Douglas Dynamics (PLOW) USPTO patentsUtility application

A vehicle mounted spreader for spreading materials such as sand, salt, or other granular chemicals onto snow and ice covered road surfaces comprises a hopper for containing the material to be spread, a spinner for spreading the material, a conveyor for conveying the material from the hopper to the spinner, a vehicle speed sensor, a load sensor, and a controller programmed with an intended density of material (e.g., pounds per acre) and desired width of coverage; within the controller the vehicle speed sensor measurement and load sensor inputs are processed to generate outputs to control the speed of the conveyor and spinner, to both control the rate of material distribution and the pattern of material distribution to approach the intended density and width.

A vehicle mounted spreader for spreading materials such as sand, salt, or other granular chemicals onto snow and ice covered road surfaces comprises a hopper for containing the material to be spread, a spinner for spreading the material, a conveyor for conveying the material from the hopper to the spinner, a vehicle speed sensor, a load sensor, a road condition sensor, and a controller programmed with an intended density of material (e.g., pounds per acre) and desired width of coverage; within the controller the vehicle speed sensor measurement and load and road sensor inputs are processed to generate outputs to control the speed of the conveyor and spinner, to both control the rate of material distribution and the pattern of material distribution to approach the intended density and width.

A convertible snow plow comprises a support frame having a forward end and a rearward end, the rearward end adapted to be mounted to a vehicle, a pair of plow blades hinged together along inboard ends of the blades at a hinge at the forward end of the support frame, an actuator having opposite ends, one end connected to the support frame, and a two-position linkage connected to the other end of the actuator and to at least one of the blades.

A spreader comprises a hopper for containing sand, salt or other granular material to be spread upon snow or ice on paved surfaces, the hopper being adapted to be installed in or on a bed of a truck, the hopper having a trough, a shaftless auger positioned in the trough, an auger motor for driving the auger, a spinner positioned at one end of the auger for slinging the granular material upon the snow or ice, a spinner motor for driving the spinner, and at least one keeper supported by the trough and extending over the auger for retaining the auger in place during operation and thereby reducing flexure of the auger and resulting loss of efficiency of material transport by the auger during operation of the spreader.

A shelving system includes side members that each define a first channel having a slide disposed therein.

A snow plow and mount frame assembly permits an operator to attach a snow plow to a mount frame secured to a vehicle, without the operator exiting a cab of the vehicle.

A snow plow assembly comprises an angle frame adapted to be operably mounted to a vehicle, a quadrant frame, a plow blade mounted to the quadrant frame, a drive link pivotally connected to the angle frame and the quadrant frame at first and second pivot points, respectively, a swing link pivotally connected to the angle frame and the quadrant frame at third and fourth pivot points, respectively, the angle frame, quadrant frame, drive link, and swing link, and the first, second, third, and fourth pivot points defining a four-bar linkage, and a first actuator pivotally connected on one end to the angle frame at a fifth pivot point and pivotally connected on the other end to the drive link at a sixth pivot point, wherein extending the first actuator causes the quadrant frame and hence the plow blade to rotate in a first direction from a neutral position generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and retracting the first actuator causes the quadrant frame and hence the plow blade to rotate in a second opposite direction from the neutral position.

A brine machine comprises a salt hopper, a source of water for wetting salt in the salt hopper, a brine hopper positioned in side-by-side relation relative to the salt hopper, a filter providing fluid communication between the salt hopper and the brine hopper, a generally horizontal auger positioned in a base of the salt hopper, and an upwardly directed lift auger having a first end in operable association with an end of the horizontal auger and a second discharge end positioned above a level of brine in the brine hopper.

A shelving system includes side members that each define a first channel having a slide disposed therein.

A snow plow and mount frame assembly permits an operator to attach a snow plow to a mount frame secured to a vehicle, without the operator exiting a cab of the vehicle.

A snow plow and mount frame assembly permits an operator to attach and detach a snow plow to and from a mount frame secured to a vehicle, without the operator exiting a cab of the vehicle.

A snow plow and mount assembly has a mount frame, an A-frame, a lift frame, a plow blade, an actuator, arms, receivers, recesses, hitch pins, a latch mechanism, and a latch lever.

A snow plow and mount assembly has a mount frame, an A-frame, a lift frame, a plow blade, an actuator, arms, receivers, recesses, hitch pins, a latch mechanism, and a latch lever.

A spreader comprises a hopper for containing sand, salt or other granular material to be spread upon snow or ice on paved surfaces, the hopper being adapted to be installed in or on a bed of a truck, the hopper having a trough, a shaftless auger positioned in the trough, an auger motor for driving the auger, a spinner positioned at one end of the auger for slinging the granular material upon the snow or ice, a spinner motor for driving the spinner, and at least one keeper supported by the trough and extending over the auger for retaining the auger in place during operation and thereby reducing flexure of the auger and resulting loss of efficiency of material transport by the auger during operation of the spreader.

A snow plow headlamp comprises a housing adapted to be mounted to a frame member of a snow plow assembly, at least a first forwardly directed LED mounted in the housing between opposite ends of the housing and configured to illuminate ahead of a vehicle to which the snow plow assembly is mounted, a second forwardly directed LED mounted in the housing adjacent one of the ends of the housing, a reflector mounted in the housing on a side of the second LED opposite the one end of the housing and configured to reflect light from the second LED to illuminate to a side of the vehicle to which the snow plow assembly is mounted, and a transparent cover mounted to the housing.

A brine machine comprises a salt hopper, a source of water for wetting salt in the salt hopper, a brine hopper positioned in side-by-side relation relative to the salt hopper, a filter providing fluid communication between the salt hopper and the brine hopper, a generally horizontal auger positioned in a base of the salt hopper, and an upwardly directed lift auger having a first end in operable association with an end of the horizontal auger and a second discharge end positioned above a level of brine in the brine hopper.