US2474840A - Apparatus for removing snow and the like - Google Patents

Description

July 5, 1949. E. R. GRIEER 4 2,474,840

APPA'RATUS FOR REMOVING SNOW AND THE LIKE Filed July 20, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 50 WA RD R. GREER BY 0-M y 5, 1949. E. R. GREER 2,474,840

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SNOW AND THE LIKE Filed July 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Vt EN 7-0/2 52) WARD E. GREEE QM @OAJL y 5, 1949. E. R. GREr= R 2,474 40 APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SNOW AND THE LIKE Filed Jul 20, 1945 s'snee'ts-sheet s IN VEN TOR. f0 WARD R. GREER F76. 6 BY Q MW Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SNOW AND THE LIKE This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for removing snow and other materials from roadways and other areas and involves the use of hot combustion gases under pressure to facilitate lateral or vertical movement and disposal of the material being handled. This apparatus is of the general type disclosed in this applicants United States Letters Patent No. 2,404,287.

Among the new features are the provision of a self-contained jet unit adapted for attachment to a moldboard or to a rotary snow plow, and the provision for use of part or all of the jet blast to actuate a turbine motor which may be employed to drive a snow plow rotor.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus having in combination a moldboard or guided passage and a hot combustion gaseous pressure means for transferring or assisting in the transfer or disposal of the material.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an apparatus incorporating one or more of the above recited features and these and other objects will be more apparent from the specification, drawings and claims. The specific embodiments hereinafter described and shown are merely illustrative of the invention involved and may be widely varied to meet satisfactory and specific design requirements.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown, as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rotary snow plow with the hot combustion pressure gas device applied thereto, said device being indicated in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a detailed sectional view of the combustion device showing its association with the vertical chute and with the blades of the snow plow rotor;

Figure 3 is a View showing the outlet of the combustion gas device impinging upon the turborotor vanes and diagrammatically indicating in dotted lines the reduction gears associated with the turbo-rotor to drive the shaft of the rotor blades;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 3 and showing the gear relationship;

Figure 5 is a modification of the driving mechanism shown in Figure 3, but using epicyclic or planetary gear train to drive the rotor blades; and

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the lines 66 of Figure 5.

This invention is more particularly directed to the employment of a jet of hot combustion gases discharged under pressure adjacent the moldboard or guide means of a snow plow. There are several common types of snow guides, one is the V-type which is placed at the apex at the front of a railway engine, or a highway truck, or tractor. Another is the laterally positioned single moldboard usually borne by a highway truck or tractor. Another form is a chute placed above a snow-receiving opening in which is mounted a bladed rotor to receive the snow and upwardly project it through a stack which discharges the snow at one side.

In Figures 1 and 2 there is disclosed a form of device for handling snow or other material. Therein is shown a sidewalk rotary snow plow Which is now in use and forms no part of this invention save that the novel combustion chamber and jet are applied thereto.

This old form of sidewalk rotary snow plow briefly consists of a two-wheel structure with an internal combustion engine mounted thereon. The engine is adapted to drive the two-wheels through a clutch mechanism and also drives the blades I20 which are centrally disposed within a housing I2! with funnel shaped sides substantially surrounding it and which are adapted to direct the snow to the rotor blades as the plow is manually guided into the snow by an operator walking behind the handle bars I22. The snow is forcibly moved by the engine-driven blades I20 upwardly through a chute 23 and is provided with a hood I24 having an open side and top and which is rotatable upon the chute I23 so that the snow can be directed to one side or the other of the sidewalk snow plow. This old form of sidewalk snow plow employs an air compressor to deliver cooling air to the single cylinder air-cooled engine and also has a magneto delivering electricity to the spark plug of the engine. Thus, this old form of sidewalk snow plow not only provides a supply of air under pressure but also supplies electrical energy whereby there is a source of each for use with the novel combustion chamber which has been adapted thereto.

The novel combustion unit is borne by a base plate I25 fixed to the supporting plate I26 of outer housing I29 at its lower end has a flanged portion I3I] which is fixed to the base plate I25 and the housing I29 upwardlyextendsaud en- At the upper ends of the housing I29 andcombustiom closes the combustion chamber wall I28.

chamber wall I28 there is provided an expansion joint.

the connection between .this nozzle I3] and combustion chamber wall ispreferably one that permits ready removal and replacementof the noz- Zlet The upper open end of the nozzle I3I is adapted to discharge hot gases in the-path of theshort blades I2IJ of the snow plow rotor, thus converting the rotor-bladesinto a semblance of an. impact type of turbo-rotor. The combustion gas-es impacted from the combustion chamber thus in part engage thebla'desI'ZIIa-and in part directly pass upwardly into the chute I2 I; to provide a .blast to accelerate snow removal.

A-mixtureof atomized fuel and air under pressure ,2 is received within the-combustion chamber through aligned: apertures in the chamber-wall I23 and-the. housing 129: The atomizer I32 is mounted upon the inner end of a fuel pipe I34. Thesupply of airunder pressure is delivered by theyairpipe I33 to'the spaee'around the-spray nozzle andzenters the combustion chamber with the atomized fueLLand-the air under pressure thus also enters the space between the chamber wall' I28 and the housing I29: 'I'heliquid fuel is supplied. to theatomizer by the; pipe I 34 from: the same fuel tank on the sidewalk snow. plow while air under pressure is supplied tothe'pipe I33|by the usual air compressorzcarriedby the sidewalk snowplow. The ignition of the atomizedzfuel is effected by the sparkplug I35 mounted-fimthe" base plate I25 and projecting within the combustion chamber. The source of the electrical energy; for the spark plug is the electric system ofthe sidewalk snow. plow.- As abovedescribed, the 3 combustion gases upwardly pass through the Venturi tube or-nozzle I35 and not only-forcibly. assist in-the rotation of the vanes I 29 but also blow. Theforce' of the: combustion gases may tendto rotate the vanes-- faster than. the normal Rt P. M.ofthe rotor but that is ,merely analogous. .to. an. automobile de scendinga hill with the gears in meshand'withthe snow throughv the chute.

out declutching.

