The Human-Powered Snowplow

This human-powered snowplow appears to have been a commercial product, although it doesn't have a visible manufacturer's name any more. I found it put out with the trash in Somerville, Massachusetts, and had to fix one of the wheels. The plow blade, handles, and wheels are all attached to a central cast-aluminum frame.

The plow is fairly effective at clearing up to about four inches of loose snow from a 20"-wide strip of sidwalk. Wet snow gets packed onto the blade and clogs it, although refinishing or covering the blade surface with something slicker than rusty steel might help.

In the pictures below, my former housemate Julia demonstrates the human-powered snowplow:

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