Snowplow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A snowplow (or snow plow, US English; in UK English, snowplough or snow plough) is a vehicle, or a device intended for mounting on a vehicle, for removing snow and sometimes ice from outdoor surfaces, typically those serving transportation purposes. In many cases, pickup trucks are outfitted with plows from brands such as Western, Meyer and Fisher, to fulfill this purpose, and some regions that do not frequently see snow may use graders and other equipment to fulfill this task. However, it is common for areas that regularly receive large amounts of snow every year to use specially-designed winter service vehicles whose primary purpose is to move snow and otherwise improve roadway conditions in cold weather. Modern plows may include a great deal of technology to make the job—and staying on the road—easier, such as Global Positioning System receivers, heads-up displays, and infrared cameras. Some snowplows are mounted on tracks and used for plowing snow from rails.
When snowfalls accumulate above a certain height, snowplow operators may be seen clearing primarily designated "snow routes", often for the exclusive use of emergency vehicles such as fire trucks.
[edit] History
First snowplows were horsedrawn wedge-plows made of wood.
In 1923, the brothers Hans and Even Øveraasen constructed the world's first snowplow for use on automobiles. This proved to be the start of a tradition in snowclearing equipment for roads, railways and airports, as well as the foundation of the company Øveraasen Snow Removal Systems.
[edit] See also
[edit] Gallery
 A small sidewalk clearing plow in Ottawa, Canada |
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 garbage trucks fitted with snowplows |
 Backhoe fitted with special snowplowing attachment |
