Abstract: The present invention relates to a snow and ice melting device (10) comprising a road transport vehicle (12) and a railroad track transport vehicle (14) mounted on a common road transport vehicle chassis (12I). Upon the railroad track transport vehicle (14), a melter (16) is mounted on a melter rotator (16C) functioning to rotate the melter from a rearward (road transport vehicle (12) frontward) direction which is utilized as a propulsion device to a frontward (road transport vehicle (12) rearward) direction which is utilized for melting snow and/or ice. The melter (16) has a melter lift (16E) such that a user can angle the melter (16) to a desired position.

Abstract: A rotatable hydraulic grapple apparatus comprises a yoke assembly having attached to it a hydraulic motor and having within it a channel. A housing is rotatably connected to the yoke assembly and is capable of being rotated by movement of the hydraulic motor. The housing is centered along the longitudinal axis of the yoke assembly such that the longitudinal axes of both the yoke assembly and the housing are collinear. The channel in the yoke assembly communicates with a manifold in the housing. The housing has rigidly attached to it a plurality of chambers, each chamber containing an hydraulic actuator rigidly attached within the chamber. Attached to each hydraulic actuator is a grapple tine. A pressurized fluid supply provides fluid to the yoke assembly channel which communicates the fluid to the housing manifold. The fluid is then communicated from the manifold to each actuator for movement of the actuator which in turn moves the grapple tines.