Portable manhole cover remover

Abstract

A manhole cover remover, including a support, the support being a utility vehicle, equipped with a plow carriage, hydraulic ram, and plow connectors; at least one pivot arm joined to the plow connectors; a cable connecting the hydraulic ram and the at least one pivot arm; an attachment joined to the at least one pivot arm; a video camera in optical communication with the attachment; and a monitor located within the utility vehicle and in communication with the video camera and a method of converting a snow plow to a manhole cover remover, including the steps of removing a snowplow blade from plow connectors and hydraulic ram; joining pivot arms to the plow connectors; joining an attachment to the pivot arms; and joining the hydraulic ram to the pivot arms.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A manhole cover remover, comprising: 
 a support, the support being a utility vehicle, equipped with a winch and plow connectors;    at least one pivot arm joined to the plow connectors;    a cable connecting the winch and the at least one pivot arm;    an attachment joined to the at least one pivot arm;    a video camera in optical communication with the attachment; and    a monitor located within the utility vehicle and in communication with the video camera.    
     
     
         2 . The manhole cover remover of  claim 1  wherein the winch is a hydraulic ram.  
     
     
         3 . The manhole cover of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a plow carriage joined to a hydraulic ram, the hydraulic ram joined to the at least one pivot arm  
 
     
     
         4 . The manhole cover remover of  claim 1  wherein the attachment is a magnet.  
     
     
         5 . The manhole cover of  claim 1  wherein the attachment is an electromagnet.  
     
     
         6 . A manhole cover remover conversion kit, comprising: 
 at least one pivot arm adapted to be joined to plow connectors;    a cable adapted to connect the hydraulic ram to the at least one pivot arm;    an attachment selectively joinable to the at least one pivot arm;    a video camera in optical communication with the attachment; and    a monitor positionable within a utility vehicle and in communication with the video camera.    
     
     
         7 . The kit of  claim 6  further comprising: 
 a support being a utility vehicle equipped with a plow carriage, hydraulic ram and plow connectors, the pivot arms joined to the plow connectors, the hydraulic ram joined to the plow carriage and the cable, the cable joined to the at least one pivot arm, and the monitor positioned within the utility vehicle.  
 
     
     
         8 . The kit of  claim 6 , wherein there are two pivot arms.  
     
     
         9 . The kit of  claim 6  wherein the at least one pivot arm is adapted to be hingedly joined to at least one plow connector.  
     
     
         10 . The kit of  claim 6  wherein the attachment is a magnet.  
     
     
         11 . The kit of  claim 6  wherein the attachment is an electromagnet.  
     
     
         12 . A method of converting a snow plow to a manhole cover remover, comprising the steps of: 
 removing a snowplow blade from plow connectors and hydraulic ram;    joining pivot arms to the plow connectors;    joining an attachment to the pivot arms; and    joining the hydraulic ram to the pivot arms.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the pivot arms are hingedly joined to the plow connectors.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further including the step of: 
 monitoring the attachment with a video camera and monitor.  
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  further including the step of: 
 operating the hydraulic ram to raise and lower the attachment.  
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the attachment is a magnet.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the attachment is an electromagnet.