Snow removal device

Abstract

There is disclosed a manual snow removal device that uses only a small fraction of the energy required for shoveling snow by eliminating the need to toss snow way up into the air thereby preventing heart attacks and death wherein the collected snow never leaves the ground which comprises a snow mover and a snow receiver wherein the snow mover includes a handle manipulated by one hand and having attached on the lower end a push plate and a laterally attached dig plate and used to move snow into the snow receiver wherein the snow receiver includes a container that is of a box like configuration having a collar assembly rotatably attached to the front end wherein the lower portion of the collar is a snow blade wherein the collar may be latched into a front position thereby placing the blade in a down position such that the receiver may be pulled into the snow by the cord with one hand thereby collecting snow wherein the collar may then be latched into a back position thereby lifting the blade up to create a sled-like front end configuration of the receiver such that the receiver may be easily pulled across the snow to a dump area and dumped by tilting the receiver with the snow mover wherein the user is always standing erect during the whole procedure with no bending down or tossing snow required.

1 . A snow removal device comprising: 
 (a) a snow mover that is identical to the item mover previously described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,278 B1 except for two modifications described in this patent wherein if the handle is in a vertical position with the lower end of the handle attached to the push plate wherein the push plate is termed a striking means in U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,278 B1 wherein in this patent one modification is that the bottom of the handle is beveled upwards and outwards away from the push plate said bevel terminating on the handle back side, wherein a second modification is that the two screw holes on the back side of the handle are recessed to prevent the attaching screw heads or nuts from protruding out beyond the surface of the handle back side;    (b) a container that is of generally a box like structure having a right side, left side, top side, bottom side, back side and an open front end wherein the bottom side is flat wherein when said container is placed on a flat horizontal surface, the back side would be generally perpendicular to that horizontal surface wherein attached to the front edge of the bottom side is a half hinge which is similar to half of a standard cabinet hinge with the pin removed, said half hinge having alternating rounded protrusions and recesses wherein the rounded protrusions contain hinge pin holes, said holes being centered on the rounded portion of the protrusions wherein said protrusions in this half hinge would be received by recesses in the half hinge attached to the rear of the collar assembly snow blade wherein at, or near, the hinge pin hole in the container right side and left side, said sides proceed in an incline upwards and forward and terminate at the upper front edge of the right side and the left side thereby providing space in the right and left sides such that the collar assembly snow blade may freely rotatably move into the up position wherein the container right side and left side upper front edges proceed upwards and terminate at the front edge of the top side wherein said upper front edges and the front edge of the top side are in a plane that is generally parallel to the plane of the back side wherein the snow shield extends upwards from the front edge of the top side in same plane as the upper front edges but extends no further up than is necessary to shield that portion of the latch mechanism contained within the latch frame from snow when the snow receiver is dumped wherein the snow receiver includes the container, collar assembly, latch means, handle, cord, cord clamps and cord guides in an assembled state;    (c) a collar assembly that includes a snow blade, right side, left side, connecting bar and a half hinge wherein, assuming the snow blade is resting in a horizontal plane, the right side extends upwards from the snow blade right edge and the left side extends upwards from the snow blade left edge and the connecting bar joins the top end of the right side and extends to and joins the top end of the left side wherein the latch portion of the latch means is attached to the top surface of the connecting bar wherein the snow blade is flat and the blade front edge is in a straight line wherein attached to the back edge of the of the snow blade is the collar assembly half hinge, said half hinge having alternating rounded protrusions and recesses wherein the rounded protrusions contain hinge pin holes, said holes being centered on the rounded portion of the protrusions wherein the collar assembly is rotatably joined to the container by merging the two half hinges and inserting the hinge pin through the hinge pin holes thereby creating a complete hinge wherein the hinge is so placed that the longitudinal axis of the hinge pin is generally perpendicular the container right side and left side wherein when the collar assembly is rotatably moved over the hinge pin, the collar assembly right side, left side and connecting bar move on the outside of the container and the snow blade moves up or down in front of the container open front end wherein the snow blade front edge and the lower front edges of the collar assembly right side and left sides are generally sharp to facilitate cutting through the snow when the snow receiver