When was the snow shovel invented

Imagine the history of snow removal starting back in the early s when people tried to run businesses during a fierce Chicago blizzard. What did they you do about it? Not much at first according to historians, but as time passed and more urbanization abounded, things had to be done. The weather likely factored into the reasons the January jobs report was so weak. States are turning to beet juice and cheese brine to combat dwindling supplies of rock salt.

The way people travelled through snow was by attaching skis to their horse-drawn carts and carriages. Snow rollers were huge, horse-drawn wheels that would flatten out the snow, making it easier for the carts with skis to move through the winter roads. But by the midth century, as cities were rapidly growing in population, city streets needed to be entirely clear of snow for the business of the city to continue. And with this, came snow plows. Not all cities used plows though. Some just used shovels.

In New York, clearing the snow was the responsibility of the Police Department, so on winter days, you might have seen policeman excavating thoroughfares. At least until , when it was made the charge of the Department of Street Cleaning.

Abstract: A shovel is provided having a scoop, a shaft coupled to the scoop, a handle coupled to the shaft, and an aperture within the center of its scoop. The aperture in the scoop is configured and positioned to provide an auxiliary handle for a user to grasp in addition to the shovel handle coupled to the shaft. Filed: December 5, Date of Patent: January 11, Assignee: Remco Products Corporation. Inventors: Matthew Haws, David L.

Snow removal tool. Abstract: A manual snow removal tool used for the pushing and pulling of snow. The configuration of the tool allows the user to move snow by pushing the snow using a pushing blade or by pulling the snow using a pulling blade depending on the orientation of the snow removal tool.

The snow removal tool may also incorporate fulcrum skids to allow the tool to remove snow more easily from rough surfaces. The fulcrum skids allow the user to raise and lower the scraping edge of the snow plow over the surface being scraped. The fulcrum skids move more easily across rough surfaces than the scraping edge of a regular plow or shovel. The snow removal tool may also have non-abrasive ends attached to the pushing and pulling blades so that it may be used on sensitive surfaces such as the painted finish on an automobile.

Filed: June 2, Date of Patent: July 27, Inventor: Carl Marlin. Snow sweeping device. Abstract: A sweeping device effectively sweeps snow and the like from variously constructed stairs. The device comprises a handle and wedge-shaped sweeping element or block.

The sweeping element is preferably constructed from semi-rigid material and comprises a top side, a bottom side, a back side, a front side, and opposed lateral sides. The top and bottom sides are rectangular and parallel, while the lateral sides are quadrangular thereby defining opposed, anterior and posterior matter-sweeping surfaces.

A lower end of the handle is threadably attached to the sweeping block or element for enabling a user to sweep matter such as lightly accumulated snow from stairs via the matter-sweeping surfaces. Filed: October 19, Date of Patent: April 13, Inventor: Robert J. Wheeled shovels. In one exemplary embodiment, a wheeled shovel generally includes a wheel assembly having an axle and a wheel. The wheeled shovel also includes a frame having an upper portion and a lower portion.

The frame may be disposed relative to the axle such that the axle is operable as a fulcrum about which the frame may pivot. A handle may be disposed at about the upper portion of the frame. A shovel blade may be disposed at about the lower portion of the frame. The wheel assembly, frame, handle, and shovel blade may be cooperatively configured so as to enable the wheeled shovel to throw a load of material generally upwardly and forwardly away from the shovel blade in response to a sufficient force applied to the handle for pivoting the frame relative to the axle with a recoil generated through the fulcrum at the axle.

Filed: July 27, Date of Patent: March 23, Inventors: Mark Noonan, Robert H. Humphries, Jr. Shoveling and throwing device.

Abstract: A shoveling and throwing device for moving a snow from a surface comprising a frame having a first and second ends, the frame comprising at least one frame extension extending generally upwardly and at least one wheel disposed on said first end of said frame, a manually operable lever which is pivotally attached proximate to the first end of said frame, a first member having a first end being pivotally attached to the frame extension, a second member having a first end being pivotally attached proximate to a second end of the manually operable lever, a third member having a first end being pivotally attached to a second end of the second member, and a shovel blade pivotally attached to a second end of the third member.

