Patent Application
20180051430
Embodiments described herein are directed to snowthrowers and, more particularly, to snowthrowers having a rotor that is adjustable relative to a rotor housing.
It is well known to utilize a snowthrower to collect and eject snow from a ground surface. In general, such snowthrowers are available in either: a two-stage configuration, wherein a low speed rotor collects snow and delivers it to a high-speed impeller for ejection; or a single-stage configuration, wherein a single high-speed rotor both collects and ejects the snow. While variations exist, the rotor of a single-stage snowthrower typically includes one or more helical flytes radially spaced from an axis of the rotor. In addition to snow collection/ejection, the flytes may, in some instances, be used to assist with propulsion of the snowthrower. That is, contact of the flytes with the ground surface during operation may assist in propelling the snowthrower forwardly.
While advantageous for assisting in propulsion, contact of the flytes with the ground surface may eventually cause the flytes to wear, effectively reducing the rotor diameter. As the rotor diameter decreases, an excessive gap may develop between the flytes and the rotor housing and/or ground surface. Over time, this gap may reduce the ability of the snowthrower: to effectively collect and eject snow; and/or to effectively propel the snowthrower over the ground surface.
In one embodiment, a snowthrower is provided that includes: a rotor housing having spaced-apart first and second sidewalls connected to one another by a rear wall to define a front-facing collection opening; and a rotor positioned within the housing between the collection opening and the rear wall. The rotor includes a rotor shaft having first and second end portions connected to the first and second sidewalls, respectively. The rotor also defines a rotor axis intersecting the sidewalls, wherein the rotor shaft is adapted to rotate, relative to the rotor housing, about the rotor axis. In addition, the rotor has at least one flyte attached to, and radially spaced-apart from, the rotor shaft. Each end portion of the rotor shaft is securable, relative to its respective first or second sidewall, at both a first location and a second location. As the flyte wears during snowthrower operation, the rotor is movable from a first position in which the end portions of the rotor shaft are in their respective first locations, to a second position in which the end portions of the rotor shaft are in their respective second locations.
In another embodiment, a snowthrower is provide that includes: a rotor housing with spaced-apart first and second sidewalls connected to one another by a rear wall to define a front-facing collection opening; and a rotor positioned within the housing between the collection opening and the rear wall. The rotor includes: a rotor shaft extending between the first and second sidewalls and defining a rotor axis intersecting the sidewalls, wherein the rotor shaft is adapted to rotate, relative to the rotor housing, about the rotor axis; and at least one flyte attached to, and radially spaced-apart from, the rotor shaft. The snowthrower further includes a coupler connected to the first sidewall and adapted to rotationally support an end portion of the rotor shaft at two or more locations relative to the first sidewall.
In yet another embodiment, a snowthrower is provided that includes a rotor housing having spaced-apart first and second sidewalls connected to one another by a rear wall to define a front-facing collection opening. The snowthrower also includes a rotor having a rotor shaft and a radially-offset flyte connected to the rotor shaft, the rotor extending between the first and second sidewalls, wherein the rotor shaft includes a first end portion and a second end portion, the rotor shaft defining a rotor axis that intersects each of the first and second sidewalls. An arm is provided and pivotally connected to the first sidewall at a pivot joint, wherein the arm includes a rotor joint adapted to rotationally support the first end portion of the rotor shaft. The arm is pivotable about the pivot joint between a first position and a second position.
The above summary is not intended to describe each embodiment or every implementation. Rather, a more complete understanding of various illustrative embodiments will become apparent and appreciated by reference to the following Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments in view of the accompanying figures of the drawing.
Exemplary embodiments will be further described with reference to the figures of the drawing, wherein:
The figures are rendered primarily for clarity and, as a result, are not necessarily drawn to scale. Moreover, various structure/components, including but not limited to fasteners, electrical components (wiring, cables, etc.), and the like, may be shown diagrammatically or removed from some or all of the views to better illustrate aspects of the depicted embodiments, or where inclusion of such structure/components is not necessary to an understanding of the various exemplary embodiments described. The lack of illustration/description of such structure/components in a particular figure is, however, not to be interpreted as limiting the various embodiments in any way.
In the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying figures of the drawing which form a part hereof. It is to be understood that other embodiments, which may not be described and/or illustrated herein, are certainly contemplated.
All headings provided herein are for the convenience of the reader and should not be used to limit the meaning of any text that follows the heading, unless so specified. Moreover, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, and all terms expressing direction/orientation (e.g., vertical, horizontal, perpendicular, parallel, etc.), in the specification and claims are understood as being modified by the term “about.”
