The present invention relates to a tool in the form of a snow slush wiper apparatus designed for attachment to a vehicle and to interact with the ground in order to remove snow slush from a road surface, which apparatus includes a main frame for attachment to the vehicle. In particular, the present invention relates to a snow slush wiper apparatus as stated in the preamble of the appended claim 1.

A snow plough of this nature is described in DE 23 29 627. Further examples of prior art solutions are presented in US 2006/070264 and US 4 669 205 A.

During snow clearing by use of a snow plough, it is today common to attach a slush wiper directly to the plough and at the rear of the plough share itself. This extends as a long rubber strip, or molding, in parallel with the plough share and attempts to wipe away the slush that escape the plough and convey such sideways to the ditch.

Even if the slush wiper is made of rubber, the ability of the wiper to follow the unevenness of the road surface, such as wear tracks in the road surface resulting from use of tire studs, is not particularly well. Much of the slush continue to escape past the rubber strip and is left behind in the roadway.

In turn, this has significance for use of road salt. The authorities have as a pronounced objective to reduce the use of road salt since the salt influence on the environment in a negative way. Large amounts of salt are today sprinkled along the roads and ends up in the nature along the roads. Rainfalls bring the salt further on into the waterways and generate undesired pollution.

One primary object with the invention has been to provide a tool which is better able to wipe off slush from the road surface so that less amounts of salt are necessary to remove or melt the remaining snow slush.

This task is solved by a tool or apparatus of the introductory said kind, which is distinguished in that each retainer provides individual, independent, limited and resilient freedom of motion of said rubber blade in its plane, said resilient motion tends to bring a rubber blade back to a position of origin,
each retainer includes two cantilevered arms having a support plate secured therebetween, which support plate carries, in turn, the rubber blade, and that each cantilevered arm includes a slit for receipt of a frame part in the form of a rod body.

As mentioned, each rubber blade has its individual and independent, limited freedom of motion in the plane thereof. This means that the motions of the blade are limited to up and down, and a limited rotation or turning about an axis extending centrally and perpendicular to said plane of the blade. This describes in closer detail a way how to get the rubber blade to follow the unevenness of the road surface, also wheel tracks resulting from stud tire use and wear.

It is to be understood, however, that each rubber blade also can have individual and independent, limited resilience in a direction substantially perpendicular to its plane. This means that they can give way or yield in the driving direction of the vehicle if there should exist spotwise bumps in the road track, for example lumps of ice or stones projecting from the road body.

Since each rubber blade is overlappingly offset relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of a row, the freedom of motion of each single blade will increase compared with if they should be placed in line and close adjacent to each other.

In order to strengthen the wear resistance and general strength and possibly the stiffness, each rubber blade may include armoring embedded into a rubber matrix. The armor can be cords or strands of a type similar to those used in car tires.

As an alternative, the spring load can be provided by means of a leaf spring and a seat, the leaf spring being introduced into respective slits in the cantilevered arms and abuts the lower end of the slit, and, in turn, the seat abuts in a pretensioned way against the lower side of the rod body.

As possible alternatives, the rubber blades can exert pressure against the ground by virtue of the specific weight of the slush wiper apparatus, possibly with the addition of supplemental force from an actuator, such as a work cylinder.

Preferably, the slush wiper apparatus can be elevated and lowered by means of at least one actuator, such as a work cylinder.

The tool can be mounted at different locations on a vehicle. For example the tool can be mounted in the middle below a snow truck, alternatively just in front of a salt sprinkler of a vehicle. The tool can also be mounted between a plough and the front end of a vehicle if the space allows.

Other and further objects, features and advantages will appear from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, which is given for the purpose of description, and given in context with the appended drawings where:

• Fig. 1 shows in perspective view, inclined from above, a complete tool according to the invention and in an embodiment having three rows of snow slush blades,
• Fig. 2 shows in perspective view, inclined from above, the main frame of the tool,
• Fig. 3 shows an end view of the tool according to figure 1,
• Fig. 4 shows a detailed view of the tool according to figure 1,
• Fig. 5A shows in perspective view, inclined from above, a row of slush blades designed to be mounted to the main frame shown in figure 2,
• Figure 5B shows the same as in fig. 5A, but viewed from above,
• Fig. 6A shows in perspective view an individual slush blade unit,
• Fig. 6B shows an end view of the slush blade shown in figure 6A,
• Fig. 6C illustrates the motion of freedom in rotation the slush blade possesses,
• Fig. 7 illustrates the motion of freedom up and down the slush blade possesses, and
• Fig. 8 shows a tool mounted to a schematically illustrated vehicle.

Reference is firstly made to figure 1 that shows a first embodiment of the tool 1. This embodiment has three rows of slush blades 2 placed after each other and somewhat offset relative to each other. They are offset relative to each other because the tool 1 is angularly mounted in relation to the driving and longitudinal direction of the vehicle, see figure 8. Typically the tool 1 is set at an angle between 20 to 40 degrees relative to the driving direction and such that each row end projects on both sides of the vehicle and the ends are located substantially in line in parallel to the longitudinal direction. The number of rows, one or more, is a choice to be taken with regard to the conditions of the road surface and the circumstance about the slush to be removed.

