Snowplow apparatus for a motor vehicle

1. Snowplow apparatus configured for removable attachment to the front of a motor vehicle, said vehicle having a grille and a vehicle frame with two spaced-apart points on the frame, positioned below the grille, for mounting said apparatus, said apparatus comprising, in combination:

(a) a connecting frame having a rearward mount with means for removable attachment to the motor vehicle at said spaced-apart points, and at least one forward mount with means for attachment to a snowplow, said connecting frame including a first hinge adjacent the rearward mount and a second hinge adjacent said forward mount, a pivot axis of said first hinge and a pivot axis of said second hinge extending substantially horizontally and substantially transverse to a central longitudinal axis of the vehicle;

(b) a snowplow, including at least one elongate snowplow blade, attached to said connecting frame at the forward mount thereof;

(c) a first powered mechanism for raising and lowering said snowplow about the pivot axis of said first hinge; and

(d) a second powered mechanism for pivoting said snowplow about the pivot axis of said second hinge, thereby adjusting an orientation of the snowplow blade with respect to a road, when the blade is in a lowered, operative position;

wherein said connecting frame further comprises a third hinge having a pivot axis in substantial alignment with the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle, wherein said snowplow blade pivots about the pivot axis of said third hinge; and

wherein said third hinge comprises (a) first, second and third plates mounted together in succession in face-to-face relationship, said second and third plates each having a central circular opening with the opening in the second plate larger than the opening in the third plate, (b) a stepped cylindrical flange member rotatable mounted within, and substantially filling, said circular openings of said second and third plates, and (c) a rod member having one end mounted coaxially on said flange member and coupled to rotate therewith, and having an opposite end coupled to and supporting said snowplow blade.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 , wherein said connecting frame further comprises resilient means for biasing the snowplow blade about the pivot axis of said third hinge toward a substantially horizontal blade position.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1 , wherein the snowplow includes two elongate snowplow blades connected together, end to end, by means of a fourth hinge, a pivot axis of said fourth hinge extending substantially vertically and intersecting the pivot axis of the third hinge, one of said snowplow blades forming a left blade and the other forming a right blade with respect to the vehicle.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 3 , further comprising a third powered mechanism for pivoting said two snowplow blades about said pivot axis of the fourth hinge.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 4 , wherein said fourth powered mechanism pivots said two snowplow blades independently of each other.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 5 , wherein said fourth powered mechanism comprises a left hydraulic piston having two ends, one end being coupled exert force against said vehicle and an opposite end being coupled to exert force against the left blade, and a right hydraulic piston having two ends, one end being coupled exert force against said vehicle and an opposite end being coupled to exert force against the right blade.