In Figures 3 and 4 there is disclosed a modificae tion of a driving means for theblades I ofthe sidewalk snow plow. Broadly considered it con- IZothrough reduction gearing. The shaft I35 I38 having peripheral blades I39 is' idly borne by the shaft'ISG. The hub MI] of the turbowheel is provided-with peripheralgear teeth I4I which mesh with the teethof -a larger gear I42 pinned to a stub'shaft I43 mountedin'a bearing The jet nozzle I3I is received'lwith-in theupper open end of the combustion chamber and.

4 I46 having its hub pinned to the main shaft [3-6. These stub shafts and associated pinions are duplicated upon each side of the main shaft I36. The Venturi nozzle I3I shown on the left in Figure 3 upwardly discharges the combustion gases which impact the vanes I39 of the turbo-wheel I33, thus forcibly rotating it in a clockwise direction as shown in Figure3. This moment of rotation is imparted to the reduction gearing consisting of the pinion I4I, duplicate gears I42 and stub shafts I43 and their pinions I45 and finally to the main gear I 46 pinned to the shaft I36 which drives "the rotary snow blades I20. This reduction gearing imparts considerable power to the blades I20:

Another modification of drive of the rotary snow plow blades I20 is shown in Figures 5 and 6 wherein there is disclosed a planetary form of reduction gearing.

The planetary gearing includes .a-vaned turborotor I 50" whose curved vanes .I 5| are in the-path of the combustion jet from the Venturi tube I521 Thehub I53 of theturb'o-rotor is borne by bearings 15% mounted upon the hub I55 of a rotatable spider I56 which carries three stub shafts I51 upon each of which is rotatably. mounted a similar gear I558. The peripheral teeth of each gear I 58 mesh both with" :a pinion I59and with the internal teeth I60 of the outer fixed gear. This outergear is shown. as bolted to the frame members Isl of the sidewalk" plow while the inner pinion I5 is fixed to the hub I53'of the turbo-rotor I 50.

This gearing of the epicyclic type gives powerpulse type the jet gases exhausting from the in a.housi ng. H541. Likewise, pinned-'tothestub shaft- :1 ltiisv pinion: I 45": meshing with a i gear turbo-rotor blade are still traveling in the direction of snow discharge at a much. higher velocity.

than the snow leaving the rotary plow blades.

The energy inthis exhaust then materially assists in accelerating and dissipating the snow.

Theimpulse type of turbines shown apply heatto-the'turbine vanes for only" a small fraction of each rotation period giving plenty of time for the blades to cool, as well as effecting a turbine exhaust containing useful energy available for use in assisting snow'discharge.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art' that I have accomplished'at'least the principal objects ofmy invention, andit will also be ap.-- parenttothose skilled in the art that the em-' bodiments herein described may be variously changed'an'd modified without departing from the spirit of the invention; and that theinvention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specifically described; hence it-will be appreciated'that the herein disclosed-embodiments areillustrative only, and that my invention is notlimited thereto.

I claim as myinvention:

l. The combination with a snow plow havinga bladed rotor toengage andforcibly=remove snow or other material, of a jet burner mount ed.adjacent. therotoraand having its jet' exhaust positioned to impact the bladesof the rotor and" to assist in forcible discharge of the material.

2. The combination with a snow plow having.

a bladed :rotonto engage and forcibly remove snow OI' TOthGI' material having a guided-passageway for the material-received from the rotor; of a jet" burner mounted adjacent the rotor andhavingij its jet exhaust positioned to assist in forcible dis;

charge of the material, and the jet exhaust being positioned for discharge through said passageway to accelerate material-discharge.

3. The combination of a rotary snow plow having an engine to drive the plow and its bladed snow-engaging rotor, with a jet burner having an exhaust port positioned to impact the rotor blades and thereby to assist in the operation of the rotary snow plow.

4. The combination of a rotary snow plow having a bladed snow-engaging rotor adapted upon actuation to engage and forcibly remove snow with a jet burner mounted upon the snow plow, a vaned turbine mounted on the snow plow with its vanes in the path of said jet and adapted to be actuated thereby, and speed-reduction gearing connected to said turbine and to said bladed rotor thereby to drive the rotor and forcibly eject the snow.

5. The combination of a rotary snow plow having an engine to drive the plow and its bladed snow-engaging r0tor-shaft, with a vaned turbine borne by said shaft, speed-reduction gearing connecting the turbine to said shaft to drive it and a jet burner having an exhaust port positioned to impact the vanes of the turbine thereby to actuate the turbine.

6. The combination of a rotary snow plow having a bladed snow-engaging rotor adapted upon actuation to engage and forcibly remove snow, with a jet burner mounted upon the snow plow, a vaned turbine mounted on the snow plow with its vanes in the path of said jet and actuated thereby, speed-reduction gearing connected to the turbine and to the rotor thereby to drive the rotor, and a chute to direct the jet-exhaust to facilitate snow removal.

7. The combination with a snow plow having a bladed rotor to engage and forcibly remove snow or other material, of a jet burner mounted adjacent the rotor and having its jet exhaust adapted to effect rotation of said rotor and to assist in forcible discharge of the material,

EDWARD R. GREER.

No references cited.

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