Snow removal system
A snow removal vehicle and system is disclosed. The system allows for snow captured by the vehicle to be melted and heated into a heated liquid and thereafter sprayed to remove snow to the sides and rear of the vehicle. Methods of removing snow are also disclosed.
Snow fall and snow accumulation are major hindrances for metropolitan areas, highways, airports and the like. Thus, there have been an abundance of snow removal systems proposed. For example, a plow or sled has been typically fitted to the front of a motorized vehicle such as truck or tractor. Although useful for pushing snow off of the surface of a paved surface, a problem lies in the fact that highly populated areas often lack unused space to shift snow to. In a city or suburban area, street side parking is typically the first casualty of a large snow storm. Other snow removal systems have been developed which both clear a street or the like of snow and transport the snow to another area. For example, vehicles are known that capture snow and thereafter liquefy it. These vehicles typically have a storage tank for housing the liquid and, upon reaching their capacity, are emptied into a storm sewer or similar disposal or drainage system.
Clearly, the aforementioned removal and disposal systems are useful in clearing the remnants of a snow storm from a street or similar vehicle operating surface. However, they have their drawbacks. Such systems often capture snow disposed on a surface through the use of shovel or sled mounted to the front portion of a vehicle. As the vehicle moves forward, snow is scooped into the shovel, and into a storage portion of the vehicle. The width of the shovel or snow capturing portion dictates the amount of snow picked up on a single pass. As these capturing portions typically cannot exceed the width of the vehicle itself, this width is limited. Thus, the clearing of a single street may require multiple passes by a single vehicle. For particularly large streets, or airport runways, the only suitable method of clearing the entire thoroughfare in a timely fashion is to employ several snow removal vehicles at once.
Thus, there exists a need for a single snow removal system and vehicle that can clear and dispose of snow covering a wide portion of a street, runway or other surface, without requiring a multitude of passes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to snow removal systems, and more particularly, to snow removal vehicles that allow for snow to be removed directly in front of and adjacent the vehicle.
A first aspect of the present invention is a motorized vehicle for removing snow from a surface. The vehicle in accordance with one embodiment includes a shovel mounted to the vehicle for removing snow located on a portion of the surface aligned with the vehicle while the vehicle traverses the surface, a heating assembly for melting the snow removed by the shovel and producing a resulting heated liquid, and one or more lances mounted to at least one side of the vehicle for spraying the heated liquid therefrom to melt snow located on a side portion of the surface located to the side of the vehicle while the vehicle traverses the surface.
Another aspect of the invention is a method of removing snow from a surface. The method in accordance with this aspect includes the steps of providing a snow removal vehicle having a shovel, moving the vehicle along a first path, capturing snow located on the surface in alignment with the vehicle with the shovel while moving said vehicle in the first path, melting and heating the captured snow to provide a heated liquid and spraying the heated liquid to melt snow located to the side of the first path.
Another embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention is another method of removing snow from a surface. The method in accordance with this embodiment includes the steps of moving a snow removal vehicle in a first direction, capturing snow to define a first swath having a first width on the surface, melting and heating the captured snow to produce a heated liquid and spraying the heated liquid to melt snow to the side of the first path to increase the first width.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSA more complete appreciation of the subject matter of the present invention and the various advantages thereof can be realized by reference to the following detailed description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements, there is shown in
Tractor portion 20 may be any type of motorized vehicle or automobile suitable for housing certain components of the invention and for providing the necessary power and motion to the overall system. As best shown in
As more particularly shown in
As best shown in
Conveyor 32 is preferably a drag conveyor that rotates in synchronization with the forward movement of vehicle 10, (at approximately the same linear speed as that of vehicle 10). Thus, snow captured with shovel 31 is thereafter pushed towards conveyor 32 by the constant forward motion of vehicle 10. Once the snow reaches conveyor 32, it is transported on a conveyor belt or the like 35, until it reaches the end 36 of conveyor 32. At this point, the snow is preferably dropped into heating assembly 40. As shown in
