Snowplow blade

Abstract

In a snowplow blade, an upper elongated rolling element is associated with a lower elongated knife having a free sliding lower edge, in use, in contact with a surface to be cleared; the knife comprising a plurality of elongated plate portions independent from one another and juxtaposed in a direction transverse to the advancement direction of the blade; at least a guide and slide assembly of relative mobility being interposed between each elongated plate portion and the rolling element to allow at least a translation of the elongated plate portion towards the rolling element against the action of at least one removal elastic block of the plate portion from the rolling element itself.

1 . A snowplow blade comprising a mounting frame to a self-propelled advancement unit of the blade itself above a surface to be cleared, an upper elongated rolling element carried by said frame and an elongate lower knife constituting a downwards extension of the upper rolling element and having a free sliding lower edge, in use, in contact with said surface to be cleared; the lower knife comprising at least two elongated plate portions independent of one another and aligned in a direction transverse to the advancement direction of the blade; and, for each of said elongated plate portion, at least a respective guide and slide assembly adapted to allow at least a translation of the respective said elongated plate portion to and from said rolling element with respect to the other of said elongated plate portions and elastic thrust means interposed between each of said elongated plate portion and the rolling element to space the elongated plate portion from the rolling element, characterized by comprising, in addition, for each of said elongated plate portion, at least one respective hinge adapted to allow, in use, a rotation of the respective said elongated plate portion with respect to the other of said elongated plate portions about an axis of instantaneous rotation substantially orthogonal to the respective said elongated plate portion. 
     
     
         2 . The blade according to  claim 1 , characterized by comprising, for each of said elongated plate portion, at least one pair of said guide and slide assemblies spaced from one another along the respective elongated plate portion in said cross direction. 
     
     
         3 . The blade according to  claim 1 , characterized by comprising one of said hinges for each of said guide and slide assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The blade according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said elastic thrust means retain the respective said elongated plate portion in an extracted limit position. 
     
     
         5 . The blade according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said elastic means comprise at least one block of elastically deformable material forced between a terminal edge of the respective elongated plate portion and a reference body carried by said rolling element. 
     
     
         6 . The blade according to  claim 5 , characterized in that said block of elastically deformable material is forced between an upper end surface of the respective said elongated plate portion and an abutment surface of the said reference body. 
     
     
         7 . The blade according to  claim 5 , characterized in that said elastic means comprise, for each of said elongated plate portion, a plurality of said blocks of elastically deformable material distributed along the length of said elongated plate portion. 
     
     
         8 . The blade according to  claim 6 , characterized in that each of said block comprises at least one tubular portion having an axis orthogonal to the respective said elongated plate portion. 
     
     
         9 . The blade according to  claim 1 , characterized in that each of said guide and slide assembly comprises two guide plates substantially flat, parallel and facing one another accommodating between each other in a sliding manner a flat upper end segment of the respective said elongated plate portion, a first of said plates being connected to said rolling element. 
     
     
         10 . The blade according to  claim 9 , characterized in that each of said guide and slide assembly also comprises a respective reference pin carried by one of said plates and a slot formed on said plate portion and engaged with clearance by said pin. 
     
     
         11 . The blade according to  claim 9 , characterized by comprising, furthermore, hinge means interposed between said rolling element and said first plate to allow the respective said elongated plate portion to rotate backwards with respect to the rolling element around a hinge axis parallel to said transverse direction independently of the other elongated plate portions. 
     
     
         12 . The blade according to  claim 9 , characterized in that said first plate is integrally connected to said rolling element. 
     
     
         13 . The blade according to  claim 9 , characterized in that said first plates are carried by a common support structure, and in that it also comprises additional hinge means interposed between said rolling element and said common support structure to allow said elongated plate portions to simultaneously rotate with respect to the rolling element around a common hinge axis parallel to said transverse direction; elastic means being provided for maintaining said common structure in an angular reference position. 
     
     
         14 . The blade according to  claim 1 , characterized in that said knife comprises a plurality of said elongated plate portions independent from one another.