Single-stage snowthrowers are a cost-effective solution in many snow removal applications. However, single stage snowthrower rotors are typically subject to wear due to repeated contact with the ground surface during operation. Once wear has reached a threshold condition, rotor service may be needed. With some snowthrower configurations (e.g., those having flytes that are generally straight and parallel to an axis of the rotor), service may involve radially repositioning the flytes relative to the shaft. This procedure, however, does not lend itself well to helical flytes as the helix angle may make accurate adjustment difficult. Accordingly, once a helical flyte rotor is worn sufficiently, it is often replaced.
Embodiments of the present disclosure seek to delay helical rotor replacement by providing an adjustment system that allows the operator to accurately and easily adjust the position of the entire rotor (including the rotor shaft) relative to the rotor housing. As a result, as rotor wear occurs, the position of the entire rotor may be adjusted downwardly to maintain desirable positioning of the rotor flytes relative to the ground surface/rotor housing.
While embodiments of this disclosure are directed to addressing snowthrower rotor wear, such an application is not limiting. Rather, any application using a rotor contained within a rotor housing may benefit from embodiments of the present disclosure.
With reference to the figures of the drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts and assemblies throughout the several views,
It is noted that the term “comprises” and variations thereof do not have a limiting meaning where used in the accompanying description and claims. Further, “a,” “an,” “the,” “at least one,” and “one or more” are used interchangeably herein. Moreover, relative terms such as “left,” “right,” “front,” “fore,” “forward,” “rear,” “aft,” “rearward,” “top,” “bottom,” “side,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” and the like may be used herein and, if so, are from the perspective of one operating the snowthrower 100 while the snowthrower is in an operating configuration (unless noted otherwise), e.g., while the snowthrower 100 is positioned such that wheels 106 and scraper 205 rest upon a generally horizontal ground surface 103 as shown in
The terms “coupled,” “attached,” “connected,” and the like refer to elements being attached to each other either directly (in direct contact with each other) or indirectly (having one or more elements between and attaching the two elements). Moreover, “rotationally support” is used herein to describe a relationship in which a first element supports a second element such that the second element may rotate or pivot (e.g., about an axis) relative to the first element.
As illustrated in
The snowthrower 100 may include a rotor housing assembly 200 attached to, or integrally formed with, the forward portion of the frame 102. Among other components, the rotor housing assembly 200 may include a snow-engaging rotor 204 contained within a rotor housing 202, the latter defining a partially enclosed volume such that the rotor housing may at least partially surround/enclose the rotor. Lowermost portions of the housing 202 (e.g., a scraper 205), together with the wheels 106 and the rotor 204, may form ground contact portions of the snowthrower 100.
The housing 202 may define a collection opening 206 positioned forward of the rotor 204. The rotor is configured, as described in more detail below, for rotating (e.g., when powered by the engine 104) within, and relative to, the housing 202 about a transverse or rotor axis 210. The housing 202 may include a pair of spaced-apart sidewalls (e.g., (first or left sidewall 212 and a second or right sidewall 214) connected to one another by a rear wall 216 (see
As used herein, “longitudinal axis” or “longitudinal direction” refers to a long axis or direction of the snowthrower 100, e.g., the centerline longitudinal axis 105 extending in the travel or fore-and-aft direction as shown in
The housing assembly 200 may further include a discharge opening or outlet 217 and a chute assembly 219. The chute assembly 219 may include a discharge conduit or chute 218 attached to the housing 202 such that a lower end of the discharge chute fluidly communicates with the discharge outlet 217 formed in the housing 202. Accordingly, the chute 218 may communicate with the partially enclosed volume of the housing 202 and, thus, with the open-face collection opening 206.
The chute 218 may be configured to rotate relative to the rotor housing 202, e.g., about a chute axis 225 (see
As further illustrated in
With reference to
Due to their helix angle, the flytes 208 may move snow (during operation) that enters the collection opening 206, along the rotor axis 210, toward the paddles 209. The paddles 209 may be configured to not only collect snow, but also to eject that collected snow (and that snow collected by the helical flytes 208) upwardly through the discharge outlet 217. That is, the helical flytes move collected snow transversely toward the paddles 209, which then forcefully eject the snow upwardly along the rear wall 216 of the rotor housing 202 and into the discharge outlet 217, where it is directed by the chute assembly 219 away from the snowthrower 100. In at least the illustrated embodiments, the rear wall 216 follows or accommodates the contour of the outermost radial edge of the rotor 204 as indicated in
While the helical flytes 208 and the ejection paddles 209 may serve somewhat different functions during operation of the snowthrower 100, the term “flyte 207” may be used herein to encompass both of these elements of the rotor 204. That is to say, the term flyte 207 is understood, unless otherwise indicated, to include both the helical flytes and the ejection paddles. Moreover, while illustrated with some specificity, rotors having different flyte configurations are certainly contemplated. That is, embodiments of the rotor described and illustrated herein are exemplary only.