In operation, the aforementioned conveyor 32 transports captured snow to end 36, whereupon said snow is dumped in converter 42 through a snow inlet 44. As shown in
The water resulting from the melting of snow in converter 42 is then pumped to a flush tank 60 (best shown in
Boiler 66 is a component, as is well known in the art, for providing steam from a water source. Essentially, boiler 66 boils system water captured in a condensate storage tank 68. System water is water that substantially remains within the system and may at least be partially produced from captured snow. This water may remain in heating assembly 40 or may be changed with each use. A feed water heater 70 may be provided between tank 68 and boiler 66, for raising the temperature of the system water prior to entering boiler 66, such that the system water is up to an acceptable boiler inlet temperature. Steam produced from boiler 66 is utilized to heat heaters 46a, 46b, 50a and 50b. Ultimately, after the heat transfer from the steam to the captured snow, water and other elements of the system, the steam provided to the heaters moves into converter heater down tank 62, where a portion is utilized to further heat the water produced from captured snow in flush tank 60 and a portion is condensed to water and stored in condensate storage tank 68. The steam provided from boiler blow down tank 64 is in turn provided to flush tank 60 to further heat the water produced from captured snow. A certain amount of water is also taken from flush tank 60 to make-up for water lost, and provided to condensate storage tank 68 and ultimately boiler 66. Thus, there exists a somewhat closed system of system water for providing heat to heaters 46a, 46b, 50a and 50b, as well as for providing additional heat to the water produced from captured snow in flush tank 60.
The heated water produced from flush tank 60 is supplied to the aforementioned discharge portion 80. In a preferred embodiment, discharge portion 80 includes plurality of lances 82 fitted with high impact spray nozzles 84. One lance 82 for use in accordance with the present invention is shown in
As shown in
While the primary use for vehicle 10 in accordance with the present invention is to increase the overall area capable of being cleared of snow, other uses are envisioned. For example, in addition to clearing a street, parking lot or runway at an airport, vehicle 10 could be utilized to capture snow and spray heated water onto a plane. Similarly, vehicle 10 could be utilized to fire steam onto a fire or other overheating object. In uses such as this, it is contemplated to attach a spraying device or the like to certain lances, and thereafter operate the device to direct the heated water to a specific location. It is also contemplated that vehicle 10 can be used in such situations by making multiple passes or by providing a vehicle that may capture and store water for use thereafter. In the latter construction, depending upon the overall capacity of the system, enough snow may be initially captured to allow for procedures such as deicing or fire fighting to be conducted. Thus, in such a procedure, vehicle 10 may be designed so as to capture, melt and heat snow, and thereafter store the heated water to be utilized in the procedure. It is contemplated that vehicle 10 may also receive water from other sources when snow is not available due to seasonal or environmental conditions. This water can be processed for de-icing and fire extinguishing.
A vehicle 10, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention, may further be outfitted with a hydraulically controlled manipulating arm for use in de-icing of aircraft or the like. A water cannon or other suitable spraying apparatus may be mounted to this arm and connected to the water, power and controls of the overall system. In a standard de-icing operation, the truck may be strategically positioned in the vicinity of an aircraft or the like. The aforementioned manipulating arm may be manipulated to target specific areas of the aircraft, such as the wings and fuselage. Water flow may be directed from the water cannon or other spraying apparatus to the aircraft to de-ice the desired areas.
During fire fighting operations, it is possible to utilize a similar water cannon and manipulating arm to spray a fire or the like. However, it is also contemplated to utilize the steam making capabilities of the present invention to blanket a fire and prevent oxygen from feeding same. For example, in structures that would prevent water from being immediately effective, it is contemplated to couple a vehicle in accordance with the present invention to an existing piping system in the structure. Thereafter, steam may be injected into the piping system, so as to blanket the structure with steam and prevent oxygen from further feeding the fire. Similar steam fighting techniques may also be utilized to extinguish a fire from a downed plane or the like. In this case, steam can be directed to the flames by a cannon similar to the one mentioned above. Although steam would be venting to the atmosphere, the combustible area would be blanketed with steam and thereby cooled and prevented from utilizing nearby oxygen.
