Road maintenance guard

Abstract

A guard used with road maintenance equipment, the guard comprising a guard body having a thickness, the guard body defining a groove configured to receive a portion of the road maintenance equipment; the guard further defining a chamfer on at least one side of the groove to facilitate attachment of the guard.

1 . A guard used with road maintenance equipment, the guard comprising a guard body having a thickness, the guard body defining a groove configured to receive a portion of the road maintenance equipment; the guard further defining a chamfer on at least one side of the groove to facilitate attachment of the guard. 
     
     
         2 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein the chamfer extends obliquely relative to the groove to define a well adjacent to the groove. 
     
     
         3 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein the groove includes a first edge and a second edge extending inward from a perimeter of the guard, the first edge defining a first plane and the second edge defining a second plane, wherein the body of the guard defines a first buffer thickness between the plane of the first plane and the perimeter of the guard body, and a second buffer thickness between the second plane and the perimeter of the guard body. 
     
     
         4 . The guard of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one chamfer includes a first chamfer adjacent to the first edge of the groove and a second chamfer adjacent to the second edge of the groove, wherein the first chamfer extends at a first angle relative to the first plane and the second chamfer extends at a second angle relative to the first plane. 
     
     
         5 . The guard of  claim 4 , wherein the first edge and second edge extend at a 90 degree angle relative to each other, and wherein a sum of the first angle and the second angle is 180 degrees. 
     
     
         6 . The guard of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one chamfer extends outward relative to at least one of the first edge and second edge to define at least one well adjacent to the at least one of the first edge and second edge. 
     
     
         7 . The guard of  claim 1  further comprising a mounting plate having an edge, wherein at least a portion of the edge is received within the groove defining a seam between the mounting plate and the guard, wherein the chamfer defines a well adjacent to the seam; and a weld applied between the guard and the mounting plate along the seam and at least partially within the well. 
     
     
         8 . The guard of  claim 7 , wherein the mounting plate includes an end having a first surface and a second surface oriented at 90 degrees relative to each other, wherein the groove includes a first edge and a second edge extending inward from a perimeter of the guard and meeting at a 90 degree angle. 
     
     
         9 . The guard of  claim 7 , wherein the groove includes a first edge extending inward from a perimeter of the guard body, and wherein a lateral outward end of the mounting plate is received in the groove; a first buffer thickness defined between the first edge and a perimeter of the groove extends laterally outward relative to the mounting plate. 
     
     
         10 . The guard of  claim 7 , wherein a second buffer thickness extends forward relative to the mounting plate. 
     
     
         11 . The guard of  claim 7 , wherein the groove includes a first edge extending inward from a perimeter defining a first plane, wherein an end of the mounting plate extends parallel to the first plane and is received in the groove, the at least one chamfer including a first chamfer extending at an angle relative to the first plane to define the well adjacent to the end of the mounting plate. 
     
     
         12 . The guard of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one chamfer includes a second chamfer extending at a second angle relative to the first plane to define a second well adjacent to a front surface of the mounting plate. 
     
     
         13 . The guard of  claim 7 , wherein the groove extends vertically and is configured to receive a lateral outward end of the mounting plate. 
     
     
         14 . The guard of  claim 7 , wherein a height of the guard body is no greater than a height of the mounting plate. 
     
     
         15 . The guard of  claim 1 , wherein the guard is constructed of steel. 
     
     
         16 . A guard used with road maintenance equipment, the guard comprising a guard body, wherein the guard body includes a first edge extending inward from a perimeter of the guard body and a second edge extending inward from the perimeter of the guard body, the first edge and second edge defining a groove extending inward from the perimeter of the guard body configured to receive a portion of a road maintenance equipment, the first edge defining a first plane and the second edged defining a second plane, wherein the guard body includes a chamfer adjacent to at least one of the first edge and second edge, the chamfer extending outward at an angle relative to the at least one edge and toward the perimeter of the guard body to define a well adjacent to at least one of the first edge and second edge. 
     
     
         17 . The guard of  claim 16 , wherein the first edge and second edge intersect at a 90 degree angle. 
     
     
         18 . The guard of  claim 16 , wherein the guard body is constructed of steel. 
     
     
         19 . The guard of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one chamfer includes a first chamfer extending obliquely to a first edge of the groove and a second chamfer extending obliquely to the second edge of the groove. 
     
     
         20 . The guard of  claim 16  further comprising a mounting plate configured to attach to the road maintenance equipment, wherein the mounting plate is at least partially received in the groove forming at least one seam between the guard body and the mounting plate; wherein the chamfer defines the well adjacent to the seam; and a weld formed along the seam and at least partially filling the well.