US 12,012,706 B2
Snow thrower impeller
Axel Schaedler, Olmsted Township, OH (US); and Peter Buchanan, Elyria, OH (US)
Assigned to MTD PRODUCTS INC., Valley City, OH (US)
Filed by MTD PRODUCTS INC, Valley City, OH (US)
Filed on May 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/319,373.
Application 17/319,373 is a continuation of application No. 16/358,915, filed on Mar. 20, 2019, granted, now 11,008,719.
Application 16/358,915 is a continuation of application No. 15/544,577, granted, now 10,407,856, issued on Sep. 10, 2019, previously published as PCT/US2016/015111, filed on Jan. 27, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/108,116, filed on Jan. 27, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2021/0262182 A1, Aug. 26, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. E01H 5/04 (2006.01); E01H 5/09 (2006.01); F04D 7/04 (2006.01); F04D 31/00 (2006.01)
CPC E01H 5/045 (2013.01) [E01H 5/09 (2013.01); F04D 7/04 (2013.01); F04D 31/00 (2013.01)] 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An impeller for a snow moving apparatus, comprising:
a back plate having a substantially circular shape defining an outer circumference and having a mounting opening near a center of the back plate that is aligned with an axis of rotation of the impeller, the back plate defining a first surface that is substantially flat and extending radially from the mounting opening to the outer circumference, and defining a second surface;
a hub formed about the mounting opening and extending outward from the first surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the back plate;
a plurality of impeller blades extending from the hub toward the outer circumference on the first surface of the back plate and secured to the back plate to fixedly rotate together with the back plate about the axis of rotation in response to a rotational force applied to the impeller perpendicular to the axis of rotation, wherein the plurality of impeller blades comprises four or more impeller blades; and
a wiper positioned adjacent to an impeller blade of the plurality of impeller blades and comprising a wiper portion that secures within a mounting slot at least in part defined by the impeller blade or the first surface of the back plate, wherein the wiper is movable a predefined distance within the mounting slot from a rearward extent to a forward extent, wherein at the forward extent an edge of the wiper extends in part beyond the outer circumference of the back plate.