It is also contemplated to outfit vehicle 10 with one or more cameras or the like for aiding in the operation of the snow removal device. For example, it is contemplated to provide vehicle 10 with standard video cameras or infrared cameras that could be used in conjunction with a video screen. Such a screen would be housed in either of the aforementioned cabs, and could allow an operator or driver to view certain aspects of the vehicle or aid in the navigation of such. Furthermore, it is contemplated to provide an operating system for controlling the various components of vehicle 10. Such a system is preferably computerized and may include several automated aspects. For example, it is envisioned to provide a system that would allow for vehicle 10 to maintain certain operating temperatures, as well as monitor the amount of snow captured and processed. Similarly, the navigation of vehicle 10 may also be aided through certain control systems, such as system that utilize GPS technology, as can the operation of shovel 31.
Finally, while the aforementioned vehicle 10 has been described as being a motorized automobile-like vehicle, it is envisioned to provide a smaller manually operated vehicle, not unlike well known snow blowers. Such a device would be similarly outfitted with lances or the like extending from either side and/or the rear of the device. A person would manually push or pull the apparatus and thereby capture snow. A heating assembly, which may be a smaller and more compact version of heating assembly 40, may be utilized to melt and heat the captured snow into a heated liquid. In accordance with the above, this heated water would thereafter be ejected from the lances and aid in the removal of snow either to the left or right of the device, or snow that was not originally captured, but rather passed over. It is envisioned that such a device could allow a user to clear an entire driveway or the like in much fewer passes than typically required by a snow blower.
Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A motorized vehicle for removing snow from a surface comprising:
- a shovel mounted to said vehicle for removing snow located on a portion of said surface aligned with said vehicle while said vehicle traverses said surface;
- a heating assembly for melting said snow removed by said shovel and producing a resulting heated liquid; and
- one or more lances mounted to at least one side of said vehicle for spraying said heated liquid therefrom to melt snow located on a side portion of said surface located to the side of said vehicle while said vehicle traverses said surface.
2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said lances are mounted on both sides of said vehicle.
3. The vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of lances mounted to a rear of said vehicle for spraying said heated liquid therefrom to melt snow located on a rear portion of said surface located to the rear of said vehicle while said vehicle traverses said surface.
4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said shovel is height adjustable allowing for a selected depth of said snow to be removed from said surface.
5. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyor for transporting said snow from said shovel to said heater.
6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said heating assembly includes a converter having at least two converter heaters, an agitator, a steam sparger, and a steam eductor.
7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said shovel is mounted to a front portion of said vehicle.
8. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising at least one camera for aiding in the operation of said vehicle.
9. A method of removing snow from a surface comprising:
- providing a snow removal vehicle having a shovel;
- moving said vehicle along a first path;
- capturing snow located on said surface in alignment with said vehicle with said shovel while moving said vehicle in said first path;
- melting and heating said captured snow to provide a heated liquid; and
- spraying said heated liquid to melt snow located to the side of said first path.
10. The method according to claim 9, further including the step of transporting said captured snow from said shovel to a heating assembly.
11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said spraying step includes spraying said heated liquid to melt snow located to both sides of said first path.
12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of spraying said heated liquid to melt snow located to the rear of said vehicle.
13. A method of removing snow from a surface comprising:
- moving a snow removal vehicle in a first direction;
- capturing snow to define a first swath having a first width on said surface;
- melting and heating said captured snow to produce a heated liquid; and
- spraying said heated liquid to melt snow to the side of said first path to increase said first width.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said capturing step includes capturing said snow by means of a shovel mounted on said removal vehicle while moving in said first direction.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said shovel has a width substantially equal to said first width of said first swath.
16. The method according to claim 14, wherein said capturing step includes capturing only a portion of said snow in said first swath.
17. The method according to claim 16, further including the step of adjusting the height of said shovel to determine how much snow to capture.
18. The method according to claim 17, further including the step of spraying said heated liquid to melt residual snow to the rear of said vehicle, said residual snow left on said surface after only a portion of said snow is captured in said first swath.
19. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of transporting said captured snow from said shovel to a heating assembly for melting and heating said snow.
20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said heating assembly includes a converter, a flush tank and a boiler.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 1, 2005
Publication Date: Dec 7, 2006
Inventor: Murray Gertner (Mendham, NJ)
Application Number: 11/142,599
International Classification: E01H 5/10 (20060101);