is pulled into the snow wherein the straight line established by the snow blade front edge is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hinge pin wherein the collar assembly is configured such that when the collar assembly is rotatably moved to and latched into a front position by the latch means, said position attained by rotatably moving the connecting bar in a general direction towards the container open front end, the connecting bar is sufficiently spaced back from the container top side front edge and snow shield to allow the attachment of the front position hook receiver and the front stop means, both of which are attached near the container top side front edge wherein when the snow receiver is placed on a flat horizontal surface and the collar assembly is rotatably moved into the front position, the snow blade is also rotatably moved down to a blade down position placing the snow blade at a slope angle C relative to the plane of the container bottom side such that the snow blade front edge exists below that part of the container bottom side that contains the half hinge, resulting in that part of the bottom side being higher above the flat surface than the blade front edge, leaving only the blade front edge and the container back side bottom edge in contact with the flat surface, wherein when the collar assembly is rotatably moved to and latched into a back position by the latch means, said position attained by rotatably moving the connecting bar in a general direction towards the container back side, the snow blade is also rotatably moved up to a blade up position placing the snow blade at an angle A relative to the plane of the container bottom side wherein the snow blade front edge exists higher than that part of the container bottom side that contains the half hinge, whereby a sled-like configuration is formed at the front end of the snow receiver;    (d) a latch means that functions to latch the collar assembly into either the front position or back position wherein the latch portion of the latch means is attached to the top surface of the collar assembly connecting bar wherein the latch is configured to allow the user to engage the latch portion with the snow mover dig plate and/or push plate to move and latch the collar assembly into either the front position or back position wherein during these operations the user may remain standing erect;    (e) a handle that is attached to rear portion of the container top side near the container back side and centered between the container right side and left side wherein the handle includes the hand grip and on either end of said grip, and assuming the handle hand grip is in a horizontal plane, posts extends downward in generally perpendicular fashion, terminating at bases, said bases extending outwardly from their respective posts in a direction away from hand grip and terminating wherein the two bases, having screw holes, are attached to the container top side wherein the hand grip has a front edge and a back edge wherein the back edge is parallel to the plane established by the container back side wherein a slot begins at the center of the back edge and proceeds towards the front edge in a fashion perpendicular to the back edge and terminates prior to reaching the front edge wherein the slot width is sufficient to receive the edge of the snow mover push plate when said plate is inserted into said slot, resulting in the dig plate being moved underneath the hand grip wherein the distance from the slot to either post is sufficient to receive the dig plate wherein the handle is also of a size and shape that can be easily grasped by the hand and used to lift the snow receiver up and about;    (f) a cord that is in the form of a loop wherein either cord end is threaded through a cord guide and is attached to the container by cord clamps, said clamps attached to the lower portion of the container right side and the left side in a location near and to the rear of the container hinge pin holes, said clamp locations being oppositely disposed wherein opposite sides of the cord loop are knotted together by one or more knots wherein said knot(s) may act as hand grasps;    (g) two cord clamps wherein either includes a rounded portion and two bases wherein extending out from either end of the rounded portion are the bases, said bases each having a screw hole wherein the bases are attached to the container with screws wherein the rounded portion is engaged over the cord, clamping the cord ends in place; and    (h) two cord guides wherein each includes a bar, two posts and two bases, said bases having screw holes wherein if the bar is in a horizontal plane, the posts extend downward from either end of the bar in a generally perpendicular fashion and terminate at bases wherein said bases extend outwardly and away from the bar in a generally perpendicular fashion from the posts and terminate wherein the cord guides are attached to either collar assembly sides in an orientation wherein the front edge of bar is near to and equidistant from the front edge of the collar assembly right side and left side wherein the length of the posts is sufficient to provide enough space between the bar and its respective collar assembly side to allow free up and down movement of the cord wherein the length of the bar and location of cord guide on the collar assembly are, in combination, sufficient to allow the snow receiver to be pulled forward in most usage circumstances without the cord ever engaging either post wherein when the cord is pulled up the cord will engage the cord guide top posts and lift the front of the container up.    