In addition to collecting and ejecting snow, the rotor 204, e.g., the flytes 207, may also assist with propulsion of the snowthrower. As a result, in some embodiments, at least the outermost portions of the flytes 207 may be made of a flexible (e.g., elastomeric) material that can withstand repeated ground impacts during operation. By ensuring some minimal level of contact of the edges of the flytes 207 with the ground surface, rotation of the rotor 204 may urge the snowthrower forwardly. In some embodiments, the assistance provided by the rotor 204 may be altered by application of upward or downward force applied by the operator to the handlebar 306 (see
Over time, contact between the flytes 207 and the ground surface may cause the outermost radial edges of the flytes 207 to wear, effectively reducing the rotor diameter. As this occurs, engagement of the rotor with the ground surface may lessen, reducing the ability of the rotor to provide propulsion assistance. Moreover, as shown in
Snowthrowers utilizing non-helical or “straight” flytes may address rotor wear by allowing the operator to loosen the flytes 207 and radially move the flytes outwardly relative to the flyte supports 213/shaft 211. Once the flytes 207 are correctly positioned, they may again be secured relative to the flyte supports 213. While effective for straight flytes, such an adjustment technique is problematic for flytes of helical design as it is difficult to maintain the desired gap 215 along the non-linear shape of such flytes.
To address this issue, embodiments of the current disclosure may permit the entire rotor 204 (including the shaft 211, flyte supports 213, and flytes 207) to move relative to the rotor housing 202 to adjust the gap 215 as the rotor wears. Exemplary embodiments of a snowthrower 100 that provides such adjustment is now described with initial reference to
As shown in
As further described below, the end portions 230, 229 (see
In some embodiments, the rotor shaft 211 may be rotationally supported or journaled to a first coupler at the first end portion 230, wherein the first coupler is connected to the sidewall 212. An exemplary embodiment of the first coupler is shown in more detail in
While not wishing to be bound to any specific coupler configuration, the first coupler may, in some embodiments, define an arm 236 that pivotally connects to an inside face of the first sidewall 212 (e.g., between the first and second sidewalls) via a pivot joint 238 defining a pivot axis 240 that may be parallel to the rotor axis 210. As used herein, the term “pivot joint” may refer to a structure that allows two parts to pivot or rotate about an axis relative to one another. Pivot joints may incorporate various components, e.g., shafts, sleeves, bearings, bushings, etc. as are known in the art.
The arm 236 may further define a rotor joint 242 to receive and rotationally support the first end portion 230 of the rotor shaft 211 in two or more locations relative to the sidewalls. In some embodiments, the rotor joint 242 may define a receptacle that accommodates the bearing 231 that may, in turn, support the rotor shaft for rotation about the rotor axis 210. As a result, the rotor joint 242 may receive the first end portion 230 of the rotor shaft 211 such that the arm 236 rotationally supports the rotor shaft 211.
The arm 236 may further define a guide configured to, for example, limit and/or control pivotal movement of the arm 236 about the pivot axis 240. In some embodiments, the guide is configured as an elongate aperture or slot 244. For example, the slot 244 may be arcuate in shape. Moreover, the slot 244 may be defined by a radius 245 having, as its center, the pivot axis 240 of the pivot joint 238. For reasons that will become apparent, the guide, e.g., slot 244, may have associated therewith various indexing features such a notches 246. While illustrated as physical notches 246, other indexing features, e.g., indicia, other recesses, detents, etc. are certainly possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
The arm 236 may optionally include a brake mount 248. As further explained below, the brake mount may rotationally (pivotally) support a brake member 250 (see
The sidewall 212 may further include a hole 254. The hole 254 may accommodate the components of the pivot joint 238 to allow pivotal movement of the arm 236 relative to the sidewall 212. An opening 256 may also be provided in the sidewall 212 to allow interaction with the slot 244 of the arm 236 as further described below.
With reference now to
Unlike the arm 236, however, the arm 237 may exclude a brake mount as the drive system (described below) is associated, in one embodiment, with only the left side of the snowthrower 100. While the arm 237 is shown attached to an outside or exterior side of the right sidewall 214, it could, in other embodiments, be connected to the inner or interior side in a manner similar to the arm 236. To accommodate exterior side mounting, some embodiments of the snowthrower housing 200 may form a recess or depression 258 as shown in
As shown in
An exemplary method for adjusting rotor position relative to the rotor housing is now described with reference to
As already stated, during typical snowthrower operation, the flytes 207 may eventually wear. To maintain snowthrower performance, the operator may adjust the rotor in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure. The snowthrower may, in some embodiments, provide objective indicators for determining when rotor adjustment may be beneficial. For instance, one or more areas of the flytes may include wear indicia, e.g., marks or holes 260 (see
In some embodiments, additional holes 260 may be provided that are radially and inwardly offset from the outermost hole 260 to provide an indicator of when the adjustment procedure should be undertaken again. Accordingly, the wear indicia may be configured as indicators located on different concentric circles about the rotor axis 210. Such multiple wear indicia may be evenly spaced (e.g., every 0.1 inches) along a radial line from the rotor axis 210, or could be unevenly spaced depending on predicted wear characteristics of the flytes 207.
