US1706144A - Snow loading and disposal machine - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1929. T. J. CHRUL SNOW LOADING AND DISPOSAL, MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 23, 1926 J INVENTOR. BY 7 J' W m6). 1AM} ATTORNEY.

March 19, 1929. 1-. J. CHRUL SNOW LOADING AND DISPOSAL MACHINE Filed Aug. 23, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 u u a 1 a n 1 n IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

March 19, 1929. 'r, J (:HRUL 1,706,144

SNOW LOADING AND DISPOSAL MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR.

By d M A TTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES TIOIIL JOHN CHRUL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SNOW LOADING AND DISPOSAL MACHINE.

7 Application filed August 23, 1926. Serial No. 130,869.

This invention relates to an improved machine for removing snow from a street or hi hway and melting the same.

he machine of the present invention embodies improvements over the mechanism disclosed in my pending application for patent, Serial Number 109,204 filed May 15th 1926. i The object of the present invention is to provide a m0tordri ven machine to travel over a' street or highway; to collect or gather the snow in front of an endless elevator so the latter may carry it upwardly and deposit it into a heated chamber; to provide means for agitating the snow while in said chamber and to bring it into contact with numerous separated heated tubular flues that will further break it up and melt it and finally to discharge the water formed by the melted snow. The invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 shows the machine in side elevation.

Fig. 2 illustrates the same in vertical longitudinal section.

Fig. 3 illustrates a vertical cross-sectional detail through the machine looking forward from the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. .1. illustrates on an enlarged scale a sectional detail through one of the tubular flues and its connection with the bottom of the melting-chamber.

Fig. 5 shows a detail of one of the adjustable heat regulators for the flues, and

Fig. 6 illustrates one of the flue shield 'devices.

Referring to Figs. 1-2 and 3 of the drawings, the numeral 10, designates the frame of a motor vehicle on which there is mounted a tank-like structure or receptacle 11. This tank structure, in the present instance, has two side walls 12 and 13; a front wall 14; a top 15 and a bottom 16.

As in my pending application, I provide on the interior of the tank and at the juncture of the front wall and bottom, a crosswise-extending concavity 17, which in practice extends from one side Wall 12 to the opposite side wall 13.

Beneath the bottom 16 of the tank, I prob vide a heating chamber 18 in which there are located a series of burners 19 which latter are designed to burn oil supplied thereto through pipes 20, from an elevated fuel tank 21 at the forward part of the tank.

A main valve 22 is provided in the oil-supply pipe to cut off or regulate the fiow of oil from thetank, while independent valves 23 at each burner enable the supply of oil to each of the latter to be regulated.

Access to the burners in the heating chamber is had by-means of a door 24, provided in the side below the bottom 16 of the tank.

The bottom 16 of the tank is provided with a series of openings 25 and on the upper side of said bottomand around each of said openings, I provide a flanged collar 26. These openings 25 and flanged collars are arranged preferably in rows extending longitudinally as well as crosswise of the interior of the tank, and in each flanged collar is seated a vertically-extending tubular flue 27.

Thus it is to'be understood that throughout thebottom ofthe tankthere are numerous vertically-extending tubular flues 27 Whose lower ends are in open communication with the heating-chamber 18, and whose upper ends are more or less open to the interior of the tank as will presently be more fully explained.

These tubular flues 27, as may be seen by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, are arranged with uniformity so as to provide a series of longitudinal spaces extending fore and aft of the tank,-the spaces being lettered, a, b, a and d for identification, particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The spaces are therefore formed by spaced and parallel rows of vertical tubular flues.

The purpose of these tubular flues is threefold in that they are to conduct heat from the lower heat chamber 18, to the interior of the tank above said chamber; they also provide numerous heated surfaces against which the snow deposited in the tank may contact and thus be melted and. being spaced, the tubular flues provide a series of vertical heated obstructions against which the collected snow will be pushed and broken up as the snow is agitated and moved longitudinally through the tank.

