Universal snow plow adapter

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for allowing the use of a common lift assembly with both trip edge snow plow blades and full moldboard trip snow plow blades. A bracket is interposed between a lift assembly, which is adapted to attach directly to a trip edge blade, and a full moldboard trip blade. This bracket is pivotally attached to the lift assembly, so as to allow it to pivot about a vertical axis. It is also pivotally attached to the full moldboard trip blade so as to allow the blade to pivot about a horizontal axis. This allows a single lift assembly to be used in conjunction with both trip edge blades and full moldboard trip blades.

1 . An adapter adapted to be interposed between a snow plow lift assembly adapted to couple directly to a trip edge snow plow blade having a first central pivot location and second and third pivot locations, wherein said lift assembly comprises a vertical pivot location and two actuators, and said coupling comprises a first fastener adapted to pivotally affix said vertical pivot location to said first central pivot location and two second fasteners adapted to pivotally affix said two actuators to respective ones of said second and third pivot locations, and a moldboard trip snow plow assembly, wherein said moldboard trip snow plow assembly comprises a moldboard blade having two horizontal pivot locations and at least one biasing element, said adapter comprising: 
 a first attachment point adapted to be pivotally affixed to said vertical pivot location on said lift assembly;    second and third attachment points adapted to be pivotally affixed to respective ones of said two actuators;    fourth and fifth attachment points adapted to be pivotally affixed to respective ones of said horizontal pivot locations on said moldboard snow plow blade; and    at least one sixth attachment point adapted to be affixed to a respective one of said at least one biasing elements.    
   
   
       2 . The adapter of  claim 1 , wherein said actuators comprise hydraulic cylinders.  
   
   
       3 . The adapter of  claim 1 , wherein said biasing element comprises a compression spring.  
   
   
       4 . A method of attaching a snow plow lift assembly having a vertical pivot location and two actuators to a moldboard snow plow blade assembly comprising a moldboard blade having two horizontal pivot locations and at least one biasing element affixed to said moldboard, said method comprising: 
 providing a bracket, said bracket comprising a first attachment point adapted to be pivotally affixed to said vertical pivot location on said lift assembly;    second and third attachment points adapted to be pivotally affixed to respective ones of said two actuators; fourth and fifth attachment points adapted to be pivotally affixed to respective ones of said horizontal pivot locations on said moldboard snow plow blade; and at least one sixth attachment point adapted to be affixed to a respective one of said at least one biasing element;    pivotally affixing said vertical pivot location to said first attachment point;    pivotally affixing said two actuators to said second and third attachment points;    pivotally affixing said horizontal pivot locations to said fourth and fifth attachment points; and    affixing each of said at least one biasing elements to a respective one of said at least one sixth attachment points.    
   
   
       5 . A collection of parts adapted to be used to create a trip edge snow plow system or a moldboard snow plow system, comprising: 
 a snow plow lift assembly, said lift assembly having a vertical pivot location and two actuators;    a trip edge blade assembly, having a central pivot location and second and third pivot locations, wherein said central pivot location is adapted to be pivotally affixed to said vertical pivot location and said second and third pivot locations are adapted to be pivotally affixed to respective ones of said actuators;    a moldboard blade assembly, comprising a moldboard blade having two horizontal pivot locations and at least one biasing element affixed to said moldboard blade; and    a bracket comprising a first attachment point adapted to be pivotally affixed to said vertical pivot location on said lift assembly; second and third attachment points adapted to be pivotally affixed to respective ones of said two respective actuators;    fourth and fifth attachment points adapted to be pivotally affixed to respective ones of said horizontal pivot locations on said moldboard snow plow blade; and at least one sixth attachment point adapted to be affixed to a respective one of said at least one biasing element, wherein said trip edge snow plow system comprises said lift assembly and said trip edge blade assembly, and said moldboard snow plow system comprises said lift assembly, said bracket, and said moldboard blade assembly.    
   
   
       6 . A mounting adapter for allowing a plurality of identical lift assemblies to be each mounted to one of a plurality of different snowplow blades selected from the group consisting of trip edge blades and blades devoid of a trip edge, said adapter comprising: 
 a first attachment point adapted to be pivotally coupled to said lift assembly to define a vertical axis about which said blade devoid of a trip edge is adapted to move;    second and third attachment points adapted to be pivotally coupled to said lift assembly to allow movement of said blade devoid of a trip edge about said vertical axis;    fourth and fifth attachment points adapted to be pivotally coupled to said blade devoid of a trip edge to allow movement of said blade devoid of a trip edge about a horizontal axis.    
   
   
       7 . The mounting adapter of  claim 6 , wherein said blade devoid of a trip edge further comprises at least one biasing element, and wherein said adapter comprises one or more biasing element attachment points each adapted to be coupled to a respective one of said one or more biasing elements.