   
   
       2 . The latch means of  claim 1  comprising: 
 (a) a latch having a frame that is U shaped, said frame having a bottom side, right side and a left side wherein if the bottom side is placed on a flat horizontal surface then the right side joins the right edge of the bottom side and extends upwards in a generally perpendicular fashion wherein the left side joins the left edge of the bottom side and extends upwards in a generally perpendicular fashion wherein both the right side and left side extend upwards sufficiently high to offer side protection to the lower portion of the latch mechanism wherein the right side and left side are oppositely disposed wherein formed through both the right side and left side is a shaft hole, said holes to receive a shaft wherein said holes are oppositely disposed and so positioned that the longitudinal axis of the shaft, when installed, is generally perpendicular to the frame right side and left side wherein the latch, when assembled onto the snow receiver, is attached to the top surface of the collar assembly connecting bar by attaching frame bottom side to said top surface wherein when attached, the planes established by the frame right and left sides are generally parallel to the planes established by the container right and left sides wherein the latch means also includes an actuator lever wherein, if the latch frame bottom side is on a horizontal surface, the top portion of the actuator lever is a horizontal top plate wherein joined to a central portion of the bottom of the top plate is an arm which extends downward in a fashion generally perpendicular to the top plate wherein said arm joins a base plate in a generally perpendicular fashion wherein the top plate front portion extends out in a forward direction further than the front surface of the arm such that the front portion and the arm, in combination, form the actuator front hook wherein a forward direction is generally towards the snow receiver front end wherein the top plate back portion extends out in a rearwards direction further than the back surface of the arm such that the back portion and the arm, in combination, form the actuator back hook wherein on either side of the base plate bearing flanges extend downward from a central portion of the base plate wherein in the lower portion of the flanges, shaft holes are formed in, said shaft holes being oppositely disposed, said shaft holes to receive the shaft when the latch is assembled, wherein the two bearing flanges are joined to the base plate in an orientation to allow rotational movement of the actuator lever over the shaft when the actuator lever arm is moved to the front or back wherein the outside width of the base plate and bearing flanges are dimensioned to fit within and adjacent to the frame right side and left side wherein the inside distance between the flanges is sufficient to cradle, or include between, both the back latch lever and the front latch lever wherein the back latch lever includes, among other portions, the rotation stop portion wherein the rotation stop portion begins at the rotation stop bottom surface and extends upwards to join the flat portion wherein the flat portion proceeds horizontally and rearwardly to join the inclined portion wherein the inclined portion proceeds upwards and rearwardly from the flat portion to join the engagement portion wherein the engagement portion proceeds downwardly from the inclined portion and terminates in the engagement portion bottom surface, wherein the inclined portion and the engagement portion, in combination, form the back position hook wherein proceeding downward on either side of the flat portion and oppositely disposed are two bearing flanges wherein in the lower portions thereof shaft holes are formed in, said shaft holes to receive the shaft when the latch is assembled, wherein the bearing flanges are sufficiently spaced apart to cradle, or include, a coiled torsion spring wherein the front latch lever includes, among other portions, the rotation stop portion wherein the rotation stop portion begins at the rotation stop bottom surface and extends upwards to join the flat portion wherein the flat portion proceeds horizontally and forewardly to join the engagement portion wherein the engagement portion proceeds downwardly from the flat portion and terminates in the engagement bottom surface wherein the flat portion and the engagement portion, in combination, form the front position hook wherein proceeding downward on either side of the flat portion and oppositely disposed are the two bearing flanges wherein in the lower portions thereof shaft holes are formed in, said shaft holes to receive the shaft when the latch is assembled, wherein the bearing flanges are sufficiently spaced apart to cradle, or include in between, a coiled torsion spring wherein the configuration of the assembled latch is hereby described wherein the lower portion of the actuator lever, said lower portion being the base plate and the two base plate bearing flanges, resides between and is adjacent to the frame right and left sides wherein the back latch lever and the front latch lever are placed side by side and reside below the base plate and between the actuator lever right bearing flange and left bearing flange wherein the back latch lever back position hook extends out rearwards of the frame bottom side back edge and the front latch lever front position hook extends out forward of the frame bottom side front edge wherein a coiled torsion spring resides between the two bearing flanges shaft holes of the back latch lever wherein the center longitudinal hole of said spring is in alignment with the two holes wherein one tang engages the frame bottom side and the other tang engages the underside of back latch lever flat portion in an orientation that urges the back position hook to the down position wherein a coiled torsion spring resides between the two bearing flange shaft holes of the front latch lever wherein the center longitudinal hole of said spring is in alignment with the two holes wherein one tang engages the frame bottom side and the other tang engages the bottom side of the front latch lever flat portion in an orientation that urges the front position hook to the down position wherein the shaft is engaged through all shaft holes of the frame, actuator lever, back latch lever and the front latch lever and also through the center longitudinal holes of the two coiled torsion springs wherein the mechanical configuration of the latch that exists when the collar assembly is