Combination snow blower and plow

Abstract

A combination snow blower and plow apparatus provides at least two operating configurations including a standard-width snow blowing configuration, and a snow plowing configuration. The apparatus includes a snow plow assembly coupled to a snow blower mechanism, the plow assembly being movable between a lowered deployed position for engaging snow, and a raised undeployed position for disengaging the plow assembly from the snow. In the plowing configuration, snow plow blades may be laterally extended to increase the width of a path cleared by the apparatus. Optionally, in the increased-width configuration, the apparatus may provide a pure plowing function, or may provide a combined plowing and snow-blowing function. The movable blades may be supported in their laterally-extended positions by struts, which support the blades as they are moved through an accumulation of snow or debris. Optionally, the snow plow assemblies may be configured as a kit for retrofitting existing snow blowers.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A combination snow blower and plow apparatus comprising:
 a snow blower mechanism having a housing with opposite sides and defining a snow inlet portion between said opposite sides, said snow blower mechanism further having a snow discharge portion in communication with said snow inlet portion;   a snow plow assembly movably coupled to said housing, said snow plow assembly being movable, relative to said housing, between a deployed position for engaging an accumulation of snow along a surface as said apparatus is driven along the surface, and an undeployed position for substantially disengaging the accumulation of snow;   said snow plow assembly comprising:
 a mounting portion that is movably coupled to said housing; and 
 at least one snow plow blade movably coupled to said mounting portion and configured to move, relative to said mounting portion, between a laterally-extended position that provides an increased snow-clearing width, and a laterally-retracted position that provides a decreased snow-clearing width which is less than said increased snow-clearing width; 
   wherein when said snow plow assembly is in the deployed position, said snow plow blade is positioned in front of said housing, and when said snow plow assembly is in the undeployed position, said snow plow blade is positioned above at least a portion of said housing.   
     
     
         2 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said snow plow assembly further comprises a mounting arm pivotally coupled to each of said opposite sides of said housing, and wherein said mounting portion of said snow plow assembly is coupled to said housing via said mounting arms. 
     
     
         3 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein when said snow plow assembly is in said undeployed position, at least a portion of said mounting portion and at least a portion of said snow plow blade are positioned directly above said housing. 
     
     
         4 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said snow plow assembly further comprises a support strut coupled between said housing and said snow plow blade, said support strut configured to support said snow plow blade in at least said laterally-extended position. 
     
     
         5 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said mounting portion of said snow plow assembly comprises a central blade configured for clearing an accumulation of snow from the surface. 
     
     
         6 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said snow plow assembly includes a pair of said snow plow blades movably coupled to said central blade. 
     
     
         7 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said snow plow assembly further comprises:
 a pair of elongate slots defined along said central blade, said elongate slots configured for movably mounting respective ones of said snow plow blades to said central blade;   an attachment fitting along an inboard region of each snow plow blade, each of said attachment fittings configured to slidably engage a respective one of said elongate slots of said central blade as said snow plow blades are moved between said laterally-extended position and said laterally-retracted position.   
     
     
         8 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein each of said attachment fittings comprises a shaft portion and a flange portion, said shaft portion projecting rearwardly from said snow plow blade and extending through one of said elongate slots, said flange portion positioned along said shaft portion at a location rearward of said central blade, and said flange portion having a width that is greater than a width of said elongate slot. 
     
     
         9 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said snow plow assembly further comprises a support strut coupled between said housing and each of said snow plow blades, said support struts configured to support said snow plow blades in at least said laterally-extended positions. 
     
     
         10 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said support struts comprise an adjustable-length struts that are reconfigurable between an extended configuration when said snow plow blades are in said laterally-extended positions, and a retracted configuration when said snow plow blades are in said laterally-retracted positions. 
     
     
         11 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said mounting portion of said snow plow assembly comprises a frame configured for slidably supporting said snow plow blade, said frame defining an opening when said snow plow blade is in the laterally-extended position, said opening configured to permit at least a portion of the accumulation of snow to pass into said snow inlet portion of said snow blower mechanism for subsequent discharge through said snow discharge portion as said apparatus is moved along the surface. 
     
     
         12 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said snow plow assembly includes a pair of said snow plow blades movably coupled to said frame. 
     
     
         13 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said frame defines upper and lower channels for slidably receiving an upper edge portion and lower edge portion, respectively, of each of said snow plow blades. 
     
     
         14 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said snow plow assembly further comprises a support strut coupled between said housing and each of said snow plow blades, said support struts configured to support said snow plow blades in at least said laterally-extended positions. 
     
     
         15 . A combination snow blower and plow apparatus comprising:
 a snow blower mechanism having a housing with opposite sides and defining a snow inlet portion between said opposite sides, said snow blower mechanism further having a snow discharge portion in communication with said snow inlet portion;   a snow plow assembly movably coupled to said housing, said snow plow assembly being pivotable between a deployed position in front of said snow blower mechanism, and an undeployed position in which a portion of said snow plow assembly is positioned above said housing of said snow blower mechanism;   said snow plow assembly comprising:
 a pair of mounting arms, each having a proximal end portion that is pivotally coupled to one of said opposite sides of said housing; 
 a mounting portion coupled to said housing via said mounting aims; and 
 a pair of snow plow blades coupled to said mounting portion and configured for sliding movement to a laterally-extended position that provides an increased snow-clearing width in which each of said snow plow blades extends laterally outboard of a respective one of said opposite sides of said snow blower housing; 
   wherein when said snow plow assembly is in the undeployed position, said snow blower mechanism is operable to clear an accumulation of snow from a surface as said apparatus is driven along the surface, and when said snow plow assembly is in the deployed position with said snow plow blades in their laterally-extended positions, said apparatus is operable to provide said increased snow-clearing width in an increased clearing-width configuration chosen from:
 (i) a pure plowing configuration in which said mounting portion and said snow plow blades cooperate to clear the accumulation of snow, substantially without the snow reaching said inlet portion of said snow blower housing; and 
 (ii) a combined snow plowing and snow blowing configuration in which said snow plow blades engage a portion of the accumulation of snow and said mounting portion permits another portion of the accumulation of snow to pass into said snow inlet portion of said snow blower housing. 
   
     
     
         16 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein when said snow plow assembly is in the deployed position with said snow plow blades each in a laterally-retracted position, said apparatus is operable in a pure plowing configuration to provide a decreased snow-clearing width which is less than said increased snow-clearing width. 
     
     
         17 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said snow plow assembly further comprises a support strut coupled between a proximal end portion of each of said mounting arms and a respective one of said snow plow blades, wherein said support struts are configured to support said snow plow blades in at least said laterally-extended positions. 
     
     
         18 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said support struts comprise an adjustable-length struts that are reconfigurable between an extended configuration when said snow plow blades are in said laterally-extended positions, and a retracted configuration when said snow plow blades are in said laterally-retracted positions. 
     
     
         19 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising a mounting arm stop at each of said opposite sides of said snow blower housing, said mounting arm stops configured to be engaged by said mounting arms when said snow blower mechanism is lifted above the surface, whereby said snow plow assembly is also liftable above the surface upon lifting said snow blower mechanism further above the surface with said mounting arm stops engaged by said mounting arms. 
     
     
         20 . The snow blower and plow apparatus of  claim 15 , further in combination with a tractor configured to drive said apparatus through the accumulation of snow, and configured to power said snow blower mechanism for discharging snow through said snow discharge portion.