Rotor and rotor housing for a snowthrower

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9863107-B2
Application number	US-201615371370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2016
Priority date	Nov 19, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A self-propelled snowthrower wherein, in one embodiment, drive members on each side of the snowthrower provide variable speed propulsion. A transmission that delivers power to the drive members may be adapted to de-clutch one of the two drive wheels when the ground speed of that wheel exceeds the driving speed of the transmission. In other embodiments, the snowthrower includes a rotor having a snow ejection surface forming a negative rake angle. Yet other embodiments include a chute rotation control mechanism that permits manual discharge chute rotation via one-handed input.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A snowthrower comprising:
a frame;
two ground support members operatively coupled to the frame and adapted to support at least a portion of the snowthrower in engagement with a ground surface; and
a rotor housing comprising:
two spaced-apart sidewalls connected to one another by a rear wall to define a front-facing collection opening, wherein the rear wall or an upper wall of the housing further defines a discharge outlet; and
a rotor positioned within the housing between the collection opening and the rear wall, the rotor adapted to rotate in a first direction, relative to the housing, about a rotor axis, wherein the rotor comprises:
a rotor shaft;
two collecting portions each comprising a helical flyte, wherein each helical flyte is connected to the rotor shaft by a radial leg, and wherein each helical flyte comprises an inner portion that extends along the rotor axis inwardly past its respective radial leg; and
a central discharge portion located between the two collecting portions, the central discharge portion comprising a paddle that is radially offset from the rotor axis, wherein the paddle is supported in space via connection to the inner portion of the helical flyte of each collecting portion such that a gap is formed, extending along a length of the paddle, between the paddle and the rotor shaft.

2. The snowthrower of claim 1 , wherein the two ground support members comprise two wheels.

3. The snowthrower of claim 2 , wherein the two wheels are adapted to propel the snowthrower over the ground surface.

4. The snowthrower of claim 1 , wherein the rotor housing further comprises a discharge chute in communication with the discharge outlet.

5. The snowthrower of claim 4 , wherein the discharge chute defines a vertical chute axis about which the discharge chute rotates relative to the rotor housing.

6. The snowthrower of claim 4 , further comprising a directional chute attached to the discharge chute.

7. The snowthrower of claim 1 , wherein the helical flyte of each collecting portion comprises effective first and second ends, and wherein each helical flyte is defined by a constant helix angle between its first and second ends.

8. The snowthrower of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises two collecting portions and each collecting portion comprises two helical flytes.

9. The snowthrower of claim 1 , further comprising an operator handle assembly attached to a portion of the frame.

10. The snowthrower of claim 1 , further comprising a power source operatively connected to the rotor.

11. The snowthrower of claim 1 , wherein the paddle comprises a concave snow ejecting surface, wherein a midpoint of the snow ejecting surface trails outermost ends of the snow ejecting surface as the rotor rotates in the first direction.

12. The snowthrower of claim 1 , wherein each flyte comprises a metallic material and the paddle comprises an elastomeric material.

13. A snowthrower comprising:
a frame;
two ground-engaging wheels operatively coupled to the frame and adapted to support at least a portion of the snowthrower in rolling engagement with a ground surface; and
a rotor housing comprising:
two spaced-apart sidewalls connected to one another by a rear wall to define a front-facing collection opening, wherein one or both of the rear wall and an upper wall of the housing defines a discharge outlet; and
a rotor positioned within the housing between the collection opening and the rear wall, the rotor adapted to rotate in a first direction, relative to the housing, about a rotor axis extending between the two spaced-apart sidewalls, wherein the rotor comprises:
a rotor shaft;
two collecting portions each comprising a helical flyte, each helical flyte connected to the rotor shaft by a radial leg, wherein each helical flyte comprises an inner portion that extends along the rotor axis inwardly past its respective radial leg; and
a central discharge portion located between the two collecting portions, the central discharge portion comprising a paddle that is radially offset from the rotor axis, wherein the paddle is supported in space via connection to the inner portion of the helical flyte of each of the two collecting portions such that a gap is formed, extending along a length of the paddle, between the paddle and the rotor shaft.

14. The snowthrower of claim 13 , wherein the helical flyte of each collecting portion comprises effective first and second ends, and wherein each helical flyte is defined by a constant helix angle between its first and second ends.

15. The snowthrower of claim 13 , wherein each collecting portion comprises two helical flytes.

16. The snowthrower of claim 13 , wherein the helical flyte has a thickness that is 50% or less than a thickness of the paddle.

Assignees

• The Toro Co

Inventors

• Friberg Nathan J
• Stalpes Philip G
• Duchscherer Derek S
• Wersal Nicholas J

Classifications

• E01H5/12

  Apparatus or implements specially adapted for breaking, disintegrating, or loosening layers of ice or hard snow {with or without clearing or removing (E01H5/10 takes precedence); Roughening ice or hard snow by means of tools (by means of gritting materials E01H10/00; roughening or breaking-up pavements E01C23/08, E01C23/12)} · CPC title

• E01H6/00

  Apparatus equipped with, or having provisions for equipping with, both elements {for especially} removal of refuse or the like and elements for removal of snow or ice (E01H8/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E01H5/045

  Means per se for conveying or discharging the dislodged material, e.g. rotary impellers, discharge chutes (dislodging apparatus provided therewith E01H5/07, E01H5/08, E01H5/104, E01H5/12) · CPC title

• E01H5/098 Primary

  about horizontal or substantially horizontal axises perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the direction of clearing · CPC title