I have also found in practice that some tubes, because of their positions relative to the burners are apt to be hot while others may e comparatively cool but that I can practically overcome this by providing the upper ends of the tubes with a damper means whereby to choke off the tubular passages more or less and thus by reducing the openings in the hotter tubes and providing a greater opening in the cooler tubes create a more uniform heatdistributing condition and have practically all the tubes sufficiently hot to function as intended.

Various means may be provided to effect the adjustment of the tubular passages but I find that this can be accomplished b providing slotted plugs 28 with springngers 29 which may be forced down more or less into the upper ends of the flues 27, to vary the size or area of the outlets 30, as may be seen in Fig. 5 of the drawing.

In the tank, and extending in a direction crosswise thereof, I provide two horizontallyextending shafts 31 and 32, which shafts have bearings in the opposite side walls 12 and 13.

vOn each of these shafts, I mount as many sprocket-wheels 33, as there are longitudinal vpassages between rows of tubes, in this instance, four in number, so that a pair of sprocket-wheels will be provided for each longitudinal passage.

A sprocket-chain 34 extends through each longitudinal passage and passes around the two spaced sprockets therein and each sprocket-chain has an endless series of flights or blades 35 thereon.

When the sprockets are set in motion, the chains with their flights or blades will travel longitudinally through the passages between the rows of tubular flues,the l'ower stretch of the sprocket-chains carrying their flights or blades from the rear to the front of the tank and close to the heated bottom of the latter.

.The front horizontal shaft 32 extends through the side walls 12 of the tank or receptacle and carries a sprocket-wheel 36 thereon and this wheel and the shaft on which it is mounted are driven by means presently to be explained.

Secured to and depending from the top 15 of the tank and substantially over the rear sprocket 33 is a hopper 37 having a slide valve-plate 38 on its bottom with an actuating lever 39 projecting from the tank-wall 13 so that by sliding the valve the discharge of the material in the hopper may be varied or regulated.

An agitator 40 is located in the hopper and a star wheel 41 at one end of the hopper and on the end of the agitator-shaft is arranged to be engaged by the blades or flights 35 on the sprocket-chain in the passage, d, so the agitator may be intermittently rotated.

The purpose of this hopper is to contain salt which will be slowly discharged into the tank and facilitate the melting of the snow.

By reference to Fig. 2, of the drawing, it will be seen that the tubular flues directly beneath the salt hopper are slightly shorter than those forward thereof and that each of theseflues has a shield 42 over the upper end ings in the side walls 12 and 13, and this shaft carries two spaced sprockets 46 and 47.

On this horizontal shaft 45, I sustain the upper end of an elevator-housing 48 which latter has vertical side walls 49 and 50 and a covering wall 51. This covering wall 51 has a curved upper end 52, which curves forwardly and beneath the top wall 15, of the tank and said covering wall also has a curved lower end 53 which projects forwardly between the side walls 49 and 50.

The entire elevator mechanism is hung at its upper end on the horizontal cross-shaft 45 so the same may be rocked on said shaft and to effect a comparatively tight joint be tween the upper end of the elevator housing and the tank, I provide a hinged flap 54 on the rear end of the top wall 15 of the tank, which flap seats on the upper side of the elevator housing and will have sliding contact therewith as the housing is swung on the shaft 45, during the act of raising or lowering the lower end thereof as and for a pur pose that will presently be explained.

At the lower ends, the side walls 49 and 50 of the elevator housing carry a horizontal shaft 55 and this shaft has two sprockets 56 and 57 thereon so that sprocket-chains 58 may travel on the upper and lower sprockets 4g5 tzi and the upper and lower sprockets 4 5 These two sprocket-chains 58 are provided with a series of angle-iron flights 59, the upper stretch of which is designed to travel upwardly while the lower stretch travels downwardly as indicated by darts in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The flights on the upper stretch of the sprocket chain form troughs to convey upwardly snow which they gather as they travel around the lower sprockets 5657 and within the lower curved end 53 of the housing.