latched into the front position or the back position wherein no force is being applied to the latch actuator lever wherein the respective coiled torsion springs of the back latch lever and the front latch lever have forced the back portion of the flat portion of back latch lever to engage the frame bottom side back top edge and also forced the front portion of the flat portion of the front latch lever to engage the frame bottom side front top edge wherein this forces the back position hook of the back latch lever into the down position and also forces the front position hook of the front latch lever into the down position wherein the actuator lever base plate is in close proximity to, or in slight contact with, the respective latch levers but said base plate is applying no force to either wherein this relative positioning of the two latch levers and the actuator base plate retain the actuator lever in a straight up, or neutral, position allowing a minimum of unnecessary front or back movement, or wobble, of the actuator lever, wherein the mechanical configuration of the latch when being unlatched from the front position hook receiver wherein the snow mover engages the actuator lever front hook and pushed rearwards by the user, rotating the actuator lever over shaft causing the back bottom edge of the actuator lever base plate to engage the front latch lever flat portion to the rear of shaft, lifting the front position hook sufficiently high up enough to allow disengagement of the hook from the engagement surface of the front position hook receiver wherein further rotation of the actuator lever is prevented by the engagement of the bottom surface of the rotation stop to the frame bottom side wherein continued force applied to the actuator lever by the snow mover rotates the collar assembly over the hinge shaft to move the collar assembly to the back position whereupon of the back position hook will engage over the engagement surface of the back position hook receiver wherein further backward movement of the collar assembly is prevented by engagement of the back edge of the collar assembly connecting bar with the back stop means thereby latching the collar assembly into the back position, wherein the mechanical configuration of the latch when being unlatched from the back position hook receiver wherein the snow mover engages the actuator lever back hook and is pulled forward by the user, rotating the actuator lever over the shaft causing the front bottom edge of the actuator lever base plate to engage the back latch lever flat portion forward of the shaft, lifting the back position hook sufficiently high up enough to allow disengagement of the hook from the engagement surface of the back position hook receiver wherein further rotation of the actuator lever is prevented by the engagement of the bottom surface of the rotation stop to the frame bottom side wherein continued force applied to the actuator lever by the snow mover rotates the collar assembly over the hinge shaft to move the collar assembly to the front position whereupon of the front position hook will engage over the engagement surface of the front position hook receiver wherein further forward movement of the collar assembly is prevented by engagement of the front edge of the collar assembly connecting bar with the front stop means thereby latching the collar assembly into the front position;    (b) a front position hook receiver wherein the basic design of the front position hook receiver, which is attached to the front portion of the container top side, includes a flat horizontal base from which the flange extends upwards in a vertical fashion from the center portion of the base and terminates at the top surface wherein the slanted engagement surface begins at the drop point which is located on the front end of the top surface and continues downward and to the rear, terminating at the bottom surface of the base wherein the back edge, which begins at a point on the top surface that is a sufficient distance from the drop point to assure that the engagement of the latch front latch lever hook is onto the top surface, extends downward in a vertical fashion and terminates at the base wherein the contour of the top surface is determined by the geometry of a particular device design;    (c) a front stop means includes the flat horizontal base which is attached to the container top side and the lateral portion which extends upwards and towards the front from the base at an angle E wherein the lateral portion engages the front edge of the collar assembly connecting bar when stopping further front movement of said collar assembly wherein Angle E is such that the surface of the lateral portion is perpendicular to the angle of attack of the connecting bar at the point of engagement, thereby preventing any up or down skewing force being applied to the collar assembly wherein the angle of attack of the collar assembly connecting bar is determined by the geometry of a particular device design;    (d) a back position hook receiver which is attached to a rearwards portion of the container top side, includes a flat horizontal base from which the flange extends upwards in a vertical fashion from the center portion of the base and terminates at the top surface wherein the slanted engagement surface begins at the drop point which is located on the rear end of the top surface and continues downward and to the front, terminating at the bottom surface of the base wherein the front edge, which begins at a point on the top surface that is a sufficient distance from the drop point to assure that the engagement of the back latch lever hook is onto the top surface, extends downward in a vertical fashion and terminates at the base wherein the contour of the top surface is determined by the geometry of a particular device design; and    (e) a back stop means, which is attached to a rearwards portion of the container top side, includes the flat horizontal base and the lateral portion which extends upwards and to the rear from the base at an angle F wherein the lateral portion engages the back edge of the collar assembly connecting bar when stopping further back movement of said collar assembly wherein Angle F is such that the surface of the lateral portion is perpendicular to the angle of attack of the connecting bar at the point of engagement, thereby preventing any up or down skewing force being applied to the collar assembly wherein the angle of attack of the collar assembly connecting bar is determined by the geometry of a particular device design.    
