Roadway clearing device

Abstract

A roadway clearing device includes a plurality of rotatable members for dislodging material (snow or ice) from a roadway and a conveyer disposed rearward of the rotatable members to collect and laterally discharge material from the roadway. The device may include a plurality of shovel members disposed rearward of the conveyor to divert material from the roadway to the conveyor for lateral discharge. The rotatable members and/or shovel members may be disposed for separate movement from corresponding downward positions to upward positions relative to an interconnected support frame. Spring-loaded, extensible members may be provided to bias the rotatable members and/or shovel members to their corresponding downward positions. The rotatable members and/or shovel members are supportably and pivotably interconnected to a common support frame so as to separately pivot upward relative to the support frame from their respective downward positions, facilitating dislodgement, diversion, collection and discharge of material from a roadway.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A roadway clearing device, comprising:
 a plurality of rotatable members supportably disposed in a row at a front end of the device and rollable along a roadway to dislodge material from the roadway;   a conveyer supportably disposed rearward of the plurality of rotatable members for collecting and laterally discharging material from the roadway; and,   a plurality of shovel members supportably disposed in another row rearward of the conveyer to divert material from the roadway to the conveyer for lateral discharge.   
     
     
         2 . A device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of rotatable members is provided for separate movement away from and is biased to assume a corresponding downward position. 
     
     
         3 . A device as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said conveyer is disposed to maintain an elevated position relative to at least a portion of each rotatable member of the plurality of rotatable members when the rotatable member is moved away from the corresponding downward position. 
     
     
         4 . A device as recited in  claim 2 , wherein each of said plurality of rotatable members is separately pivotable away from the corresponding downward position about a common support axis, and separately rotatable about an axis of separate, corresponding axles. 
     
     
         5 . A device as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said device further comprises a frame, and wherein for each rotatable member of said plurality of rotatable members the device further comprises:
 a corresponding support member supportably and pivotably interconnected to the frame, wherein the corresponding axle is supportably interconnected to the support member; and,   a corresponding spring-loaded, extensible member supportably and pivotably interconnected to said frame, and pivotably interconnected to said corresponding support member, for biasing the rotatable member to the corresponding downward position.   
     
     
         6 . A device as recited in  claim 5 , wherein for each rotatable member of said plurality of rotatable members the device further comprises:
 a corresponding vibration dampening member interposed at an interconnection between the corresponding support member and the frame.   
     
     
         7 . A device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each rotatable member of said plurality of rotatable members is of a cylindrical configuration and comprises:
 a plurality of outwardly projecting teeth extending about the rotatable member.   
     
     
         8 . A device as recited in  claim 7 , wherein for each rotatable member of said plurality of rotatable members the corresponding plurality of outwardly projecting teeth each have an inverted V-shaped configuration that extends across a width of the rotatable member. 
     
     
         9 . A device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of shovel members is provided for separate movement away from and is biased to assume a corresponding downward position. 
     
     
         10 . A device as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said conveyer is disposed to maintain an elevated position relative to at least a portion of each shovel member when the shovel member is moved away from the corresponding downward position. 
     
     
         11 . A device as recited in  claim 9 , wherein each of said plurality of shovel members is separately pivotable away from the corresponding downward position about a common axis. 
     
     
         12 . A device as recited in  claim 11 , wherein said device further comprises a frame, wherein each of said plurality of shovel members is supportably and pivotably interconnected to the frame, and wherein for each of said plurality of shovel members the device further comprises:
 a corresponding spring-loaded, extensible member supportably and pivotably interconnected to said frame, and pivotably interconnected to said corresponding shovel member, for biasing the shovel member to the corresponding downward position.   
     
     
         13 . A device as recited in  claim 9 , wherein each of said plurality of shovel members is configured to define a corresponding arcuate surface facing said conveyer. 
     
     
         14 . A device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said device further comprises a frame, and wherein said conveyer is a screw conveyer comprising:
 a rotatable shaft supportably and rotatably interconnected to said frame; and,   a helical flute extending about and along the rotatable shaft.   
     
     
         15 . A device as recited in  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a drive device operatively interconnected to said shaft of said screw conveyer for driven rotation thereof.   
     
     
         16 . A device as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one rotatable wheel supportably disposed rearward of said plurality of shovel members at a rearward end of the device and rollable along a roadway.   
     
     
         17 . A device recited in  claim 16 , wherein said device further comprises a frame, and wherein for each rotatable wheel the device further comprises:
 a support arm supportably interconnected to said frame, wherein the corresponding wheel is supportably and rotatably interconnected to the support arm.   
     
     
         18 . A device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises:
 a frame, wherein each rotatable member of the plurality of rotatable members is separately, supportably and pivotably interconnected to the frame, wherein the conveyer is supportably and rotatably interconnected to the frame, and wherein each shovel member of the plurality of shovel members is separately, supportably and pivotably interconnected to the frame; and,   at least one interconnection member interconnected to the frame and adapted for interconnection to and co-movement with an automated vehicle in either a forward direction or rearward direction along a roadway.   
     
     
         19 . A device as recited in  claim 18 , wherein upon said movement in the forward direction, each rotatable member of the plurality of rotatable members is separately, automatically positionable relative to the roadway in response to engagement with material on a roadway in the path of the rotatable member, and each shovel member of the plurality of shovel members is separately, automatically positionable relative to the roadway in response to engagement with material on a roadway in the path of the shovel member. 
     
     
         20 . A device as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 at least one rotatable wheel supportably disposed rearward of said plurality of shovel members at a rearward end of the device and rollable along a roadway; and,   at least one displacement device operatively interconnected or interconnectable to the frame so that, upon co-movement with an interconnected, automated vehicle in a rearward direction along a roadway, said plurality of shovel members are automatically displaced away from the roadway.