To prevent sagging of the upper stretch of the chain because of the weight of the flights and the snow gathered thereon, I provide the side walls 49 and 50 of the elevatorhousing with guide-railsand I also provide the sprocket-chain with a series of rollers 61 which by traveling on said guide-rails will support the load.

The elevator, to wit, the chains, flights and sprockets are driven through a sprocket wheel 62, on the outer end of the upper cross-shaft chain 63pass1n outer end of shaft 31, as clearly shown in 45, and this sprocket-wheel 62 is driven by a around a sprocket 64 on the Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The rear end of the tank has a short vertical rear wall 65 to partially close the rear end of the tank and to completely close the rear end of the burner chamber 18.

Ground wheels 66 are provided at the lower ends of the elevator-housing so as to engage and roll on the ground as the vehicle is moved forward and thus sustain the lower end of the housing.

Atv the lower forward portions of the vertical side plates 4950 of the elevator-housing, I provide hinged side plates 67 which may be adjustedto swing outwardly more or less and held in the adjusted positions by means of tie-levers 68 having wing-nut adjustments.

I also provide a toggle-lever adjuster comprising two bars 69 and 70,one having an end 71 pivotally connected to the elevator housing, the other having an end 72, pivot ally connected to a bracket on the frame and the two levers lapping and having a pivot connection at 73.

A bolt and wing-nut 74 on the end of the lever 69 may be engaged-in a hole 75 in lever 70 andwhen so engaged, the levers will be drawn into alinement whereby to swing the lower end of the elevator rearwardly and raise it above the ground and out of operat ing position. i

I also provide a series of guard bars 76 carried by a cross-frame 77 at the under and forward side of the elevator whereby to per mit the latter to ride over any large stones or other substance too big to pass between the bars and said bars will serve to crush lumps of snow and allow it to feed to the front of the elevator as the vehicle draws the elevator forward over a street or highway.

A slide door 78, shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, is provided in the side wall 13 at one end of the agitator so that water of the melted snow may be run off. .7

It is believed to be obvious that as the machine is moved forwardl over a street or highway, the snow will e collected at the base of the elevator where the down-moving flights will engage it and carry it around the lower end of the housing and then upwardly into the rear and top of the tank.

The snow will then be deposited in the heated tank about the rows of tubular flues and the conveyers 34-35 will carry the snow forwardly in contact with the heated flues and melt the same. Any unmelted lumps being discharged into the forward agitator and broken up before being discharged through the slide door. 1

Having described my invention, I claim, 1. In a machine for removing snow from streets or highways the combination of a wheeled vehicle having a tank thereon, of a series of vertical tubular flues in the tank, said vertical flues being arranged in crosswise and longitudinal rows in the tank, conveying means operating between the rows of vertical tubular flues and heating means below the bases of the vertical tubular flues.

2. In a machinefor removing snow from streets or highways the combination with a wheeled vehicle having a tank thereon and with a heating chamber beneath the tank, of a series of vertical tubular flues in the tank. said flues having their lower ends open and communicating with the heating chamber, means for varying the area of the passages from the tines to the tank to regulate the discharge of heat therefrom into the tank and conveyer means operating between the flues.

3. In a machine for removing snow from streets or highways the combination with a wheeled vehicle having a tank thereon and with a heating chamber beneath the tank, of a series of tubular flues in the tank, said flues having their lower ends communicating with the heating chamber, and adjustable means at the upper ends of the tubular flues for effecting a partial closure of the latter to adjust the amount of heat passing from the flues into the tank. a y

4. In a machine for removing snow from streets or highways the combination with a wheeled vehicle having a tank thereon and with a heating chamber beneath the tank, of

veying means operating in the longitudinal passages between the rows of tubular flues, heating means below the lower ends of the vertical tubular flues and means for varying the passage of heat through the tubular flues.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

TEOFIL J. CHRUL.

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