   
   
       3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein an angle A of about  32  degrees and an angle C of about  6  degrees renders a device that functions satisfactorily wherein either angle may vary within a substantial angle range and still render a device that functions satisfactorily.  
   
   
       4 . a snow removal device comprising: 
 (a) a snow mover that is identical to the item mover previously described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,278 B1 except for two modifications described in this patent wherein if the handle is in a vertical position with the lower end of the handle attached to the push plate wherein the push plate is termed a striking means in U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,278 B1 wherein in this patent one modification is that the bottom of the handle is beveled upwards and outwards away from the push plate said bevel terminating on the handle back side, wherein a second modification is that the two screw holes on the back side of the handle are recessed to prevent the attaching screw heads or nuts from protruding out beyond the surface of the handle back side;    (b) a container that is generally a box like structure having a right side, left side, top side, back side, bottom side, snow blade and open front end wherein the snow blade joins the bottom side at junction J and extends forward with a downward slope, terminating at the snow blade front edge wherein the angle magnitude of said slope is sufficient to assure that the blade front edge and the back side bottom edge are the only parts engaging a flat horizontal surface when the container is placed on said surface wherein all sides join adjacent sides in a generally perpendicular fashion except at junction J where the bottom side joins the snow blade wherein the front edges of the right side, left side, top side and the snow blade front edge all lie in the same plane, said plane being generally parallel to the plane of the back side wherein the snow receiver includes the container, cord, handle, cord guides and the cord clamps;    (c) a cord which is a loop having one or more knots wherein either end is attached to the container by cord clamps attached to the lower portion of the container right side and the left side in a location near and to the rear of the junction J, said clamp locations being oppositely disposed wherein the knot(s) may be used as hand grasps;    (d) two cord clamps wherein either includes a rounded portion and two bases wherein extending out from either end of the rounded portion are the bases, said bases each having a screw hole wherein the bases are attached to the container with screws wherein the rounded portion is engaged over the cord, clamping the cord ends in place;    (e) two cord guides wherein either includes a bar, two posts and two bases, said bases having screw holes wherein if the bar is in a horizontal plane, the posts extend downward from either end of the bar in a generally perpendicular fashion and terminate at bases wherein said bases extend outwardly and away from the bar in a generally perpendicular fashion from the posts and terminate wherein the cord guides are attached near the open front end to the right side and left side in an orientation wherein the front edge of bar is near to and equidistant from the front edge of the container open front end wherein the length of the posts is sufficient to provide enough space between the bar and its respective container side to allow free up and down movement of the cord wherein the length of the bar and location of cord guide on the container right and left sides are, in combination, sufficient to allow the snow receiver to be pulled forward in most usage circumstances without the cord ever engaging either post wherein when the cord is pulled up the cord will engage the cord guide top posts and lift the front of the container up; and    (f) a handle that is attached to rear portion of the container top side very near the container back side and centered between the container right side and left side and, assuming the handle hand grip is in a horizontal plane, the handle includes the hand grip and on either end of said grip, posts extends downward in generally perpendicular fashion, terminating at bases, said bases extending outwardly from their respective posts in a direction away from hand grip and terminating wherein the two bases, having screw holes, are attached to the container top side wherein the hand grip has a front edge and a back edge wherein the back edge is parallel to the plane established by the container back side wherein a slot begins at the center of the back edge and proceeds towards the front edge in a fashion perpendicular to the back edge and terminates prior to reaching the front edge wherein the slot width is sufficient to receive the edge of the snow mover push plate when said plate is inserted into said slot, resulting in the dig plate being moved underneath the hand grip wherein the distance from the slot to either post is sufficient to receive the dig plate wherein the handle is also of a size and shape that can be easily grasped by the hand and used to lift the snow receiver up and about.    
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the downward angle of the snow blade relative to the bottom side is an angle of about 6 degrees which renders a device that functions satisfactorily wherein said angle may vary within a substantial angle range and still render a device that functions satisfactorily.