To adjust the rotor, the operator may turn off or otherwise disable operation of the snowthrower 100, e.g., turn off the engine 104. A nut 262 associated with the slot 244 (see
With both the nuts 262 (on arms 236 and 237) loosened, the rotor 204 may be moved until the protrusion 266 (see
In some embodiments, the snowthrower may provide three notches 246 corresponding to three separate locations of the end portions of the rotor shaft (and, correspondingly, three separate positions of the rotor 204). During manufacture, the rotor may be designed such that the arms 236, 237 are set in their highest notch. Upon wearing to the first indicator (e.g., first hole 260), the operator may lower the arms/rotor to the second notch. After subsequently wearing to the second indicator hole 260, the operator may again lower the arms/rotor to the third and lowest notch. While described with three discrete notches 246 and two corresponding holes 260, most any number of notches and/or wear indicia are possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, other embodiments may provide arms movable between two positions, or arms that are infinitely adjustable, without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In some embodiments, corresponding indicia 243 (e.g., numbers or letters as shown in
By allowing movement of the entire rotor 204 relative to the rotor housing 202, adjustment of the rotor may be achieved without the potential variability in flyte position that may occur when the flytes are radially adjusted relative to the rotor shaft. Moreover, rotor adjustment in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure may be achieved with a simple and straightforward action, e.g., loosening of the nut 262 on each side of the rotor housing.
As further shown in
In some embodiments, the first end portion 230 of the rotor shaft 211 (see also
To control belt tension, an idler member 272 rotationally supporting the idler pulley 274 may be pivotally connected to the snowthrower 100 (e.g., at or near the sidewall 212) at a pivot joint 276. Moreover, to provide a braking force when the drive system is in the disengaged position shown in
When the bail 302 is in the disengaged position as shown in
When the bail 302 is moved to its engaged position against the handlebar 306 (not shown), an actuating force is provided to the idler member 272, e.g., by an interconnecting cable 308 (see
As the idler member 272 pivots in the clockwise direction in
By providing the brake mount 248 on the movable arm 236, a constant distance between the rotor axis 210 and the brake mount 248 is maintained. Accordingly, as the arm 236 is repositioned to adjust the rotor 204, the brake mount 248 may also be repositioned, e.g., along the slot 253 (see
While adjustment of the rotor may alter the linear distance between the drive shaft axis 110 and the rotor axis 210, the change is sufficiently small as to be accommodated by movement of the idler member.
While illustrated as a pivoting arm, other embodiments may utilize couplers having different configurations. For example, each coupler may form a member that rotationally supports the rotor and attaches to the snowthrower (e.g., to the sidewalls) such that the coupler may translate relative to its respective sidewall (e.g., using adjustment or “jack” screws or the like).
In other embodiments, the rotor shaft could merely be an array of indexed holes in each of the sidewalls to which the ends of the rotor shaft may selectively bolt. Alternatively, the sidewalls could each include a slot in which ends of the rotor shaft may be selectively positioned and secured. Accordingly, it is contemplated that some embodiments may not require the use of a coupler, but rather accommodate operative connection directly with the sidewalls. Such configurations may be adapted to function with the belt drive systems shown herein, as well as with systems utilizing a direct drive power source (e.g., an electric motor attached directly to the rotor shaft).
In still other embodiments, the adjustment process may be partially or fully automated. For example, the rotor could be biased toward the rear wall of the housing, but retained in one of two or more angled slots associated with each sidewall. As the rotor wears, the biasing force may cause the rotor to eventually escape one notch and fall into the adjacent notch corresponding to the next adjusted position of the rotor. Such a configuration may reduce operator involvement with the rotor adjustment process.
As one may appreciate, embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a snowthrower with a rotor that may be easily adjustable to account for wear of rotor flytes over time. As a result, efficient operation of the snowthrower may be maintained as the rotor wears, and the useful life of the rotor may be potentially extended.
Illustrative embodiments are described and reference has been made to possible variations of the same. These and other variations, combinations, and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it should be understood that the claims are not limited to the illustrative embodiments set forth herein.
