Snow Removal Accessory for a Vehicle and Method of Use Thereof

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a snow removal accessory and method of use thereof for a vehicle. The accessory has a translation assembly for rotating an axle through action upon a lever connected via the axle to a leg and a wheel. The axle moves under the influence of an extendible cylinder moving from a retracted configuration to an extracted configuration until the wheel and ultimately the accessory is moved from an operative configuration in contact with the ground to a transport configuration where the wheels only are in contact with the ground.

1 . A snow removal accessory, comprising:
 a longitudinal frame with a grasping end, an operating end, and a support section between the grasping end and the operating end;   a snow collector connected to the operating end for removing snow by horizontal displacement of the snow collector over a surface;   an axle rotationally connected to the support section for movement between an operative configuration and a transport configuration;   a leg connected to the axle at a proximate end and having a wheel at a distal end for movably engaging the surface when the axe is in transport configuration; and   a lever connected at a first end to the axle adjacent the leg and at a second end to a translation assembly including an extendible cylinder, an actuator drive connected to the longitudinal frame, and a mechanism to energize the drive, wherein the mechanism enables the drive to actuate the extendible cylinder from a retracted configuration to an extracted configuration to pivot the lever, and the axle between the operative configuration where the accessory is lowered and the transport configuration where the accessory is raised.   
   
   
       2 . The snow removal accessory of  claim 1 , where the grasping end is mounted to a vehicle. 
   
   
       3 . The snow removal accessory of  claim 2 , wherein the grasping end includes a back mount at a rear end portion pivotally connected to a back portion of the vehicle, and a front mount area at the front end portion nested in an open nesting plate at the midportion of a traverse frame member pivotally connected at both opposed ends to the frame of the vehicle, wherein the front mount area is free to move vertically in the nesting plate but is confined horizontally by the nesting plate. 
   
   
       4 . The snow removal accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the snow collector further comprises a snow outlet in communication with a snow blower having a directional end. 
   
   
       5 . The snow removal accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the wheel is a caster wheel. 
   
   
       6 . The snow removal accessory of  claim 4 , wherein the snow outlet is connected to a directional lever attached to a manual operation plate. 
   
   
       7 . The snow removal accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the leg is made of two parallel plates, each having a proximate end connected to the axle and a distal end connected to the wheel. 
   
   
       8 . The snow removal accessory of  claim 1 , wherein the angular rotation of the axle between the operative configuration and the transport configuration is about 15 to 25 degrees. 
   
   
       9 . The snow removal accessory of  claim 1 , further comprising two legs, each connected to the axle at opposite ends, and each leg having a wheel at a distal end for movably engaging the surface when the axle is in transport configuration and a lever connected to the axle at one end. 
   
   
       10 . A translation assembly for a snow removal accessory having a longitudinal frame, at least a wheel connected via a leg to a rotating axle secured to the frame, the assembly comprising:
 a lever connected to the axle at a first end adjacent the leg and at a second end to an extendible cylinder, an actuator drive connected to the longitudinal frame, and a mechanism to energize the actuator drive, wherein the mechanism enables the actuator drive to actuate the extendible cylinder from a retracted configuration to an extracted configuration to pivot the lever and the axle between an operative configuration and a transport configuration.   
   
   
       11 . The translation assembly for a snow removal accessory of  claim 10 , wherein the wheel is a caster wheel. 
   
   
       12 . The translation assembly for a snow removal accessory of  claim 10 , wherein the leg is made of two parallel plates, each having a proximate end connected to the axle and a distant end connected to the wheel. 
   
   
       13 . The translation assembly for a snow removal accessory of  claim 10 , wherein the angular rotation of the axis between the operative configuration and the transport configuration is about 15 to 25 degrees. 
   
   
       14 . The translation assembly for a snow removal accessory of  claim 10 , further comprising two legs each connected to the axle at opposite ends, and each leg having a wheel at a distal end for movably engaging the surface when the axle is in transport configuration, and two levers each connected to the axle at the opposite ends. 
   
   
       15 . The translation assembly for a snow removal accessory of  claim 10 , wherein the axle is pivotally attached to the longitudinal frame by a C-shaped plate. 
   
   
       16 . A method of transforming a snow removal accessory from an operative configuration to a transportation configuration, comprising the steps of:
 transporting a snow removal accessory having an operative configuration and a transport configuration in the transportation mode to a location, the accessory comprising a longitudinal frame with a grasping end, an operating end, and a support section between the grasping end and the operating end, a snow collector connected to the operating end, an axle rotationally connected to the support section for movement between an operative configuration and a transport configuration, a leg connected to the axle at a proximal end and having a wheel at a distal end for movably engaging the surface when the axle is in transport configuration, and a lever connected at a first end to the axle adjacent the leg and at a second end to a translation assembly including an extendible cylinder, an actuator drive connected to the longitudinal frame, and a switch to energize the actuator drive, wherein the switch enables the actuator drive to actuate the extendible cylinder from a retracted configuration to an extracted configuration to pivot the lever and the axle between the operative configuration and the transport configuration; and   activating a switch for energizing the actuator drive via the mechanism to extract the extendible cylinder from the retracted configuration to an extracted configuration until the snow collector contacts the surface and the wheel lifts from the surface.