Basically the tool 1 will rest on the ground by its own weight. The shown embodiment with three rows weighs in the order of magnitude 800kg which provides a good pressure against the ground. Normally, however, one or more actuators (not shown), such as a work cylinder, is arranged between the chassis of the vehicle and the tool. The actuator or actuators are able to increase substantially the pressure of the slush blade against the ground, which is necessary on worn road surfaces having deep wheel tracks. The tool 1 can be elevated or lowered in order to be lifted and free from the road surface when not in use, and lowered when the tool is to be used to remove slush.

Fig. 2 shows the main frame 3, which is to support the three rows of slush blades 2. The frame has a number of braces 3a, here shown six individual pieces, extending transversely of three support rods 3b. The braces 3a are welded to each individual support rod 3b to form a rigid frame structure 3. Two of the braces 3a' are especially designed in order to be prepared for mounting means for attachment to a vehicle and actuators.

For the more detailed description of the tool construction, reference is made to fig. 3 and 4. In fig. 3 the tool 1 is shown from one end, while fig. 4 shows the same, but somewhat in perspective view inclined from above. The slush blades 2 themselves are placed in a line, but are somewhat overlapping and offset relative to each other. Each slush blade 2 is individually secured to a respective retainer 4 or a mounting bracket 4. Each mounting bracket 4 is in turn secured to a support rod 3b, but is not fixed to the support rod 3b. At each end each support bracket 4 has a frame 4' encircling the support rod 3b, which can be opened both for first assembly and later replacements. As it appears from figure 4, an upper crossbar 4" is a part of the frame 4' and the crossbar 4" is attached to the frame 4' by means of screw connections 5.

In figure 3, means 6 are indicated ensuring that each rubber blade, which in turn is secured to the retainer 4, is resilient secured relative to the main frame 3. The means 6 are assembled by a saddle piece 6' and a spring part 6". These are described in closer detail in connection with figures 6A to 6C.

Fig. 5A and 5B illustrate more clearly how each support bracket 4 is mounted relative to the support rod 3b, both regarding the overlap and how they are offset relative to each other. Further, the support brackets 4 are prevented from sliding along the support rod 3b by smaller protrusions, such as the lug 3' illustrated in figure 2. Some motion of freedom, however, they may have.

Fig. 6A-6C show the support bracket 4 in closer detail and in several perspectives. Additionally, they show a somewhat different design of the support bracket 4, or retainer 4. Each retainer 4 includes two cantilevered arms 4a, 4b having a support plate 4c secured therebetween. The support plate 4c carries in turn the rubber blade 2. Each cantilevered arm 4a, 4b includes a slit 4d for receipt of the support rod 3b. As indicated above, the slit 4d is closed by a cross-member 4e that is secured by means of screw connections.

Fig. 6A shows in closer detail how the spring load is provided by the aid of a leaf spring 6" and a seat or saddle 6' as mentioned above. The leaf spring 6" is introduced into respective slits 4d in the cantilevered arms 4a, 4b and is abutting the lower end of the slits 4d, and the saddle 6' is in turn placed pretensioned against the underside of the support rod 3b. Naturally, this may be arranged differently if desired. Fig. 6B shows this right from the side.

Fig. 6C illustrates by means of broken lines possible motions of the slush blade 2 influenced by the ground that the tool 1 is pulled over. For fig. 6A, the pulling direction is normally to the right hand side of the figure sheet, such that the slush blade 2, in a way, is dragged relative to the support rod 3b (and is not pushed). The figures also show that the slush blade 2 has a centrally located slit S, which provides some motion of freedom to each half of the slush blade 2 relative to each other, which still more increases the ability to follow and contact the entire width of the road surface.

Fig. 7 illustrates in closer detail how the leaf spring 6" and the slush blade 2 can move in respect of the saddle 6' when the slush blade 2 is exposed for unevenness in the ground causing approximately vertical motions.

It is to be mentioned that the rubber blade 2 exerts pressure against the ground in virtue of the dead weight of the tool 1. It will often be advantageous, and actually necessary in many situations, to exert additional pressure from one or more actuators, such as a hydraulic work cylinder.

In addition, the tool 1 can be elevated and lowered by means of at least one actuator, such as another hydraulic work cylinder.

Inherently, each rubber blade has individual and independent, limited resilience in a direction substantially perpendicular to its plane. This is a natural property of rubber. However, the rubber can have embedded armoring, such as cords or strands in a car tire and balata, for example.

Fig. 8 shows an alternative tool 1' as the tool typically will be mounted to a schematically illustrated vehicle K. This embodiment has two rows of slush blades 2, the rows being substantially offset relative to each other, but also a variant where this offset feature is adjustable. Each row does necessarily not need to be equally long.