centering pins may locate the springs within the housing and between the top of the housing and the movable platform.
In some embodiments, the cushion system can be positioned within the plow system so that one of the springs is located toward one side of the plow (e.g., on the driver’s side) and the other spring is located toward the other side of the plow (e.g., on the passenger’s side).
In some embodiments, the movable platform can be sized and configured to permit movement of the movable platform within the housing, but also sized and configured to reduce the likelihood of binding against the sides of the housing. In some embodiments, the movable platform can have sides with surfaces that and are configured to make non-binding, slidable contact with the sides of the housing if the movable platform comes into contact therewith.
In some embodiments, the cushion system can include side flanges that extend outward from the housing and provide a place to attach a chain extending from the plow mounting frame. In some embodiments, the side flanges can have keyhole shaped openings that allow a chain link to enter and slide within the keyhole opening but prevent an adjacent chain link from sliding therethrough.
In some conventional arrangements, plow cushioning mechanisms are configured to cushion movement of a plow via compression of a spring (e.g., a coil spring) within an assembly positioned in line between the plow lift arm and each side of the plow or the plow mounting frame. These configurations required the spring to be mostly exposed to the environment and subject to being packed with debris during plowing or driving. This configuration also required at least one spring system per plow system.
Some embodiments of the invention can address this issue, or others. For example, some embodiments of the invention are presented below in the context of a plow cushioning system for cushioning the motion of a plow with only one plow cushioning system and providing a plow cushioning system that shields the springs from the environment. Generally, the principles disclosed herein can be used with any variety of attachable plow system, including, but not limited to, a plow mounted to the front of a truck, and can be used to cushion any variety of plow systems that include a lift arm.
With regard to construction, various embodiments can be readily formed from a variety of known manufacturing techniques, including casting. For example, some embodiments, including the embodiment illustrated in the FIGS., can be cast in multiple pieces and joined together through methods including welding.
With reference now to
Continuing, in addition to the top 104, the housing 102 has a first set of opposing sides, including a first side 112 and a second side 114 and a second set of opposing sides, including a third side 116 and a fourth side 118, that in combination with the top 104 define a chamber 120. In some embodiments, the first and second sides 112, 114 of the first set of sides can be plates that are oriented in parallel. The third and fourth sides 116, 118 of the second set of sides can also be plates oriented in parallel in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the first and second sides 112, 114 can be perpendicular to the third and fourth sides 116, 118 as shown in the
The plow lift cushion system 100 can also include a cover flange 126. The cover flange 126 extends outward from and around a periphery of the housing 102 opposite the top 104. The cover flange 126 has a plurality of holes 128 (shown in
A set of side flanges, including a first side flange 138A and a second side flange 138B, can also be provided on the plow lift cushion system 100. Both the first and second side flange 138A, 138B extend upwardly from and along the top 104 and extend outwardly and along respective first and second sides 112, 114 in opposite directions. The first and second side flanges 138A, 138B can continue to extend along and beyond the cover flange 126 in some cases. As shown in
The first and second side flanges 138A, 138B can also include a keyhole slot 168A, 168B, respectively. Each of the keyhole slots 168A, 168B is configured to receive and retain a chain (e.g., the chain 18 extending from the plow mounting frame 16 (shown in
Continuing, as stated above, the slider 106 is configured to be positioned within the housing 102, which can be seen in
Further, the sled 170 includes a set of elements including a platform 180A; a set of lateral guides, including a first lateral guide 180B and a second lateral guide 180C; and a set of ribs, including a first rib 180D (shown in
Additionally, the shaft 172 of the slider 106 extends through the top 104, and outside of, the housing 102 for coupling the slider 106 to the plow lift arm 12. As shown, a swivel 174 can be provided at the end of the shaft 172 that extends out of the housing 102. The swivel 174 can be configured to allow the plow lift cushion assembly 102 to rotate (i.e., swivel) relative to the plow lift arm 12. An example of a swivel 174 is a roller bearing. The swivel 174 allows the plow lift cushion system 100 to move (i.e., rotate) in concert with the plow blade 20 when the plow blade 20 is angled to one side or the other relative to a plow truck (not shown) to plow at an angle. This ensures consistent cushioning when the plow blade 20 is oriented at different angles because that the majority of the force exerted by the plow blade 20 on the housing 102 remains downward (i.e., no radial forces will be induced on the plow lift cushion system 100 when the plow blade 20 is angled relative to the plow truck because the plow lift cushion system 100 rotates with the plow blade 20).
The first and second springs 108A, 108B are maintained upright with third and fourth centering pins 192A, 192B received within second centering holes 194, 196 in the first and second springs 108A, 108B, opposite the first centering holes 188, 190. The third and fourth centering pins 192A, 192B are also received within first and second centering-pin holes 198A, 198B in the top 104. The placement of the first, second, third, and fourth centering pins 186A, 186B, 192A, 192B is configured to keep the first and second springs 108A, 108B vertically upright within the housing 102 during cycles of compression and rebound.
Further, the lateral guides 180B, 180C aid in preventing the sled 170 from binding against the first, second, third, and fourth sides 112, 114, 116, 118 of the housing 102 when the sled 170 is translating therein. The lateral guides 180B, 180C extend along opposing sides of and perpendicular to the platform 180A, extending both above and below the platform 180A. Further, each of the lateral guides 180B, 180C extends past the first spring 108A and the second spring 108B. The lateral guides 180B, 180C provide a surface (e.g., on a pad 180F shown in
As stated above,
When the plow lift arm 12 (shown in
It is contemplated that the plow lift cushion system 100 can be attached to the plow lift arm 12 with various connection methods. For example, in
Alternatively, in
In some implementations, devices or systems disclosed herein can be utilized or installed using methods embodying aspects of the invention. Correspondingly, description herein of particular features or capabilities of a device or system is generally intended to inherently include disclosure of a method of using such features for intended purposes and of implementing such capabilities. Similarly, express discussion of any method of using a particular device or system, unless otherwise indicated or limited, is intended to inherently include disclosure, as embodiments of the invention, of the utilized features and implemented capabilities of such device or system.
The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