Filed: November 23, Inventor: Wesley G. Shovel with crossbar handle. Abstract: Disclosed herein is a shovel. The shovel may include a handle and a pivotable bracket for securing the handle to the shovel blade. The handle may include a horizontal crossbar grip portion and two vertical grip portions generally perpendicular to at least one of the crossbar grip portion and a longitudinally extending portion of the handle extending to a blade of the shovel.

The shovel is suitable for moving and removing a variety of materials, including snow. Filed: January 17, Inventor: Curtis J.

Dual or triple surface snow removing device. Abstract: A snow shovel includes a blade, a handle stem, a stabilizer bar, and multiple positions to couple the handle stem to the blade. The blade may include a soft edge and a hard edge. One position is achieved by coupling a taper in the handle stem to the blade at a strap for shoveling snow at the ground level with the hard edge. One position is achieved by coupling the taper in the handle stem to the blade at a folded tab for shoveling snow off a car with the soft edge.

Filed: February 8, Inventor: Jeffery Boyd Marble. Filed: October 24, Inventor: Kent J. Shock absorbing shovel assembly. Abstract: The present invention provides a lightweight shovel with a large scoop type blade, a plastic coated metal handle and a compact shock absorbing cartridge located between the distal end of the metal handle and a D-shaped handgrip so as to not interfere with the operation of the shovel.

Filed: May 31, Date of Patent: September 1, Assignee: Suncast Corporation. Inventors: Lyle A. Rosine, Torrence Anderson. Collapsible shovel. Abstract: A portable snow shovel that includes a unique collapsible mechanism.

One embodiment of the shovel includes both an expanded and collapsed state. The shovel includes a blade member and an elongated shaft member. The elongated shaft member is slidably engaged to the blade member through a recess that extends through the blade member. The elongated shaft member is able to translate with respect to the blade member between the extended and collapsed states.

The collapsed state relates to a configuration in which the elongated shaft member is extended through the recess and over the blade member a particular amount.

The extended state relates to a configuration in which the elongated shaft member is extended through the recess and away from the blade member a particular amount. Date of Patent: August 11, Assignee: Black Diamond Equipment, Ltd. Abstract: The snow shovel described herein allows maximum efficiency by using the natural mechanical advantage of placing the load on a specially configured shovel head. The shovel has the ability to push snow like a snowplow and also to lift and dump, maximizing the use of the ground as a point of leverage.

Filed: January 22, Publication date: July 23, Inventor: Tucker J. Snow shovel with flex control mechanism. Abstract: A snow shovel including a middle portion interposed between, and coupled to, each of a blade portion and a handle portion.

Included with the middle portion is a flex control mechanism structured for controlling an amount of downward flexing possible by the blade portion with respect to the handle portion. While collecting a volume of snow the blade portion is maintained and biased in a first normal position. When lifting a volume of collected snow, the blade portion flexes downwardly, possibly assuming a pre-established second fully flexed position.

When the collected and lifted snow is tossed, the energy stored in the flexible member by the downward flexing helps assist in tossing the snow.

This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope and meaning of the claims.

Filed: March 21, Date of Patent: July 14, Inventor: Frederick Henry DeSanti. Snow shovel expander. Together they weigh 3 to 4 tons or more in medium- and heavy-duty chassis, so front ends are rated at 16, to 23, pounds. How does a hydraulic snow plow work? Snow plows are designed with blade stops for stacking to protect the equipment and make the plow perform properly. A direct hydraulic lift system will stack just as high as another type of lift system.

With ideal conditions in place, a direct hydraulic lift system can stack snow higher than the roof of the truck! How do snow plows stay on the road? A small mechanism spins and evenly distributes the material across the roadway to help reduce ice buildup and overall slippery conditions.

How do you Plough snow? To make a snowplough you put your skis into a V-shape with the ski tips about 10cm apart, and the back of the skis further apart. The ski tips are kept at about 10cm 4" apart because this keeps them close together, but yet far enough apart that the skis won't hit each other or cross over very easily. How do you transport a plow? Basic Plowing Practices When transporting a snowplow, angle the blade to the right toward the curb.

Never operate a plow while transporting it to and from a job site.