Aeration device for snow thrower

Abstract

A movable apparatus includes a housing with a handle and plurality of wheels rotatably mounted thereto. An engine is disposed within the housing and configured to provide torque to the plurality of wheels to selectively rotate the wheels in a first direction and an opposite second direction. A central bar is rotatably disposed on the housing and includes a plurality of spikes radially extending therefrom that are configured to produce a plurality of holes in the ground when rotated. The central bar is configured to rotate in the first direction when the plurality of wheels are rotated in the first direction and the central bar is configured to be rotated in the opposite second direction when the wheels are rotated in the opposite second direction.

1 . An aerator assembly comprising:
 a rotatable central bar;   a plurality of spike plates rigidly mounted to the central bar, wherein the spike plates each comprise a plurality of spikes projecting radially outward from the central bar;   first and second brackets each disposed at opposite ends of the central bar and configured to rotatably support the central bar, the first and second brackets are each configured to be removeably mounted to a snow thrower.   
   
   
       2 . The aeration assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the central bar comprises an inner bar that is fixed to each of the first and second brackets and a hollow outer bar that is rotatably disposed around the inner bar. 
   
   
       3 . The aeration assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the outer bar comprises at least one port adapted to receive a lubricant therein and allow the lubricant to disburse between the inner and outer bars. 
   
   
       4 . The aeration assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the spike plates are each rigidly mounted to the outer bar. 
   
   
       5 . The aerator assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the central bar is configured to rotate in a first rotational direction when the snow thrower is moved in a first direction. 
   
   
       6 . The aerator assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the central bar is configured to rotate in an opposite second rotational direction when the snow thrower is moved in an opposite second direction. 
   
   
       7 . The aeration assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the position of the central bar with respect to a shovel of the snow thrower is vertically adjustable. 
   
   
       8 . The aeration assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the central bar may be adjusted with respect to the shovel to provide clearance between an auger within the shovel and the plurality of spikes projecting from the central bar. 
   
   
       9 . The aeration assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second brackets are removeably connectable with a respective side surface of the snow thrower. 
   
   
       10 . The aeration assembly of  claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second brackets are removeably connectable with a respective skid plate that is translatably mounted on the side surface of the snow thrower. 
   
   
       11 . The aeration assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second brackets each comprise parallel first and second legs. 
   
   
       12 . The aeration assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spike plates on the central bar comprise at least four spike plates. 
   
   
       13 . The aeration assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spike plates are disposed along the central bar with uneven spacing between each neighboring spike plate along the length of the central bar. 
   
   
       14 . The aeration assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spike plates are disposed along the central bar with all spike plates disposed with equal spacing between neighboring skid plates along the length of the central bar. 
   
   
       15 . A movable apparatus comprising:
 a housing comprising a handle and a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted thereto;   an engine disposed within the housing and configured to provide torque to the plurality of wheels to rotate the wheels in a first direction and an opposite second direction;   a central bar rotatably disposed on the housing comprising a plurality of spikes radially extending therefrom configured to produce a plurality of holes in the ground when rotated, wherein the central bar is configured to rotate in the first direction when the plurality of wheels are rotated in the first direction and the central bar is configured to be rotated in the opposite second direction when the wheels are rotated in the opposite second direction.   
   
   
       16 . The snow thrower to  claim 15 , wherein the central bar comprises an inner bar that is fixed to the housing and a hollow outer bar that is rotatably disposed around the inner bar. 
   
   
       17 . The snow thrower of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of spikes extend from one or more spike plates that are rigidly mounted to the outer bar. 
   
   
       18 . The snow thrower of  claim 15 , wherein the housing further comprises first and second skid plates movably mounted to opposing first and second side surfaces of the housing. 
   
   
       19 . The snow thrower of  claim 18 , further comprising first and second brackets configured to establish a connection between the first and second skid plates and the respective first and second ends of the central bar.