US977724A - Snow-melting machine. - Google Patents

Description

S. PRIBDMAN. SNOW MELTING MACHINE. APPLIoATIoN FILED A1 1z.4,191o4 S. FRIEDMAN. f

SNOW MELTING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED AP11.4,1910.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

SAMUEL FRIEDMAN, or NEWYORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 4, 1910. Serial No. 553,300.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

. proved means for feeding snow,`ice and the like to a melting tank, improved means for heating such tank, an improved structure of a meltin tank, and various other features as hcreina ter described and particularly lpointedout in the claims. f The objects of my invention are to 11nprove and simplify snow melting machines,

to make the same `more efficient, and to reduce the cost of snow disposal in cities and the like.

I will now roceed to describe my invention with refrence to the accompanying drawing, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 shows more or less diagrammatically a longitudinal vertical/xsection of a machine embodying' my invention; and Fig. 2 shows a transverse Y section of such machine on the line affof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a front elevation of the machine, and Fig. 4 a side elevation thereof. i,

In the drawing 1 designates a meltin tank and 2 a chute having within it' `a brus conveyer 3 for sweeping snow, ice or the like from the streetinto the chute and thence conveying same up the chute to the tank 1. This tank has an inclined surface 4 preferably of a metal of high heat conductivity, upon which surface the snow so delivered by the conveyer falls. This inclined surface is arranged to be heated by suitable means, one of which means, illustrated in the drawings, comprises a series of open flame burners 5 fed from a suitable fuel tank 6u; such tank bein adapted to contain either gaseous or liquid fuel under pressure. ABut any other suitable or con-n venient .means for heating said inclined plate 4 may be employed. It ismy intention that this inclined surface 4 shall be of such length, and shall be so heated, that by the time the snow has fallen down such surface to any considerable extent,it will have been melted at least to the condition ofav slush which will run with substantially the freedom of Water. The water or slush collecting in the tank may be drawn off, either continuously, or from time to time,.through a valved discharge 7. The other walls of tank l are preferably metal or wooden walls, and if of metal, as illustrated, are preferably covered with asbestos or other non-conducting material, so that as much heat as possible may be retained within the tank 1.

` The brush conveyer 3 used for delivering f the snow to tank 1, preferably comprisesa;

plurality of rows of brush tufts 8 secured to i an endlesslink chain or belt 9. The brush '2'0 tufts at whatever angle proves to be best adapted for the urpose. It is desirable to provide means or cleaning such a brush conveyer so thatit may be freed of snow and ice clinging to the brush tufts; hence I provide a comb 10 for that. purpose, the teeth 80 of the comb adapted to pass between the brush tufts as the latter sweep through the chute.

At its lower front end, the chute 2 is provided with a plow 11. adapted to take up snow, ice, etc., from a pavement, andvalso to break up caked snow.

It is intended that .this machine shall be driven somewhat slowly along a street from which the snow is to be removed, taking up 9D the snow from the street pavement as it moves. Obviously the machine may be moved in any suitable manner, but I have indicatedan automobile drive comprising av driving motor 17 connected through a suit- 95 able automobile power transmission device,

indicated diagrammatically at 18, to the driving-wheels 19 on axle 20, and I have `indicated a drive beltl 21 for driving the conveyer 3 from these driving wheels. I 100 have also indicated more or less d-:iagrammatically, suitable steering gear 22 for the machine. I

As streets to be cleaned often have considerable layers of ice or highly compacted snow, which a mere plow or scraper is hardly ableto take up, Iprovide means for breaking up such ice or compacted snow layers, comprising aplurality of vertical movable picks 23 reciprocated inany suit- 110 ablefmanner. One mechanism for recipro-` cating said picks is illustrated in the drawings, and comprises a crank shaft 24 driven from the lower drum of conveyer 9 by a belt 25, the cranks of which crankshaft operate connecting rods 27 pivotally connected to the picks 23. 28 designates a guidefor the picks. It is also frequently desirable to positively brush the snow or ice upon the plow 11 instead of relying solely upon the forward mot-ion of the wa on for bringing the 'snow or ice upon sai low, and for this purpose I provide a fiirther rotary brush 29 drivenby belts or chains 30 and 31.

As it will frequently be desirable to be able to raise both the plow 11, the brush 29, and the ice breaking mechanism, I provide for this purpose chain cables l2 passingy over suitable pulleys 13' and leading to a I winding drum 14 adapted lto be rotated by aa hand wheel 15. As shown articularly in Fig. 1, the plow 11, upon w ich plow the brush 29 is mounted, is pivoted and so capable of being raised in this manner, and

the shaft 24 by which the picks are operated is carried by` arms 16 also pivoted to the frame of the machine and so capable of beingkraised and, when raised, of raising the pic s.

1. A snow melting machine comprising in combination an inclined melting surface, means for heating the same, and means for delivering snow to such inclined melting surface comprising a brush conveyer, and cleaning means for said conveyer comprising comb-teeth between which the tufts of the brush-conveyerpass.

2C \A snow melting machine comprising in combination Ymelt-ing meansand means for delivering snow'and the like thereto, comprising a conveyer, and ice breaking means operating in advance of the conveyer, and arranged to break up layers' of ice andthe like forreception by the conveyer.

. 3. A snow melting machine comprising in combination meltin means, means for delivering snow and t e like thereto, comprising a conveyer, a plow supported in proximity to the road surface, and a ybrush for sweeping street coverings upon such plow.

y 4. A snow melting machine comprising in combination melting means, means for delivering snow and the like thereto, comprising a conveyer, a plow supported in proximity to the road surface, a brush for sweeping street coverings -upon such plow, ice breaking means operating in advance .of such plow, and means for operating the same.

5. A snow melting machine comprising vin combination melting means and means forA l delivering snow and the like thereto, comprising a conve er, and ice breaking means operatlng in a Vance of the conveyer, and i arran d to break u layers of ice and the like o r reception liy the conveyer, and means for ad]usting vertically the position of such ice breaking means.

6'. A snow melting machine comprising in combination melting means, means for `delivering snow and the like thereto, comprising a conveyer, a plow lsupported in proximity to the road surface, a `brush for sweeping street coverings upon such plow, and means for adjusting "vertically the said brush. 7 5

7. A snow melting machine comprising in combination melting means, means for delivering snow and the like thereto, comprising a conveyer, a plow supported in proximityto the road surface, a brushfor sweeping coverings upon such plow, ice breaking means operating in advance of such plow, means for operating the same, and means. for adjusting' vertically the said plow.

-8. A snow melting machine comprising in combination melting meansand means for delivering snow and the like thereto, comprising a conveyer, ice breaking means comprising a fplurality of picks operating 1n advance o the conveyer and arran ed' to break up. la ers of ice and the like or reception by t 1e conveyer, and -means for operating said picks. f

9. A snow melting machine comprising in combination a melting tank having an inclined meltin surface of -high heat conductivity, an -an)Y inclined chute the lower sideof which is connected to vsaid inclined melting surface, and means for brushing the.,snow up the lower side of said chute to l said inclined melting surface, as and for' the purposes set forth. f 10. A snow melting machine comprising LEO J. MAT'rv.A

in combination a melting Atank having an`105.

brushing the lio4

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